Blog Post #7

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

I absolutely loved this video it has so much valuable information in it. While I was watching this video I could not help but to take notes the whole time because some of the points Dr. Pausch made were very noteworthy. I personally learned a lot while watching. Randy Pausch is such a wonderful person to listen to. I would normally never say I enjoyed a lecture but ,in his case, I sincerely did. He brings so much knowledge and humor to every lecture he teaches. In this particular lecture he begins by telling about himself and his dreams growing up. It is nice to hear from someone that is so open while teaching. This allows you to really get to know the instructor.

"Brick walls are there to let us show our dedication. They are there to separate us from the people who don't want to achieve their dreams".

In his class, his students were put into groups to do a project. After the projects were turned in, he realized the students did a lot better than he had expected. Instead of telling the students exactly what he thought, he kept that to himself. Dr. Pausch told the students they could have done better. You may question why he did not encourage his students and tell them how well they did but he had greater intentions. In this situation he wanted to make his students do better than even he could imagine. If he would give these students a standard to reach he would have actually done them an injustice. That standard he had in his mind was blown out of the water. As a teacher you have to expect greatness out of your students. Encouraging students to do better and don't set a bar. If you set a standard students will only do what they have to do to get by and not do what they capable of. He taught his students to do their absolute best. As a teacher, we have to let the sky be the limit.

"When you are seeing yourself mess up and no one is bothering to tell you any more that is a bad place to be. Your critics are the ones telling you they still love you and care."

When you have a classroom of students, you have to critique them and their work. If a teacher does not critique a student "that means they have given up" on them. A teacher should never give up on his/her students. When we show them what they are doing wrong then that causes reflection, which is "a teacher's best gift". I completely agree with this quote. I know as a singer I live off correction and critique. If you do not correct your students you are doing them an injustice. Without critique and correction they can never grow and get better. The students may not like the critiquing at the moment but later they will be thankful for it and cherish it.

"When kids have fun that is what they will remember you for"

When I have my classroom of students I want to be remembered as the fun teacher. I believe when student are having fun they are learning the most. Having fun on a daily basis will be a goal in my classroom. Although I know I will come in contact with difficult students, I have to be patient because as Dr. Pausch says, "when you give people enough time and people will impress you". "Every person has a good side" and I will just have to give them long enough to see it or help bring it out. Students will have the chance to prove they can work in groups because it causes them to not just focus on themselves. I will refuse to allow arrogance, giving up, and complaining in my classroom because it only keeps students from reaching their full potential and is an excuse to not work harder. When my kids leave my room I want the other teachers to have a sigh of relief, just as Pausch describes companies wanting his before they even graduate.