Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture is inspiring on many levels. Especially for teachers or future teachers. There is an abundance of teaching techniques that Pausch talks about. Many of these are lessons for life that should be applied in the classroom. One of the first points that stands out to me in his lecture is that you can't change the cards you are dealt. As a teacher, this is important to remember. Many times, it is easy to blame the families, environment, or general knowledge level of a failing student. However, I feel like as teachers, it is our job to take what we have and inspire children, no matter what the case is. You can't change the class you have, only the attitude with which you approach them.

It is important to remember to have childhood dreams, and to keep your childhood wonder. This is extremely relevant in the classroom. Students need to have specific dreams of their own, it is our job to encourage these dreams. Many times it is easy to disregard the dreams of a child because they seem so far fetched. Randy Pausch was proof that with hard work, determination, and a focused mind, nothing is out of reach. Students today face so many obstacles, it is important for teachers to keep their dreams alive. Along this same line Pausch brought up the idea that brick walls are there, not to keep us out but to show us how much we want something. We should relay this to the students.

I think it is mandatory that teachers push students to succeed. Teachers and students should never be complacent with the level on which they are working. There is always room for improvement. If your students impress you, keep pushing them, you will be even more impressed. However, we need to be careful in the ways which we word things. Students should know that their teacher cares and is impressed, but also knows that they can do better. Sometimes, just the way we word things and our tone of voice can be enough to turn a child away. Teachers should never be arragant, remember that there is alot to learn from students. We are always learning, even if it is indirectly.

For me, probably the most important point that Randy Pausch made in his lecture regarding education has to do with the "head fakes." To me, this meant he was adressing the idea that burp back education doesn't work. The head fakes meant that most of what we learn, we learn indirectly. For example, when working in a group you focus on acomplishing the assigned task, but you are also learning how to communicate, cooperate, and have fun while learning. Many times, this is more beneficial for students than giving and A,B,C mulitple choice test. Studnets learn better in a hands on environment. It is our job to make learning fun. Boredom in the classroom often leads to disinterest in education. Keeping the children engaged in what they are doing keeps their interest and they don't realize they are learning sa much as they really are. Every moment is a teaching moment.

All in all, this lecture and Randy Pausch inspired me in many ways. It made me want to strive to be a better person and helped me reevaluate what is really important in my life. I think many times we take the small things for granted and spend way to much time focused on material possessions. Pausch reiterated the importance of dreams and childhood wonder, which I think many adults forget. I think everyone should watch this lecture because it has a lot to offer for all.