Blog post # 10

What can we learn about teaching and learning? Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

        I would suggest everyone to watch Randy Pausch's "Last Lecture". I believe it is a video that everyone can relate to in some way. Randy is a great speaker, and is so positive and motivational. Randy starts off his lecture with "If you had one last lecture to give before you died, what would it be?" As future educators, this is something we should all think about. We should lecture and create lessons as if it could be the last one we are able to give. Randy has since died, but had terminal cancer while giving this lecture. He says that within the lecture he would not be speaking about cancer. He did not want to be pitied. Randy only wanted to be taken serious and looked at as any other speaker.

        He was so inspirational and I feel as everyone who watches this video can relate and connect. He spoke about a few of his childhood dreams, what they meant to him, and how he achieved them. Randy taught me that motivation and perseverance is a huge part in achieving dreams. Those are two huge aspects that make up teaching and learning. Without being motivated and persevering one cannot teach or learn anything. He said we cannot get anywhere, alone; people have to help you. As a future educator, this is so true. Without teachers and students helping each other out, education would fail. We all must help each other to succeed.

        Randy showed me how important creativity is when it comes to teaching and learning. I thought about this as he spoke about painting his bedroom as a child. It made me realize that teaching does not have to be serious and structured all of the time. Children need to have the ability to show off their creative side, and teachers should let them; just as Randy's parents let him paint his room. Randy showed me that it is important to stay positive even when life is hard. He is a prime example that it is possible to do so. I love Randy's quote "The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show us how badly we want something". This is wonderful. I think this goes hand in hand with the way we should teach and help children learn.