Blog Post 10

         This week we watched a video called Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams, by Randy Pausch. Prof. Pausch brought tears to my eyes in his last lecture, where he talked about achieving your childhood dreams. Prof. Pausch had ten tumors in his liver, and on this lecture date had two more months to live. This lecture was not one that was looking for pity, but to show people that anything is possible. Prof. Pausch was able to make all his childhood dreams come true, because of hard work and the determination to never give up. He talked a lot about brick walls and I learned the reason why they were important. Brick walls are put in front of people to make you prove how badly you want something. The brick walls separate those people who are serious and show dedication and those people who do not. I also learned about teaching and learning from Prof. Pausch.

          One thing about teaching is that you should never limit your students. If you have students that exceed your expectations, you should encourage them, but also let them know that they could do better. I also learned that the best gift an educator can give is the gift of making your students self-reflective. A student that can point out and criticize their own flaws is one that has many more roads open to them in the future.

          Prof. Pausch also taught about learning to learn. He talked about how teachers should get a feedback loop, this lets the teacher and the students learn about the class and themselves, if they are willing to listen. He said that people will tell you what you need to hear, but the hard part is listening, learning, and not making up excuses. As a future teacher, I need to cherish what people are telling me, and not take it offensively. One statement that really stood out to me, was when Prof. Pausch said that you should be happy when someone criticizes you, because it means they care. However, if no one is criticizing you, that means they have given up on you. This statement is very eye opening and made me think twice.

          As a future educator, my job will not only be to teach, but also to learn. Prof. Pausch taught me many things in this video, which I will not soon forget. He taught me to focus on others and not on yourself; he taught me to be good at something, because it is what makes you valuable; and he taught me to find the best in everyone, no matter how long it takes. Life is too short not to teach, and learn from the experiences around you!