I have a calendar on my desk with a quote or saying about teaching and education for each day,
The following was the excerpt from November 21st. This piece was given to me, my first year as an educator, by my mentor teacher. Unfortunately, in moving from school to school it somehow was misplaced. When I read this again yesterday, it brought back a lot of the memories of those first few years of learning to become a teacher and the inspiration I recieved from so many educators, that I have worked with.
Teachers are the reason why airplanes fly,
computers program, ballets are danced,
novels are written, cancers are researched,
lawsuits won, skyscrapers built, and
“art” decorates refrigerator doors.
Life’s biggest, boldest, brightest ideas
--- life’s honors, achievements and
accomplishments --- occur because
somewhere, sometime, someone touched
our lives --- and it all began with a
TEACHER
Thank you to all who have touched my life as an educator.
This is a simple video clip of Science Quotes and Images that I show periodically in my classroom. The images certainly capture the student's imagination and will quite often lead to them actually reading the quotes.
"Give yourself permission to dream. Fuel your kids' dreams too. Once in a while, that might even mean letting them stay up past their bedtimes." — Randy Pausch (The Last Lecture)
Part of my role as a teacher mentor is providing inspiration and motivation for the students entrusted to my care.
Each year I show the sophomores in my Chemistry class "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch.
On September 18, 2007, computer science professor Randy Pausch stepped in front of an audience of 400 people at Carnegie Mellon University to deliver a last lecture called “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.” With slides of his CT scans beaming out to the audience, Randy told his audience about the cancer that is devouring his pancreas and that will claim his life in a matter of months. On the stage that day, Randy was youthful, energetic, handsome, often cheerfully, darkly funny. He seemed invincible. But this was a brief moment, as he himself acknowledged.
Randy’s lecture has become a phenomenon, as has the book he wrote based on the same principles, celebrating the dreams we all strive to make realities. Sadly, Randy lost his battle to pancreatic cancer on July 25th, 2008, but his legacy will continue to inspire us all, for generations to come.
This hour and sixteen minutes about the value of living life to the fullest from a guy who is dying does more for my students than I ever could. Randy Pausch's message to his children by way of "The Last Lecture" includes such a wide variety of speaking points for both students and teachers to find inspiration.
Following Your Childhood Dreams
The Importance of Education
Becoming Your Own Self Advocate
Overcoming the Brick Walls
Helping Others to Succeed
Raise the Bar by Not Setting One
These are just some of the most common discussion points my students tend to focus on. Each time I view the video, I find something new to inspire both my students and myself.
"The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something." — Randy Pausch (The Last Lecture)
P.S. I have recieved over a dozen copies of the book as gifts from students in the last three years.
"It’s not about how to achieve your dreams. It’s about how to lead your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you. " — Randy Pausch (The Last Lecture)
I found this story many years ago. I keep a copy over my desk as a reminder that I may never see nor experience the seeds of education I plant in the minds of my students each day, but I believe that what I do for them in my classroom is invaluable to their development into adults who think critically, communicate effectively and work collaboratively to make positive change in this world that we share.
It was time for the monsoon rains to begin and a very old man was digging holes in his garden
“What are you doing?” his neighbor asked.
“Planting mango trees” was the reply.
“Do you expect to eat mangoes from those trees?”
“No, I won’t live long enough for that. But others will.
It occurred to me the other day that all my life I have enjoyed mangoes planted by other people. This is my way of showing them my gratitude.”
After reading Rafe Esquith's book "Lighting Their Fires: Raising Extraordinary Kids in a Mixed-up, Muddled-Up, Shook-up world",
I created a powerpoint using the quote from the Martin Luther King speech, "What is Your Life's Blueprint."
"If it falls your lot in life to sweep the streets: sweep them like Michaelangelo painted pictures, like Beethoven composed music and like Shakespeare wrote poetry."
I use this powerpoint throughout the semester to encourage students to maximize their effort in everything they do. Periodically I let students choose additional role models to add to the powerpoint.
Students have come up with examples like: Theodore Gieselle, championed literacy, Jesse Owens, 'eraced' racism and Steve Prefontaine broke through the limits.
