Blog Assignment 6

Randy Pausch - Last Lecture

In the video,Randy Pausch – Last Lecture, I was completely amazed by the enthusiasm Randy exhibited throughout the entire lecture. When I picture a man who is standing at deaths door I picture the opposite of Randy. I picture someone who is feeling sorry for themselves, sitting at home thinking of what could have been; yet, Randy takes this time to be an encourager, a helper, a friend, and most of all leave us with some outstanding advice. In my opinion this in itself is a huge testament to his character.

Throughout the lecture Randy provides educators, both present and future, with sound advice for enabling our students to go after their dreams. Randy reminds us that the fundamentals are important for anything you do in life. You can’t play football without first learning the rules and you can tell your students to chase their dreams without first teaching them how to do so. Therefore, as educators it is important for us to correct our students when their actions are less than satisfactory. Randy says it best when he says “if you’re screwing up and no one is telling you, then they have stopped caring.” I never want to be an educator who has stopped caring.

Randy also reminds us that even when we are ‘caring’ for our students the words we choose are so important. He tells the story of his professor telling him that he was arrogant and how that professor didn’t just say “you’re being a jerk,” but that the professor said “Randy it is such a shame people perceive you as being so arrogant, because it is going to limit what you can get accomplished in life.” The professor basically said “you’re being a jerk” but by choosing his words more wisely the comment wasn’t as harsh, and Randy was able to take those words to heart. I think it is extremely important as educators to remember that our words mold our students into what they grow up to be. It is our job to build them up and not break them down. I think that’s the point Randy is trying to make here and it’s a good lesson to learn.

Randy also says as educators we should never set the bar too low for our students. We should never underestimate their ability. Randy says we can do this by being positive, being willing to take risks and try new things, and by head fakes (indirect learning). It is our job as educators to enable our students and by saying you’ll never do better than this we are telling our students there is a limit to your ability. Truth is you are never too old to learn new things, or to get better at the things you already know how to do.

Randy says “experience is what you get when you don’t get what you wanted,” I think this is a vital concept for our students to understand. It is a proven fact that in life you will not always get what you want, but what you take away from not getting what you want is what changes a person’s life. The experience and knowledge gained can mold a student/teacher into something much greater than they ever thought possible. I think this is maybe one of the most important things we can teach our students, because at some point in life they will be faced with a situation that didn’t go the way they wanted. It’s at that point when they can give in and feel failure or they can take the things they’ve learned from that experience and grow.

The last piece of advice Randy gives educators is a list of things to do to get help from others: tell the truth, be earnest, apologize when you mess up, and focus on others not just yourself. I think this list is important because as an educator I think we tend to forget we are still learners as well and we still need feedback from others. I think as an educator you are at a great disadvantage if you forget you can learn from your students. It is your students you are reaching out too and your students who are learning from you and your students who will in turn mirror your actions.

Randy’s last lecture has most definitely changed my perspective on what being an educator includes. I will certainly strive to take the characteristics Randy mentions into my classroom. It is now part of my dream to enable others dreams.