What Can We Learn About Teaching and Learning From Randy Pausch?
In the video, Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams, Dr. Randy Pausch, a former professor at Carnegie Mellon, gives an inspiring final lecture about how to achieve childhood dreams. He talks about the list of childhood dreams he had and how he was given fortunate opportunities to achieve them. Dr. Strange posed the question, "What can we learn about teaching and learning from Randy Pausch?" With his lecture being so inspiring and his attitude towards life being so contagious, I can say I learned so much and was so inspired, it left me wanting more.
In his lecture, Dr. Randy Pausch talks about how he gave his students a project-based learning assignment and they exceeded his expectations more than he could have imagined, all deserving an "A" for the rest of the year. He didn't know what other projects to give them to exceed the previous project. He seeks advice from his mentor which tells him not to set limits on his students and expect them to strive higher each time. Setting limits will be a disservice to them. This taught me not to put a cap on what my students can accomplish. I learned I must encourage them to strive beyond their comfort point. Also, I must teach them to always look at their success and evaluate it. The best gift a teacher will ever give a student is not a grade, but self-reflection. This heightens their academic success along with their personal self.
Dr. Pausch talks about making learning fun. As an educator, I must never lose the child-like characteristics inside of me. I learned that the younger someone is when he or she learns something, the longer it will stick with them. Dr. Pausch gives the example of playing sports when a child is younger. Parents put their kids into sports not to learn that particular sport, but to learn teamwork, perseverance, and sportsmanship. He calls this concept "head-fake" or indirect learning. He states "the best way to teach someone something is to have them think they are learning something else." As a future educator, I can put this into practice in my classroom. I can place my students into assigned groups, not just to finish the assignment, but to develop social and collaboration skills. Each time they leave my class, I want them to take something away from it that will follow them throughout their life.
The most important thing I learned from Dr. Pausch's lecture is to never listen to critics. In his lecture, he talks about when he wanted to take a sabbatical from the university to go work at Disney's Imagineers, but his Dean set up a brick wall, making it difficult for him to leave. Dr. Pausch believes brick walls are put into place for a reason. He states "they let us prove how badly we want things." What I learned from this quote is when I want to introduce something new to my principal and she or he may not be for it at first, I must not give up. If I truly feel it will benefit not only my class, but the school as well, I must not get discouraged. This will also allow me to gain experience. Dr. Pausch quotes "experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted." When I want to do something new and innovative that has never been done in a health education classroom, there will be critics saying no I can't and throwing arrows in my back. I must continue to strive for greatness and surround myself with positive people that encourage me. I will take this same approach towards my students. It is up to me as their teacher to show them what it is like to get excited, be happy, and proud about their accomplishments. Randy Pausch inspired many students and colleagues to attain this, but he didn't do it for them. He did it for his living legacies, his children. Enthusiasm is power! This is the best gift I will give to my students.