Blog Post #8: What Can We Learn About Teaching and Learning From Randy Pausch?

This week we were assigned to watch a lecture, given by Randy Pausch, that had the ability to make "the world stop and pay attention" as it was stated on Carnegie Mellon University. Starting the lecture out, Pausch tells that he had tumors in his liver and was told he only had three to six months left to live. At this point, I had to stop the video because my own experience with my mother having cancer and being given the same time frame to live and not making it to the sixth month mark. Bausch continues on about how he wants to promote "Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" and talks about his own childhood dreams of being able to flip like the astronauts from his childhood in the 60s. 

One of the mainly points that Pausch mentions in the first part of the lecture is that your critics are the people that are telling you they care and want you to do better. As I listened to this part of his lecture about his football coaches, I remember all of my own critics. My parents were my first critics, who pushed my boundaries and my determination to be the best that I could be. My resources teacher, Mrs. Fox, who pushed me to catch back up to the other kids in my grade and inspired me to be a teacher. And lastly, my 12th grade english teacher, Mrs. Conerly, who pushed me to get out of my rut and take pride in my work. The similarity between all of my great teachers were the enthusiastic determination to excite their students and promote learning. These are points that Pausch mentions as the important parts of a "good" teacher. Throughout his lecture, Pausch describes his brick walls that are the different adversities that one must overcome to be the best that they can be.