Blog Post 6

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture


After watching, Randy Pausch's Last Lecture, I was very inspired. I felt like the hour flew by because he was filling my head with wonderful thoughts and ideas. He was very encouraging and there was never a dull moment. I think it is incredible that one man can be this upbeat while going through a life changing experience. Even though this is a long video, everyone needs to take the time to watch it. He gives exceptional points that will allow us as teachers to strive in the classroom. He showed us that no matter what the circumstances may be we must never give up on our dreams.

His first argument is about achieving your dreams. He talks about how he has ten tumors in his liver with six months to live. During this lecture, Mr. Pausch does not let this information bring him or his audience down which is very inspiring. He gives all of his personal dreams as examples. Although some of them are crazy and seem ridiculous, he does whatever it takes to achieve them and never gives up. I enjoyed his story about joining the NFL. When he was discussing this story, he talked about the importance of hard work and fundamentals. I really liked the point he was trying to get across about no matter if your dream is achieved you always can learn a great lesson. Although Mr. Pausch did not achieve this dream, he believed it allowed him to become one step to where he is now and achieving other dreams. His argument about overcoming the” brick walls” was exceptional. I feel that many teachers or students when faced with a challenge back down. Instead of not giving up and leaving your dream behind, I feel like everyone should overcome the “brick walls” and achieve their dreams. There will always be “brick walls” that will want to tear you down in life but they are just there to prove how badly you want something. Although he had several brick walls along the way, he never gave up and achieved his dreams. He should inspire everyone to overcome their fear and achieve their dreams.

Although Randy Pausch achieved some amazing dreams, he also had some incredible teaching methods. I really like his point to find someone like you to utilize your goals. For example, there was this girl in my classroom named Sarah, she was one of the smartest students I knew and I strived to be just like her. I would ask her help on writing notes and study strategies. She helped me reach my goals because I always wanted to be a good student and she taught me methods that have helped me become one. I loved his idea of never setting a bar on what you expect from your students because no matter what you always want them to achieve above and beyond. Another important strategy I enjoyed was always having fun in the classroom. I think this is one of the most important ones because learning should be fun. If the lesson is boring, then no one will pay attention and understand the message the teacher is giving. I always enjoyed the classes where the teacher would get the students involved and allow us to have a good time while still understanding the material. Lastly, the one thing that allows a student to excel in a classroom is the support of the people surrounding them. I was very fortunate to have good parents, tutors, and teachers always there for me. I feel like everyone should encourage students to always ask for help from their parents, mentors, or teachers. I hope as a teacher one day I can provide this help and support each student needs.

Overall, I enjoyed watching Randy Pausch’s last lecture. I feel like every student who wants to become a teacher should watch this video. It is very important for teachers to learn and understand these strategies. I know I will use them in my classroom one day. I enjoyed all of the lessons he was giving to his audience and how everyone should try and reach their dreams. I feel that if I use his lecture as a guide it will make me become a better educator.