Lions for Lambs: Selling the Student... to the Student

As happens to be the case for most of us, I too occasionally confuse the desired order of things from time to time.
Like I should have done a week ago, I want to create my own bit of commentary on the film, "Lions for Lambs."
Watching this movie for education psychology, we sat down to take in the portion about the immediacy of education today. Although the film projected a rather political undertone criticizing the American-led wars in the Middle East and the self-important bureaucrats in Washington who claim to be leading us to victory, our purpose was to focus on the issue of education presented in the movie.
Robert Redford plays a political science teacher who, throughout the course of the movie, is trying to convince one of his students that he has potential to fix the problems he sees in politics, if he ups the ante in his academic. The student claims to be sidetracked by many other things (girls, fraternity, etc), but really seems to be discouraged by the seeming ambivalence of the system. The movie comes to a close with a shot of the students face, clearly in turmoil on whether to turn a new leaf, or to continue with his indifference.
Although many educators may not come into contact with extremely gifted students very often, or may not teach the level where their students can make a huge, immediate impact on the world at large, these scenes challenge us to reflect on what we as educators are doing to make a difference. Why do we do what we do? Why are college students like myself willingly going into education, a field where we will be underpaid and sometimes under appreciated? What keeps many teachers doing this?
I have been thinking lately about what my philosophy of education will someday be, and the deep questions presented in this movie have catalyzed a thought. Robert Redford's professor character is fortunate in having this gifted, yet disinterested student. The concept we can take away from it is two-pronged: every student we come into contact with has a definite, positive value, and various gifts. Secondly, (and importantly) it is our job to find this value, cultivate it, and convince the students to continue helping themselves grow.
Teaching may be our job, education our profession. But in our fortunate and truly powerful position, it is our moral responsibility to make sure that before we finish our time with each group of students every spring, they leave school knowing that they have a positive value, and they should revel in cultivating that potential.

Gateway Dance Theater: Incorporating Diversity through Art

Last Friday evening I attended an event on campus which at first I assumed would be for entertainment purposes. Gateway Dance Theater is an organization based out of Des Moines that presents various cultural dances, striving to incorporate the different attire, tools, and rhythm instruments of these different cultures. Coming from a background with what would be a surprisingly significant amount of dance experience for a male, I could be critical of what I saw as flaws in coordination. However, I want to focus on the goal that is being forced through the visual effort.
As the Gateway Dance Company does, learning about and honoring different cultures is a worthwhile goal. Living in the near-post-globalization world, we ever more quickly come into contact with people different from ourselves. The America that my parents and teachers grew up in is very different from the America of today, which of course, will be vastly different from the America of tomorrow. Being born, growing up, and living in the Midwest has somewhat sheltered me and some of my peers from what the rest of the U.S. is like. Many demographic polls show that in 50 years, whites will definitely not be the majority in America.
So what does this mean for the sheltered Midwesterners like me? It means that we have to be completely open-minded and truly embrace people of different cultures and background than those we are experienced with.
As a future educator, this a concept that is wholly applicable. Entering into the world of teaching very soon, it's necessary to realize that diversity in the classroom will forever be increasing. It's absolutely necessary to always make sure students feel and know they are welcomed as part of the class. Learning about and warmly accepting students' backgrounds is integral to our success as teachers today.
Gateway Dance Theater helped give me ideas on how to incorporate cultural information in exciting ways, and that understanding and embracing diversity will lead to success in my future classroom.

Welcome

Hello people of the World Wide Web. This blog is where I'll post occasional reflections as I progress through the world of Music Education at Luther College. Currently enrolled in Educational Psychology, this semester is when I'll truly dive into the mindset of today's teachers.