Friday, September 12, 2008

Reflection on Lions for Lambs, Part 1


After watching the first part of the movie "Lions for Lambs," a few quotes from the scenes with the professor and troublesome student stuck out in my mind.

The first quote: "A teacher's gift is the ability to recognize someone with an extraordinary gift." To me, this is part of why we teach. Teachers help their students recognize their natural gifts, and teachers encourage their students to use those gifts.

The second quote: "Professors are not teachers; they're salesmen." This is an interesting quote. I was not sure what it was supposed to mean at first. After thinking about it, I believe that this quote ties in with the first quote. Teachers are supposed to "sell" things to their students, like encouragement, guidance, hope, and inspiration. The mission of education is not to teach, it is to help students recognize their potential, or to "sell" them inspiration for the future.

I also liked that the Professor had an individual meeting with the troublesome student instead of just giving up on him. It really showed that the Professor cares about each of his students. I liked that instead of lecturing the student, he encouraged the student. For example, the professor said to the student "You are a student who gives me hope." I think that this method of dealing with a troublesome student will be more beneficial and will positively change the student's attitude than if the professor had lectured him.

No comments: