Week 1: Lions for Lambs

I really enjoyed the movie, "Lions for Lambs". I thought it was very thought provoking. That part where Robert Redford is attempting to "sell you to you" to one of his most gifted students. I think the hardest part of being a teacher is not the lesson plans, the tests, keeping order in the classroom, organization, or grades. Rather, I think the hardest part is being able to make kids care. How do we stimulate kids? Getting kids excited is the real challenge. I think the most important thing is to keep them challenged. If a student is being challenged so that he or she does not understand the material, then he or she will become bored. Moreover, if a student is not being stimulated by material that is challenging, he or she will also become bored. We must meet each student at their individual academic level. Differentiating material is key for teachers at all age levels to keep kids interested. But the one thing that I loved the most about the movie, was that Robert Redford was attempting to inspire his students to dream. He challenged his students not just academically, but he also sought to develop their character. I believe this is the most important role of teachers.