What Students Should Learn

March 11, 2008 in Personal Reflection
Tags: classes, education, integrity, learn, master teacher, meme, passion, picture, should, sierra cup classic, soloist, student, student teacher, students, trumpet, what

This was called a meme by he who tagged me, and, as he describes it, it works like a blogger’s chain letter. Prepare to participate — I think you’ll like it.

This challenge? Find, make or pull from the ether a picture which represents what you most want your students to take from your class. Share this picture and a brief explanation, then pass on the responsibility to five other bloggers.

Above All, Integrity

Our trumpet soloist stands out.

What he does isn’t simply leadership. In the minds of hundreds, he is the band. It would be a lie to say he’s unafraid — there is nothing more frightening than standing in front of an audience for the first time, and it diminishes less over time than you would think and he has hoped.

This student has accepted the responsibility of representing his band and his school. It’s up to him how well he fulfills it.

I want my students to stand out. I want my students to feel the thrill of taking charge of themselves and I want my students to be able to work strictly on their own merits. I want my students, however afraid they are of embarassment, to take that chance.

I want my students to understand the value of a job done well, a job done without cutting corners or taking shortcuts. I want them to understand the value of a job done poorly. I want them to understand that they make the choice between them, and that, in the end, they should accept their successes. That, in the end, they answer for their failures.

I want my students to see the stool standing next to them, and I want my students to choose instead to stand on their own.

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I was tagged by the Shakespeare Teacher, whose anagrams are no short of astounding and whose riddles got me hooked in the first place.

I tag Ms. Zody, because I’d like to see what she does with this open-ended project; Mr. Pullen, to piggyback an existing post a little; Mr. Meyer, to give him another chance to pour hours upon hours into yet another tech-based outlet; Mr. Darrell, to give him a break from bashing creationists; and Ms. Baker, to give her some uncharacteristically needed inspiration.

I’d tag Mr. Rosenbaum, but he already does this sort of thing all the time.

I snapped this picture at the 2007 Sierra Cup Classic. It’s a marching band festival where high school marching bands mostly from the state of California gather, perform and compete. It’s hosted and run by members of the Fresno State Bulldog Marching Band, the best collegiate marching band this side of Illinois.

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