This video was very inspiring to me. there is a kid in WYN that i am teaching and i don't know how to connect to him. he is really vague in conversation and i'm sure is too cool to talk to a teacher. the crazy thing is, is that i was like that and i am trying to think back to how someone could have connected to me. the teacher in that video connected to so many different students on so many different levels. how do connect to a group without understanding what each student is going through? this video really did spark my imagination of the kind of teacher that i want to be.

Teresa,

you're right- the teacher did personally connect to every student on that debate team- and they were so passionate to what they thought about! they had done so much research and truly cared about what they were saying. how do you connect to students like that? he gave them a way to express themselves and take charge of their life. they were not passive learners anymore. i think it takes time to get to know students- paying attention to what they care about and relating your subjects to things they are familiar with. i also think it takes a lot of listening and being there for your students. i think being a good teacher is allowing students to make mistakes but also learn from them and take charge of what they believe in.

An important way of being able to bring out the best in a student is being able to show them that you truly care about them and that you are always there for them. Being able to earn the trust of your students is a powerful tool that all teachers need to make. Once they believe in you, they will do just about anything for you. The teacher in the movie obviously earned the trust of his students even though he was a police officer. Main example was when the video pointed out that their was a drug dealer on the debate team. This student trusted this officer enough not to arrest him, but instead to encourage him and bring out his potential. We need more teachers like the officer in this video. Students will want to learn and succeed if they have a teacher who truly wants them to.

I loved this video! It really showed how awesome some teachers are when they truly believe in their students. Being a good teacher is only half of the deal when you get in a school, being a good role model is the other half. In urban schools, students desperatly need good role models in their lives to encourage them. I was especially inspired when the video showed the boy with mild metal retardation participating in the debates. This just goes to show that if teachers have the same expectations for students, no matter if they have a disability or not, they can be accepted and succeed. I believe the video even said that he was going to college also.

This was a tremendous video, very inspiring. I hope to be an instructor that goes the extra step to reach my students. That is what our educational system needs, people who will not just write students with discipline or intelligence issues off. Like the cop we need to find an outlet or tool that will inspire them

I totally agree...this was a truly inspiring video. The whole reason I'm considering a career in teaching is to help make a difference in a child's life! That is not to be limited to the super smart, well mannered kids. Children who might need an extra push in academics or might have attitude problems also needs oppurtunities for success!

The officer in the video was a great role model who did take a great amount of his own personal time to help those kids. He easily associated with those kids which seems like a stumbling block for some teachers because of a lack of diversity exposure. This university is not very diverse in regards to the faculty and students. This lack of diversity might prove to be a problem for some ASU students who go to an urban setting to teach. We need more diversity at ASU.

I agree that the video was interesting. Debate can be a great teaching tool because it helps students become passionate about what they are studying and builds their research and communication skills. It was great that students were becoming involved and committed in a program, which typically leads to lower drop-out rates and higher academic success. However, I don't think debate is a magic or unique program; there are many ways to get students involved. The key is knowing your students and finding out what works for them.