O Capitana, Mi Capitana!

I was hankering to see the movie Dead Poets Society ever since the other night when I was thinking about it. I hadn't seen that movie in like 13 years. And I needed some new inspiration this past week!! So last night I watched it and enjoyed it just as much as I used to, but even in a new light. Since becoming a teacher, and realizing that teaching is what God has called me to- at least for now- I desire GREATLY to impact my students in a big way. I know I won't do that for every student, but I WANT to, some days desperately. I am consumed sometimes with the desire to go beyond just teaching them the "material". I want to light a fire in them that won't go out.

I greatly admire Mr. Keating, the English teacher in the movie (played amazingly well by Robin Williams), for the effect he had on his students. I think that every {good} teacher fantasizes about having that kind of effect on a class of students. Inspiring them to "suck the marrow out of life". Encouraging them to live life to the fullest and to pursue their true dreams, despite what others tell them they "ought" to do.

I went into this school year hoping to do that in some way with my kids. And I don't feel like I succeeded, but I definitely scratched the surface with a few of them. And each year I will hopefully get better at knowing WHAT to say WHEN to say it, to hit right to the heart of the kids in my classroom. And to change them in some way and help them see their gifts and their abilities, and how to live for Christ. The Holy Spirit will bring the opportunities my way, but I have to know what to do when those opportunities come.

My favorite teacher was my 9th and 10th grade English teacher at Med High. Ironically enough, he was an atheist. He continually tried to make me see how blindly foolish my faith in God was. But in so doing, my faith was actually strenghtened, and I came out of my shell in a lot of ways because he encouraged me to express my beliefs and even to defend them. I think he "picked on" me on purpose to allow me to really thrive, not just with reading and writing, but as an individual. I still think about him a lot, and I'm grateful for all he taught me.

Mr. Keating was misunderstood and misjudged--his administrators did not see the value of his teaching. They did not appreciate his objective. But the kids did. Because he changed the way they looked at life, the way they looked at themselves, and the way they faced their obstacles. It wasn't about having fun and goofing around. It was about self-revelation. Knowing who they were as individuals and embracing that.

So last night at the very end of the movie (when the boys are standing on their desks), Mark said to me---"That'll be you NEXT year!" In my tearful state, I LAUGHED out loud at the thought of that, and replied, "YA--but they'll be saying, O Capitana, mi Capitana" and we started laughing pretty good over that. A girl can dream.

Here's the clip of the end scene---don't watch it if you haven't seen the movie, though! (It'll spoil it...)