Thank you to every (great) teacher I've ever had

Yesterday, I met up with an old friend to go to see the movie, "The First Grader". I love independent films and I especially love the fact that I have a AMC Independent theatre less than four miles away from my house. So, I was happy to see they were screening this film - especially after watching the trailer.



The great thing about this trailer is that it's linked to Capella University which has committed to donating $.50 to expanding education initiatives at non-profits located around the world every time the trailer is viewed. Who says you can't make a difference in under 3 minutes?!

I would recommend everyone see this film. It is yet another thing that's come along at an opportune time, after I'd just seen the Soledad O'Brien CNN Special Education in America, and been disheartened by the lack of consistency in education there seems to be in a country that has no excuse for it. When compared to the circumstances and challenges one man faced to simply learn how to read in a country where access to education was long-denied, and once promised - equally hard to obtain. It is not hard to find good teachers and mentors, believers as I call them people who believe in you and your abilities, people who see all the possibilities that lay before you if you work hard. I've been blessed by fine teachers and leaving the theatre I felt an overwhelming desire to thank them all. Since I know that isn't possible I instead found comfort in the fact that there are films like this being made. I was also surprised to have received a tweet from a producer for the film, as I'd updated my status to say I was going to see the film, and he asked me to tweet about it...so I did. I enjoyed this film and think its message is one everyone can relate to and embrace - the message that education is vital, it is a right, it is worth fighting for, it is worth sacrificing for.

Like the teacher in the film, I believe I am a lifelong student and as she said 'I'll stop learning when I have dirt in my ears'. We should all strive to instill in the next generation, and maintain it in ourselves, the sense that education is vital. Learning is lifelong endeavor and we should seek out knowledge until our last breath or until there is dirt in our ears.