Although I haven't seen the actual movie Waiting for Superman, yet, I have watched some discussions about it-- The Oprah Winfrey show, the town hall meeting with Joe and Mika, and the town hall meeting with Brian Williams. These discussions reminded me of something I read from a teacher a few years back when she bemoaned the fact that she was tired of hearing about such super teachers as Erin Gruwell and Jaime Escalante.
It saddens me to hear people make excuses as to why they can't achieve the same success that successful teachers and/or schools have. They blame the victim, society, the bureaucracy, lack of resources, and other external factors for their inability to make a difference for children. Wouldn't it be wiser to say, "If they can do it, so can I. What can I learn from them? Of course, I can't be an exact replicate, but I can apply the same principles to my situation." This would be a lot more productive than wasting one's energy making excuses as to why it can't be done in your situation and criticizing those who have been successful.
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