Opening Convocation 2008

Luther's opening convocation was held on September 4th, 2008. The keynote speaker was David Treur. David Treuer is an Ojibwa Indian from northern Minnesota. He grew up living on Leech Lake Reservation. His father was also a holocaust survivor, which I found to be very interesting.

Treur talked a great deal about the hardships that he dealt with because he was of Native American descent. Kids were constantly picking on him because he was different. He has become a very successful individual. He graduated from Princeton, and is now an author. I think that he can be a motivation for children who feel like they are different than everybody else.

I think that David's message can be tied into education. As future educators, I think we can all learn something from what he went through as a child. We, as teachers need to make sure that we are embracing ALL children, despite of their differences. It is very important for teachers to create a classroom environment in which children are taught that differences are not a bad thing. As a future teacher, I know that one of my main goals will be centered around making sure that children do not feel uncomfortable about being different.

Like I said earlier, I think we as future educators can all learn something valuable from David.