Today, I tried to sum up some of the ideas in Through a Screen Darkly to an overcrowded – and quickly overheated – room full of high school teachers at the NWCSI-CTABC convention in Lynden, Washington.
The notes I’d prepared… well, I thought that they just might be enough to cover a 95-minute seminar. As it turns out, I only got halfway through them. It’s funny how the presence and participation of listeners can change your plans. Their examples and questions brought to mind all kinds of anecdotes and examples and questions I’d never thought about when I was preparing my outline. But God bless them… the 70+ teachers stayed for the whole sweaty presentation. And our chats afterward were inspiring.
I was thrilled to get to talk about film with teachers. My high school English teacher, Mike Demkowicz, and my high school history teacher, David Robinson, both had a powerful influence on my imagination and my interest in examining art. And I’m so glad to pass along some of what I learned from them to other teachers.
Teachers just don’t get enough credit. I’m bewildered, but glad, that my habit of moviegoing has given me the opportunity to show them my appreciation and work with them in this way. I’m really honored to be here, impressed by the teachers I’ve met, and encouraged about what a new generation of high school students is experiencing in their classrooms.
Thanks to Sue Parker for inviting Anne and me to this convention. And to Carol DeJong for coordinating it.