Entertainer Robin Williams passed away the morning of August 11, 2014, to the shock and dismay of everyone who had been touched by his gift for illustrating the human condition through his acting and comedic standup. Even President Obama commented on the tragedy, offering the First Family’s condolences to “everyone who found their voice thanks to Robin Williams.”
His untimely passing sparked a worldwide campaign of remembrance, quoting a scene from his award-winning performance as a private school teacher in Dead Poet’s Society: “#OCaptainMyCaptain.” This quote strikes a deeper chord for those in private-independent education, as William’s presentation of English teacher John Keating was inspired by his own private school experiences.
In an interview with Inside the Actor’s Studio, Robin Williams discussed the lasting impression one particular history class at Detroit Country Day School left on him as a young man:
[John Campbell] was wonderful and kinda gave me a very dark view of history. One great quote was that history, if you look back on it, is full of very dark comedy. If it [weren't] for the fact that people died, it’s hysterical.
Campbell also talked about the passion for something, whether it’s mathematics, it didn’t matter. He talked about the poetry of mathematics, which is the poetry of physics, the poetry of architecture, the poetry of art—anything where there’s that passion for something, that you’re into it, and there’s a beauty to it.
It’s like Einstein’s quote about God, where he said, “My sense of God is not as a deity but as a profound sense of wonder.” That’s what mine is. It goes back to that sense of wonder of science, but also poetry, creation … and it all drives the same fascination.
(Play the video below for the full interview.)
Campbell clearly left an indelible, permanent impression on Williams, as decades later, he returned to the classroom as a teacher molding a new batch of malleable minds—even if it was only on a movie set. As Keating, Williams encouraged his students to achieve carpe diem and read the pieces of literature as a testament to the human spirit.
And it was human spirit his students evoked in the film’s stirring climax. While Williams’ character must leave the school and his students, his former protégés salute him by climbing on desks and quoting the Walt Whitman poem “O Captain! My Captain!” in a final salute:
The character John Keating in Dead Poet’s Society affected a handful of students; Robin Williams’ performance in that movie and so many others affected thousands of people around the world, many of whom are teachers today. With his passing, many have come forward with stories about how this “teacher” influenced their lives directly and indirectly.
In fact, one creative writing lecturer said that William’s portrayal of the private school teacher helped him understand that “education isn’t just one little part of your existence, it is life. … It’s not just learning Wordsworth by heart, it’s about feeling it and understanding why it’s important.”
So as another semester begins at your private-independent school, let the memory of the teacher who inspired you motivate you again to become a “captain” worthy of leading a new crew. After all, you never know when someone’s life will be touched, or how that person will go on to inspire and lead others.
(Primary image credit to Global Research)
Additional ISM resources:
ISM Monthly Update for Division Heads Vol. 11 No. 1 Teachers: The Lifeblood of Your School's Success
ISM Monthly Update for Division Heads Vol. 11 No. 9 Dear National Teacher Day: A Letter to First Year Teachers
ISM Monthly Update for Business Officers Vol. 12 No. 2 Pushing Through Life's Hardest Moments
Additional ISM resources for Gold Consortium members:
Research: Great Expectations: Teachers' Views on Elevating the Teaching Profession
I&P Vol. 34 No. 15 Why the Worst (and Best) Teachers Matter
