It's all about the money, money, money

-->

I am interesting in finding ways to bring the real world into the classroom. I just read the recent NYT op-ed Why I Am Leaving Goldman Sachs by Greg Smith, a former executive director provides a scathing attack on his former employer. In it he describes how the culture of the Goldman Sachs has disintegrated over the last 12 years. He first started, new employees were expected to look out for the clients’ best interest, learn the ropes, and understand what a derivative. Now, clients’ are called "Muppets" and milked for every thing they have. So, what does this have to do with education?

Whether we teach literature, the arts, or sciences I would like to think that we are trying to instill a fundamental sense of making a contribution to the something larger community. What gets lost in all this is that it is sometimes hard to reconcile the what students see out there and what we are trying to get across to them in the classroom. Greg Smith, however, has provided us with a teachable moment, especially for those who tend to see business people as somewhat shallow and exploitive.

This whole incident reminds me of the movie Jerry McGuire with Tom Cruise where he loses his job for expressing his views on the current state of the business. I think a mini-lesson can be developing by comparing Greg Smith editorial with a clip from Jerry McGuire. Students can then be asked how they would handle themselves under similar circumstances. It’s important for students to see these parallels, so that they can see that they have options despite everything around their circumstances.