Education and the Open Mind (or Closed Mind)

In class last week, we discussed the adoption of learning preferences in the classroom. Today, many teachers are faced with the challenge of teaching material to suit students' various learning preferences. This strategy creates variety and diversity in the classroom, as well as presenting material in exciting new ways. However, no matter how hard a teacher works to engage her students, at the end of the day, the student's attitude in the classroom determines the success of the teacher's efforts. In class we asked the question: Do students make the choice about whether or not they're going to learn? In my opinion, many students do enter their classrooms with a pre-conceived assumption in their heads that they do not care to learn that particular subject, and as a result, they will avoid doing the work and actively "not-learn". These students do make a conscious choice whether to begin each lesson with a closed or open mind, just as dedicated students choose to focus and participate. Having said that, I also believe that some teachers can break these students out of their shells and show them the value of education and how interesting some subjects really can be. My question is this: Do you remember any teachers who were able to engage even the toughest kids in the class?