Empathy, Education, Inclusion: A Guide to Real Friendship | Emma Liu | TEDxYouth@GrandviewHeights
Summary
TLDRThe speaker passionately advocates for inclusivity and friendship, emphasizing the importance of connecting with those who may seem different or face challenges such as disabilities. Through personal stories of friends like Ben, Michaela, and Roy, the speech highlights the value of empathy, education, and support in building bridges of friendship that can transform lives and promote a more accepting and loving community.
Takeaways
- 🌟 The importance of making friends with those who are different from us, as it can lead to a more inclusive and accepting society.
- 🤗 The power of friendship to change lives, especially for those who feel lonely or isolated.
- 🤔 The challenge of stepping out of our comfort zones to connect with people who don't look, talk, or behave like us.
- 📚 The value of education in understanding and supporting individuals with disabilities or special needs.
- 💪 The role of empathy in putting ourselves in others' shoes and recognizing their unique qualities and talents.
- 📖 The story of Ben, who despite having ADHD, is an incredible writer, showing that disabilities don't define a person.
- 🎉 The experience of celebrating Ben's birthday and the joy of making him feel included and valued.
- 🏆 The uniqueness of Michaela, who is super tall, and how her height doesn't diminish her kindness and spelling skills.
- 😄 The humor and personality of Roy, who has special needs, and the importance of finding ways to communicate and connect with him.
- 👫 The call to action for everyone to be inclusive, empathetic, and supportive, and to be role models for others.
- 🌈 The overarching message of celebrating differences, spreading kindness, and creating a world where everyone feels accepted and loved.
Q & A
What is the main theme of the speech?
-The main theme of the speech is the importance of friendship, inclusion, and understanding the unique qualities of individuals who may be different from us.
Why does the speaker feel that making friends with those who are different is important?
-The speaker believes that making friends with those who are different helps in creating a world where everyone is accepted, loved, and included, and it also helps in understanding and appreciating the unique talents and qualities each person possesses.
What is the significance of the story about Ben in the speech?
-The story about Ben illustrates the power of giving someone a chance despite their differences, and how it can lead to discovering their talents and forming meaningful friendships.
How does the speaker describe Ben's talent as a writer?
-The speaker describes Ben as an incredible writer who can put words together in an amazing way, with his poems sounding beautiful and his letters making the speaker feel special.
What lesson did the speaker learn from being friends with Ben?
-The speaker learned the importance of being inclusive, which means including everyone and not leaving anyone out, and looking beyond differences to see the awesomeness in each person.
Why did the speaker initially think Michaela was a teacher's helper?
-The speaker initially thought Michaela was a teacher's helper because she was super tall, which was an unusual characteristic among the students.
What unique talent does Michaela have, according to the speech?
-Michaela is described as a spelling superhero, being fantastic at spelling and always ready to help others practice their spelling.
What is the concept of empathy as explained in the speech?
-Empathy, as explained in the speech, is the ability to put oneself in someone else's shoes and understand how they feel, which is crucial for building strong friendships and understanding others.
What challenges does Roy face, and how does the speaker find a way to connect with him?
-Roy faces challenges in communication due to his special needs, which often makes him feel left out. The speaker connects with Roy by discovering his incredible sense of humor and finding joy in shared laughter.
How does the speaker suggest we should support individuals with special needs like Roy?
-The speaker suggests that we should educate ourselves about those with special needs to learn different ways to communicate with them and have a greater understanding, and stand up for their rights, dignity, and happiness.
What role does the speaker encourage the audience to take on in promoting inclusion and understanding?
-The speaker encourages the audience to take the lead and be role models for other kids, using inclusion, empathy, education, and support as their superpower to make a real change in someone's life.
Outlines
🤝 The Power of Inclusion and Friendship
This paragraph discusses the importance of making friends with those who may seem different at first, such as Ben, who has ADHD. The speaker shares their personal experience of reaching out to Ben, discovering his talents as a writer, and the sadness of seeing him excluded by others. The narrative emphasizes the power each person has to create an inclusive environment and the positive impact it can have on others' lives.
🌟 Celebrating Uniqueness and Empathy
The second paragraph focuses on the theme of celebrating individual differences and practicing empathy. The speaker introduces Michaela, who is notably tall, and shares how initial perceptions of her being different led to exclusion. However, through friendship, the speaker learns about Michaela's kindness, generosity, and her talent in spelling. The paragraph encourages open-mindedness and the understanding that it is our unique qualities and kindness that truly define us.
📚 Education and Support for All
In the final paragraph, the speaker talks about their friend Roy, who has special needs and communicates differently. The speaker shares a humorous incident that highlights Roy's fun personality and the importance of finding ways to connect with everyone. The paragraph stresses the need for education to understand and support individuals with special needs, advocating for standing up for their rights and happiness, and the collective responsibility to ensure equal opportunities for all.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Loneliness
💡Friendship
💡Inclusion
💡Empathy
💡Diversity
💡Disability
💡Communication
💡Education
💡Kindness
💡Support
💡Role Models
Highlights
The importance of friendships and the impact of loneliness in schools.
The challenge of making friends with those who are different or have disabilities.
The power of individuals to create an inclusive world where everyone is accepted and loved.
The story of Ben, a student with ADHD, and how his friendship changed perceptions.
The realization that Ben's ADHD is just a small part of who he is.
The joy of inclusion and the value of being seen and valued for who you are.
The story of Michaela, who is tall and the lessons learned from her friendship.
Understanding that physical attributes do not define a person's worth or abilities.
The concept of empathy and its role in friendship and understanding others.
The story of Roy, a student with special needs, and the challenges he faces in communication.
The importance of education in understanding and supporting those with special needs.
The power of humor and personality in connecting with others, as seen with Roy.
The call to action for everyone to educate themselves and be allies to those with special needs.
The transformative impact of building bridges of friendship through inclusion, empathy, education, and support.
The idea that being a role model for inclusivity can be a superpower that changes lives.
The conclusion that taking the lead in inclusivity and empathy can make a real difference in someone's life.
Transcripts
foreign
I'm sure we've all noticed this in our
school
a student sitting alone at lunch
staring across the room like an
astronaut Lost in Space
all around are there kids
happily chatting laughing and maybe even
sharing food and their own Circles of
friendship
sadly
not everyone has friends
and not everyone belongs in circles of
friendship
some of us
are quietly facing loneliness
and challenges that make us feel
different
today
I want to talk about something that's
really close to my heart
friendships and making friends
but not just any friends
who don't look like us
Talk Like Us or maybe even have a
disability
no I know what you might be thinking
I already have friends
why should I make more friends
it's easier to stick with my friends
right now
it's easier
but not better
because what if that the only person was
you
sitting alone at recess
struggling to connect with others
because of who you are and what you can
or cannot do
it's definitely not a great feeling
but guess what
we have the incredible power to change
that
you have the incredible power to change
that because each of us can create a
world where everyone is accepted loved
and included
So today we're embarking on a mission
to reach out and touch more lives
we'll explore the wonders of inclusion
empathy and education to spread kindness
and make friends in a world that
sometimes feels a little too lonely
let me tell you about my friend Ben
is a little different from most kids in
our class
sometimes he is so full of energy that
he runs around in class and it makes it
hard for all of us to concentrate
everybody seemed afraid of him
and stayed away from it
but I thought I should give him a chance
and I'm so glad I did
as I got to know bed better
I realized something awesome about him
he was an incredible writer
he could put words together in the most
amazing way and his poems always sounded
so beautiful
Ben would write letters just for me and
it made me feel so special
but here's the thing
nobody else seemed to appreciate Ben's
touts
no one would invite him to their
birthdays or include him in their group
of friends
it made both me and Ben really sad
I knew he was such a kind person and it
hurt to see him left out
when it was his birthday
he invited me over to his home
we played some games had some sushi
Ben was so happy
he felt included and valued and I felt
like I had made a change in his life
being Francis Ben taught me to be
inclusive which means including everyone
and not leaving anyone out
it means looking beyond the differences
and seeing the awesomeness in each
person
's ADHD didn't Define it
it was just a small part of who he was
by being his friend
I showed him that he mattered and that
he was seen and valued for who he truly
was
so no matter how different people like
Ben Macy
let's be inclusive
let's open our hearts and reach out with
the friendly head
let's be open-minded and give everyone a
chance to shine
next I want to talk about my best friend
Michaela
now Michaela is like
super tall
I mean
seriously tall
when I first met her I actually thought
she was the teacher's helper but when
she sat down
I realized that she was one of us
just like with Ben my classmates didn't
want to talk to Michaela
they thought she was different because
she was big and tall and I made them
afraid to talk to her
but I did
and I'm so glad I did because Michaela
is one of the nicest people I know
I also found out that she became super
tall just because her parents were tall
it's as simple as that
it doesn't make her any less awesome
or any less deserving of friendship
in fact
her height is what makes her unique and
special
here's the cool part
Michaela is fantastic at spelling
she's like a spelling superhero whenever
I need help practicing my spelling she's
right there ready to learn
and she's also always so kind and
generous
especially with
being tall
short or anything in between
dozens Define Who We Are
it's the kindness
generosity and unique talents we have
that really matter
being friends with Michaela
taught me a lot about empathy
empathy is putting yourself in someone
else's shoes and understanding how they
feel
so let's celebrate our differences
let's spread empathy like confetti
and let's create
a safe place
where everyone is welcomed as who they
really are
finally
I want to share about my friend Roy
is what some of us call a special needs
student which means he learns in a
different way and he's a special
teacher's helper
it's not easy for Roy to communicate
so he often feels left out
but there's so much more to Roy than
meets the eye
one thing I discovered about him is his
incredible sense of humor
one time during a game of toastable
he did something that made us all burst
until after
he put the ball on his head
I started wobbling around like a silly
robot trying to entertain us
we couldn't help but laugh together
in that moment I found that Roy has an
amazing personality
full of fun and a desire to connect with
others
sadly
many people find it hard to talk to Roy
they may feel uncomfortable or unsure of
how to talk to him
that's where education and support comes
in
by educating ourselves about those with
special needs we can learn about
different ways to communicate with them
and have a greater understanding about
them
with an education
we should support them
we should stand up for their rights
their dignity and their happiness
because everyone deserves equal
opportunities
so no matter how different people like
Roy Macy
let's educate ourselves about those with
special needs
let's
stand up for them
and let's be their allies and champions
I am so glad
to have Ben Michaela and Roy as my
friends
and be a part of my life
we learned so much about each other
we understand the challenges we all go
through
and we all became a better person
because of it
inclusion
empathy
education and support
these are important things that can
build bridges of friendships and change
lives for the better
so let's be inclusive and have more
friends like Ben
let's practice empathy and understand
what kids like Michaela are going
through
and let's learn more
and support those like Roy
who are trying so hard
to keep up with the rest of us each day
but more importantly
let's take the lead and be role models
for other kids
because this
this can be our superpower
that can make a real change in someone's
life
thank you
[Applause]
[Music]
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