The Power of a Caring Educator | Lisa Mims | TEDxWilmingtonED

Summary

The speaker, a veteran teacher, emphasizes the importance of caring for students' emotional well-being alongside academics. Drawing from personal experiences and scientific evidence, they argue that educators should connect with students to inspire them to take risks and show their potential. The narrative highlights the transformative power of a caring adult in a student's life, urging teachers to embrace the whole child and create a positive school climate for academic and social-emotional growth.

Takeaways

• 👩‍🏫 The importance of caring in teaching: A teacher's impact on students can be long-lasting, as evidenced by a former student's memory of a caring teacher from a decade ago.
• 🤗 The challenge of caring for diverse students: Teachers face the difficulty of caring for over 25 students with different personalities, often feeling overwhelmed and stressed.
• 🧐 The question of emotional well-being: It's asked whether it's fair to expect teachers to care for students' emotional well-being in addition to academics, given their already heavy workload.
• 📚 The necessity of social and emotional development: Scientific evidence supports the need for social and emotional development as part of the learning process.
• 🎉 The power of connection: A story about a 'hype man' named Marco shows how connection and care can inspire individuals to take risks and show their abilities.
• 👥 The role of educators as connectors: Educators are encouraged to connect with students to inspire them to take risks and reveal their potential.
• 👂 The underestimated power of simple gestures: Small acts like a touch, kind words, listening, and compliments can significantly impact a student's life.
• 🏫 The impact on school climate and academic achievement: A survey indicates that focusing on social and emotional skills can improve school climate, student relationships with teachers, and academic performance.
• 👧 Personal story of a student named Mona: The teacher's relationship with Mona, including listening, helping, setting expectations, and avoiding power struggles, led to positive change in the student.
• 💬 What students value in a caring teacher: Students appreciate how a teacher makes them feel, not just what the teacher does for them.
• 🤝 The example of a caring teacher next door: A teacher who successfully intertwines emotional, social, and academic aspects is seen in the daily hugs, student interactions, and academic growth.
• 🌟 The call to action for educators: Atlanta Superintendent Dr. Maria Joel Carstarphen emphasizes thinking about students' strengths and encouraging educators to connect, build relationships, and embrace the whole child.
• 📈 The potential for success with a caring adult: A quote by Josh Shipp highlights that every child is one caring adult away from being a success story, urging educators to be that caring figure.

Q & A

How many years of teaching experience does the speaker have?

The speaker has 33 years of teaching experience.

What impact did the speaker have on their students?

The speaker has impacted at least 891 students during their teaching career.

Why did a former student remember the speaker as their favorite teacher?

The former student remembered the speaker because they felt genuinely cared for by the teacher.

What is the speaker's perspective on the role of teachers in students' emotional well-being?

The speaker believes that teachers should care for students' emotional well-being, as scientific evidence supports its importance for learning.

What was the significance of the 'hype man' Marco's interaction with the speaker's husband?

Marco's interaction demonstrated the power of connection and care, which encouraged the speaker's husband to take a risk and participate.

What is the speaker's advice for educators to foster a connection with their students?

The speaker advises educators to connect with their students, enabling them to take risks and show what they can do.

What is the potential impact of a caring touch, kind word, or honest compliment according to the speaker?

The speaker suggests that these small gestures have the potential to turn a life around.

What did the survey by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning reveal about principals' views on social and emotional skills?

The survey revealed that virtually all principals agreed that focusing on social and emotional skills could positively affect school climate, citizenship, student-teacher relationships, and academic achievement.

How did the speaker describe their approach to teaching Mona, the 'rolling neck snapping' child?

The speaker developed a relationship with Mona, listened to her, helped when she struggled, set expectations, communicated positively with her mom, and avoided power struggles.

What does the speaker suggest is the common thread in students' descriptions of a caring teacher?

The common thread is less about what the teacher does for students and more about how the teacher makes them feel.

What advice does Atlanta Superintendent Dr. Maria Joel Carstarphen give to educators?

Dr. Carstarphen advises educators to think about what's strong with their students, not what's wrong.

What is the final quote from Josh Shipp that the speaker uses to conclude their speech?

The quote is 'Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story.'

Outlines

00:00

📚 The Impact of Caring in Education

This paragraph discusses the profound impact a teacher can have on students over the course of their career, emphasizing the importance of caring for students' emotional well-being alongside their academic progress. It argues that while teaching academics is essential, fostering social and emotional development is equally important for creating a conducive learning environment. The speaker shares personal anecdotes, such as her husband's experience at a video show where a connection led him to step out of his comfort zone, to illustrate the power of care and connection in motivating individuals. The paragraph concludes with a call to action for educators to connect with their students to inspire them to take risks and showcase their abilities.

05:02

🌟 Embracing the Whole Child: A Call for Holistic Education

The second paragraph focuses on the superintendent Dr. Maria Joel Cothran's perspective on education, advocating for a shift in focus towards students' strengths rather than their weaknesses. It underscores the importance of building relationships, embracing the whole child, and providing motivation, inspiration, and encouragement. The paragraph highlights a quote from Josh Shipp, which encapsulates the message that every child's success is within reach if they have at least one caring adult in their life. The speaker ends with a powerful applause, signifying the importance of this holistic approach to education.

Keywords

💡Impact

Impact refers to the effect or influence one has on others, especially in the context of teaching where it signifies the positive change a teacher can instill in students. In the video, the speaker mentions having impacted '891 students' over their 33 years of teaching, highlighting the profound influence educators can have on their students' lives.

💡Caring

Caring is the act of showing concern and empathy for others. The video emphasizes the importance of teachers caring for their students beyond academics, as it contributes to their emotional well-being and overall development. The speaker recounts a former student's words, 'I knew she cared about me,' to illustrate the significance of a teacher's care.

💡Overwhelmed

Feeling overwhelmed implies being excessively burdened or stressed to the point where one struggles to cope. The script mentions teachers feeling overwhelmed and stressed, suggesting the challenges they face in balancing academic responsibilities with the emotional needs of their students.

💡Social and Emotional Development

This concept encompasses the growth of a person's social skills and emotional intelligence, which are crucial for personal and academic success. The video argues that social and emotional development should be integrated into the educational process, as scientific evidence supports its importance for creating a conducive learning environment.

💡Connection

Connection refers to the bond or link established between individuals, which is essential for effective communication and understanding. The video uses the example of 'Marco' connecting with the audience to demonstrate how educators should form connections with their students to encourage them to take risks and showcase their abilities.

💡Risk

Taking a risk involves venturing into uncertain situations with the possibility of positive outcomes. The speaker's husband takes a risk by dancing at the video show, prompted by Marco's care and connection, symbolizing the potential growth that can occur when students feel supported by their teachers.

💡Emotional Well-being

Emotional well-being is the state of one's emotional health and happiness. The video stresses that teachers should consider the emotional well-being of their students, as it is integral to their overall development and academic performance.

💡Power of a Touch

This phrase highlights the profound effect that simple gestures, like a touch, can have on individuals. In the video, it is mentioned as one of the低估ed ways educators can positively influence students' lives, suggesting that small acts of kindness can be transformative.

💡Caring Teacher

A caring teacher is one who goes beyond academic instruction to nurture the emotional and social needs of their students. The video describes the 'caring teacher' through the students' perspective, emphasizing how the teacher's approach made them feel valued and understood.

💡Whole Child

The concept of embracing the 'whole child' means considering all aspects of a student's development, including emotional, social, and academic. The video encourages educators to focus on the whole child to create a more holistic and effective learning environment.

💡Success Story

A success story refers to an instance where someone achieves notable success, often against the odds. The video concludes with a quote from Josh Shipp, stating that every child is one caring adult away from becoming a success story, underscoring the pivotal role of educators in students' achievements.

Highlights

33 years of teaching impacting at least 891 students

Former student remembers teacher's care a decade later

Challenge of caring for 25+ students with different personalities

Questioning if it's fair to ask teachers to care beyond academics

Scientific evidence supports importance of social and emotional development

Story of Marco the hype man connecting with the audience

Marco's care inspires the speaker's husband to take a risk

Educators should connect with students to encourage risk-taking

Power of a touch, kind word, listening ear, and honest compliment

Survey shows focus on social and emotional skills can improve school climate and academic achievement

As a classroom teacher, developing a relationship with a challenging student

Avoiding power struggles and focusing on student's well-being

Student transformation due to caring teacher's approach

Students value how a teacher makes them feel, not just what they do

Example of a teacher who successfully intertwines emotional, social, and academic aspects

Atlanta Superintendent emphasizes thinking about students' strengths, not weaknesses

Actionable advice: Make a connection, build a relationship, embrace the whole child, motivate, inspire, and encourage

Quote: Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story

Transcripts

33 times 27 891 at the very least 891

students that I have impacted in my 33

years of teaching I knew she cared about

me those were the words spoken by a

former student who was sharing why was

his favorite teacher

a decade ago 10 years and he still

remembered that I cared caring for 25

plus students with different

personalities is not easy teachers want

to but they are overwhelmed and stressed

with that said should we ask them to

care beyond academics is it fair to ask

them to add a child's emotional

well-being to an already overflowing

plate my answer of course scientific

evidence has proven that social and

emotional development must be part of

the process in order to create an

environment where learning takes place

my husband and I went to the taping of a

video show and Marco was the hype man he

was pumping up the crowd he asked

questions so that he could connect with

the audience at one point he walked over

complimented my husband's beard started

calling him the goatee guy all of a

sudden music starts blaring and Marco

shouts show us what you can do and my

husband who I have to beg to dance at

parties jumped up and started showing

Marco where he took do you see Marco

connected Marco cared so my husband took

a risk

educators we need to be like Marco we

need to connect with our students so

that they are willing to take a risk we

need to connect with our students so

that they can show us what they can do

too often we underestimate the power of

a touch that's Maya a kind word a

listening ear and an honest compliment

all of which have the potential to turn

a life around

Leo busts Kalia a recent survey was

taken by the collaborative for academic

and social and emotional learning and

virtually all principals agreed that if

we stepped up the focus on social and

emotional skills we could positively

affect school climate bill citizenship

improve student relationships with

teachers and enhance academic

achievement so what does that mean for

me as a classroom teacher my mona mona

was that loud our rolling neck snapping

child that teachers either avoid or try

to conquer I didn't either I've

developed a relationship with her

I listened helped her when she struggled

set expectations called her mom with

positive news and always always avoided

the power struggle she began to trust me

she began to understand that her

happiness her well-being her life beyond

the classroom mattered to me at the end

of the year Mona was not perfect but she

was not the same child that entered my

classroom

what does the caring teacher look like I

asked my students and the common thread

in their responses was less about what

the teacher did for them and more about

how the teacher made them feel the

teacher in the classroom next door is a

perfect example of an educator who

intertwines emotional social and

academics it's evident in the hug she

gets every day the way her students

treat each other and their academic

growth it is difficult for our students

to care if we don't Atlanta

superintendent dr. Maria Joel

Carstarphen said we need to think about

what's strong with our students not

wrong what can we what can we all do to

make this a reality for all of our

students make a connection build a

relationship embrace the whole child

motivate inspire and encourage them I

end this with a quote from Josh Shipp

every kid is one caring adult away from

being a success story be that caring

adult thank you

[Applause]

you