Every kid needs a champion | Rita Pierson | TED

Summary

In this heartfelt speech, an educator with a lifetime of experience emphasizes the pivotal role of human connection in education. She illustrates the importance of relationships in learning, citing James Comer and George Washington Carver, and shares personal anecdotes to highlight the impact teachers can have on students' lives. Through humor and empathy, she urges educators to build meaningful connections, foster self-esteem, and champion every child's potential, advocating for a joyful approach to teaching that can transform lives.

Takeaways

• 🏫 The speaker's life has been deeply intertwined with education, with a family history of educators and a 40-year career in the field.
• 🔍 There is a recognition of various factors contributing to students dropping out or not learning, such as poverty, low attendance, and negative peer influences.
• 🤝 The importance of human connection and relationships in education is highlighted, with quotes from James Comer and George Washington Carver emphasizing their significance in learning.
• 👎 The speaker challenges the notion that educators are only paid to teach lessons, not to like students, arguing that students learn better from those they like.
• 🌟 The idea that building relationships with students is not an innate ability but can be developed through simple acts like seeking to understand and apologizing is presented.
• 🤔 The speaker shares personal anecdotes of teaching, including a humorous moment of admitting a mistake to students and the positive response it received.
• 💪 The strategy of boosting students' self-esteem by creating a narrative of being part of an elite group, with a chant to reinforce their sense of self-worth and purpose.
• 📝 The use of positive reinforcement in grading, such as marking a student's paper with a '+2' and a smiley face instead of focusing on what was missed.
• 👩‍🏫 The impact of a teacher's care for students' well-being, including providing for their basic needs and the long-term influence this has on their lives.
• 😢 The emotional legacy left by educators, as illustrated by the turnout of former students at the speaker's mother's funeral, showing the lasting impact of the relationships built.
• 🌈 The call to embrace the challenge of forming meaningful relationships with students, despite the difficulties, and the belief that every child deserves a champion who won't give up on them.

Q & A

What is the speaker's background in education?

The speaker has spent their entire life involved in education, with both parents and maternal grandparents being educators, and they have been an educator for the past 40 years.

What are some of the common reasons kids drop out or don't learn according to the speaker?

The speaker mentions that common reasons for kids dropping out or not learning include poverty, low attendance, and negative peer influences.

What does James Comer believe about the relationship between learning and relationships?

James Comer believes that no significant learning can occur without a significant relationship.

What does George Washington Carver say about learning and understanding relationships?

George Washington Carver states that all learning is understanding relationships.

What does the speaker suggest is a common misconception about teaching among some educators?

The speaker suggests that some educators believe they are paid to teach lessons, not to like the kids, and that students should learn regardless of whether they like the teacher.

How does the speaker respond to the colleague who believes they are only paid to teach lessons?

The speaker counters by saying that kids don't learn from people they don't like, implying that relationships are crucial for learning.

What is the speaker's view on the ability to build relationships with students?

The speaker believes that building relationships is not an innate ability but something that can be developed and improved with simple actions like seeking to understand first and apologizing.

What did the speaker do when they realized they had taught a math lesson incorrectly?

The speaker apologized to the class the next day, admitting the mistake and expressing regret for teaching the lesson wrong.

How did the speaker attempt to raise the self-esteem and academic achievement of a class that was academically deficient?

The speaker told the students they were chosen for her class because they were the best, and she was the best teacher, creating a sense of pride and responsibility to perform well.

What strategy did the speaker use to encourage a student who missed 18 out of 20 questions on a quiz?

The speaker put a "+2" on the student's paper with a smiley face, focusing on the two questions the student got right instead of the 18 they missed.

What legacy did the speaker's mother leave behind after her death?

The speaker's mother left a legacy of relationships with her former students, many of whom came to her funeral to express how she made a difference in their lives.

What is the speaker's final message about the role of educators and the importance of relationships?

The speaker emphasizes that every child deserves a champion, an adult who will never give up on them, understands the power of connection, and insists on them becoming the best they can be.