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.'