There are times when you just need some motivation to get you through the day or week. When those moments hit me, I usually go to a couple Ted Talks to get me thinking and rejuvenated. Here is one of my favorite Ted Talks about education. This is guaranteed to get you motivated.
The speech, by Rita Pierson, is titled “Every Kid Needs a Champion.” It is a powerful talk and well worth the entire 7 minutes, 30 seconds. Pierson shares a great story about a student who got a 2/20 on an assessment. Instead of marking it “-18” she wrote “+2” to show the student that they got some material correct rather than highlight how much they didn’t know.
My favorite part of the entire speech, maybe my favorite part of any Ted Talk, is the end of Pierson’s speech. “Every child deserves a champion, an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be. Is this job tough? You betcha. Oh God, you betcha. But it’s not impossible. We can do this. We’re educators. We’re born to make a difference.”
Amen, Rita Pierson. Amen!