“Every Kid Needs a Champion” | Rita Pierson

In this 2013 TED Talk, the late Rita Pierson discussed teaching her students the value of student-teacher relationships. Pierson was the daughter and granddaughter of teachers, and was a teacher herself for 40 years. Pierson emphasizes the idea that every student matters and has the capability to accomplish more than they can imagine.

This TED talk is a great reminder for students to realize their potential and for teachers to use as a resource to further their education and personal growth. Most of the time, students tend to think their teachers are out to get them, don’t care about them or assume that they make things hard on purpose to give them more stress. Pierson demolishes these faulty paradigms by informing viewers how teachers dedicate their time and effort to teaching students simply because they care about them.

The high point of her talk was when she said, “Teaching and learning should bring joy. How powerful would our world be if we had kids who were not afraid to take risks, who were not afraid to think and who had a champion?” That quote is proof for us as students to realize how our teachers are more than men and women who come in to school and lecture — they are our mentors who notice our effort more than we think, and are always willing to listen and want us to be brave, confident and successful.

“How to Practice Emotional First Aid” | Guy Winch

In 2015, psychologist Guy Winch gave his TED talk about the importance of emotional health. Winch deconstructs the top four self-destructive habits involving loneliness, failure, rejection and rumination. As Winch begins to discuss how people tend to trap themselves in these habits, it gives viewers a moment to pause and reflect on how doing something small, like the words they say and the way they react to downfalls, affects their outlook on life and the future.

Every student should take the time to watch Winch’s TED talk because mental health is the key to reaching our full potential. By following Winch’s steps towards great emotional health, students’ confidence will grow and they’ll be able to overcome challenges.

“I have 99 problems…palsy is just one” | Maysoon Zayid

We all can learn something from Maysoon Zayid. Despite having cerebral palsy, Zayid never lets any of her own challenges get in her way. A young woman full of enthusiastic energy, Zayid describes herself as “Shakira Shakira meets Muhammad Ali,” and talks about how she lives by her late father’s saying, “yes you can can” (that is not a mistake). Zayid talks about her life with cerebral palsy and her journey to success following her two favorite mantras, “anything is possible” and “follow your dreams.” Most people would expect Zayid to be in a wheelchair because she has cerebral palsy, but she overcomes this obstacle by mastering the simple acts of walking and dancing.

Zayid said she has mastered silencing her inner doubt and lives life to the fullest. Her experiences, discussed throughout her TED talk, allows listeners to comprehend how little failures and difficulties don’t define who they are and how there is absolutely no excuse for not pursuing whatever they want to achieve or become.