"Every Kid Needs a Champion"

If you didn't already know, TED Talks are one of my favorite things. I have yet to watch a TED talk I didn't enjoy, and I always found inspiration from them.
The TED Talk from today's class was amazing, addressing a very important aspect of teaching. BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH STUDENTS.

"Every Kid Needs a Champion" Rita Peison TED talk

It is so important that as teachers, we recognize that one of the most important aspects of teaching is creating relationships with our students. Through building relationships many things can happen.

First, students can have someone they can trust and talk to outside of family. Belonging is such an important need, that if a student feels like they don't belong, they will not enjoy school, and may even have difficulty concentrating i class.

In the video, Peirson talks about apologizing to students. It is important for students to realize that event their teacher is not perfect. If students can see their teacher admitting to mistakes, they can see that it is acceptable for them to make mistakes.

I really enjoyed the saying she gave her students to make them feel important and successful. Students need to know that they are enough, and that they can achieve their goals and dreams, and succeed in school and in life. All it takes is one person to believe in t a student and their whole educational experience is different.

My mom has been teaching in the same school for four years. Her first year she taught two half day Kindergarten class, and now she teaches second grade. Every time I visit her classroom, she has former students come to her room and visit her during their lunch. Her former students love her.
In fact, her students have asked to stay in second grade, just so they could have her as a teacher again.

Teachers really do make a difference. Often not through the things they teach, but through the relationships they build with their students.

Until next time...
Ashley


April 27

I read this article for class today that also talks about relationships and hope. Wanted to add it to this post.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:fr9HLeNq20AJ:www.unco.edu/cebs/diversity/pdfs/duncan_note%2520to%2520educators_%2520hope%2520required%2520when%2520growing%2520roses%2520in%2520concrete.pdf+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Ashley