Education

Why every student deserves a champion | Rita Pierson

Watch the full talk: A clip from Rita Pierson’s TED Talk “Every kid needs a champion” from TED Talks Education 2013 Rita Pierson, a teacher for 40 years, once heard a colleague say, “They don’t pay me to like the kids.” Her response: “Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.’” A rousing call to…

Published

5 years ago

May 14, 2021

CYBER TECH TV

Watch the full talk:

A clip from Rita Pierson’s TED Talk “Every kid needs a champion” from TED Talks Education 2013

Rita Pierson, a teacher for 40 years, once heard a colleague say, “They don’t pay me to like the kids.” Her response: “Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.'” A rousing call to educators to believe in their students and actually connect with them on a real, human, personal level.

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You’re welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know.

Become a TED Member:
Follow TED on Twitter:
Like TED on Facebook:
Subscribe to our channel:

TED’s videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy (). For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at

We know why kids don’t learn.
It’s either poverty,

low attendance, negative peer influences—
we know why.

But one of the things that we never
discuss or we rarely discuss

is the value and importance
of human connection.

Relationships.
I have had classes that were so low,

so academically deficient, that I cried.

I wondered, “How am I going to take
this group, in nine months,

from where they are to where they need to be?
How do I raise the self-esteem of a child

and his academic achievement
at the same time?”

One year I came up with a bright
idea. I told all my students,

“You were chosen to be in my class
because I am the best teacher and you

are the best students.
They put us all together so we

could show everybody else
how to do it.”

One of the students said, “Really?”
I said, “Really.”

And I gave them a saying to say:
“I am somebody. I was somebody when I came.

I’ll be a better somebody when I leave.
I am powerful, and I am strong.

I deserve the education that I get here.
I have things to do, people to impress,

and places to go.”
And they said, “Yeah!”

You say it long enough, it
starts to be a part of you.

Both my parents were educators.
My maternal grandparents were educators.

For years, I watched my mother take
the time at recess to review,

go on home visits in the afternoon,
buy combs and brushes and peanut butter

and crackers
to put in her desk

drawer for kids that needed to eat,
and a washcloth and some soap for the kids

who didn’t smell so good. See, it’s
hard to teach kids who stink.

Years later, after she retired,
I watched some of those same kids

come through and say to her,
“You know, Ms. Walker, you made

a difference in my life.
You made it work for me.

You made me feel like I was somebody,
when I knew, at the bottom, I wasn’t.

And I want you to just see what I’ve become.”
And when my mama died two years ago at 92,

there were so many former
students at her funeral,

it brought tears to my eyes,
not because she was gone,

but because she left a
legacy of relationships

that could never disappear.
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 is not impossible. We can do this.
We’re educators. We’re born to make a difference.

Up Next

7 tools for building a business people trust | Marcos Aguiar

Don't Miss

Women and girls, you are part of the climate solution | Rumaitha Al Busaidi

51 Comments

TALK to TALK

May 14, 2021 at 5:30 pm

Brilliant speech. Thanks meanwhile:)

Reply
Adarsh Singh

May 14, 2021 at 5:30 pm

She could ask me to charge towards the beast titan and i gladly would ????
Erwin you sure have a challenger in the room!

Reply
Sain D

May 14, 2021 at 5:32 pm

Destroying the nuclear family and searching for issues in society have driven away the hero’s, for sake of you BS cancel culture! You made your bed now lie in it!

Reply
The 300: Primed Providence Phenotype

May 14, 2021 at 5:33 pm

Do not deny your Animal heart body! Mammals are social and familiar by nature!

Reply
TRIBE OF MENTORS

May 14, 2021 at 5:45 pm

*Life changer habits you need to learn*
➡1.Practice Gratitude.
➡2.Write something
➡3.Invest in self-care.
➡4.Create a morning ritual
➡5.Make time for exercise.
Have a nice day????

Reply
atomixfang

May 14, 2021 at 5:46 pm

This consolation trophy bullshit needs to stop.

Reply
Randy Farnsworth

May 14, 2021 at 5:48 pm

Every child needs a FATHER!

Reply
Das Deutsch

May 14, 2021 at 5:52 pm

Wow, so powerful!
All what we can become starts in our minds… and I think it’s just incredible how that invisible “little” thing can change a person.
Make people think they can achieve anything, and they will.

Reply
Nicole on EQ

May 14, 2021 at 5:58 pm

What an inspirational woman. The power of human connection is truly underrated.

Reply
Rhetta Peoples

May 14, 2021 at 6:02 pm

There is nothing like a Black teacher! No slight to any others but the expressions, love and determination oozes from Black women teachers. I don’t know what I would’ve done had I not experienced being a student of a Black woman.

Reply
- Leftie Snowflake
  
  May 14, 2021 at 6:21 pm
  
  White teachers are the best. I’m glad I had white teachers.
  
  Reply
- Just Some Nameless Soul
  
  May 14, 2021 at 6:26 pm
  
  @Leftie Snowflake and one more racism, probably to make a point.. Yeah, humanity is indeed fucked
  
  Reply
- Leftie Snowflake
  
  May 14, 2021 at 6:31 pm
  
  @Just Some Nameless Soul What do you mean?
  
  Reply
- Just Some Nameless Soul
  
  May 14, 2021 at 7:40 pm
  
  @Leftie Snowflake “black teachers are the best, white teachers are the best, yellow teachers are the best, green teachers are the best, purple teachers are the best”, this is racism, stereotypical racism
  
  Reply
- Irving Peenwiddle
  
  May 14, 2021 at 10:19 pm
  
  If that were true, we’d have a glut of Nobel Prize winners from the inner city. Instead, we have the likes of George Floyd.
  
  Reply
mylxiong08

May 14, 2021 at 6:03 pm

What an excellent educator!

Reply
Just Some Nameless Soul

May 14, 2021 at 6:08 pm

This is the type of teacher my school lacked when I needed it..

Reply
A Walker

May 14, 2021 at 6:18 pm

Powerful

Reply
Big Dee

May 14, 2021 at 6:38 pm

Children need fathers …. black men do no raise their children… period

Reply
- Michael Parris
  
  May 14, 2021 at 6:47 pm
  
  Some do. You’re not helping with statements that insult them.
  
  Reply
Self-Education Methodology

May 14, 2021 at 6:43 pm

???? Self-Education Methodology

Reply
Michael Parris

May 14, 2021 at 6:45 pm

Fathers are really good at this.

Reply
Waldo Armijo

May 14, 2021 at 6:50 pm

Bull

Reply
Sharon Hobbs

May 14, 2021 at 6:53 pm

Lets try obeying the Bible, morals and application go a long ways to correcting problems.

Reply
언엊

May 14, 2021 at 6:54 pm

I miss you..

Reply
Pedro Leandro

May 14, 2021 at 7:04 pm

Just Spectacular!!!
The education is the only way to get there! Not just to be a successful person, but first of all to be a happy person and somebody that makes a better would in the life experience.

Reply
Joseph V. Weiss

May 14, 2021 at 7:24 pm

F

Reply
Nova Vanguard

May 14, 2021 at 7:31 pm

Wish I had teachers like this

Reply
Legendary 27

May 14, 2021 at 9:33 pm

I’m not a teacher… Does this still apply to adults like me?

Reply
Legendary 27

May 14, 2021 at 9:33 pm

I’m not a teacher or a sensi… Does this still apply to adults like me?

Reply
- AL
  
  May 15, 2021 at 5:21 am
  
  At a certain point in our life, we become our own teachers. This applies to you; tell yourself that you are worthy, you have places to go, and good to do. Improve yourself. Impress yourself. The good thing about being adults is that we are old and wise enough to realize that there are things we don’t know, and that we are able to look for resources and teach ourselves. If things become too complicated, we can ask for him in order to learn.
  
  Best of luck.
  
  Reply
Matthew Simon

May 15, 2021 at 12:49 am

Investing in crypto now should be in every wise individuals list, in some months time you will be ecstatic of the decision you made today.

Reply
- Matthew Simon
  
  May 15, 2021 at 12:59 am
  
  /+/1/8/0/2/4/0/0/5/1/4/1/
  
  Reply
- Matthew Simon
  
  May 15, 2021 at 1:00 am
  
  My first experience with Mr Powell gave me a profit of over $30,000 in just 1 month and ever since then I’ve been making huge profit.
  
  Reply
- Fried Samuel
  
  May 15, 2021 at 1:01 am
  
  Some people think it’s just all about buying crypto and leaving it to increase, it takes more analysis to trade crypto.
  
  Reply
- Noah Michael
  
  May 15, 2021 at 1:03 am
  
  Trading crypto now will be very wise but trading without a professional is not.
  
  Reply
- Matthew Simon
  
  May 15, 2021 at 1:05 am
  
  Some people will be kicking themselves in few weeks if they miss the opportunity to buy and invest in crypto.
  
  Reply
Kaashvi Juneja

May 15, 2021 at 5:17 am

me wishing her to come and teach me

Reply
Worgiewoo

May 15, 2021 at 7:06 am

No matter how much times passes I always cry at this speech, she is amazing ????

Reply
Time To Get It

May 15, 2021 at 7:42 am

Human connection is a necessity. Small world as it is so human interaction is bound to happen. Relationships tell a lot about a person anyways whether it’s a friendship, intimate relationship, or interactions with family. Practice make perfect with most things. We get more in tune with ourselves with relationships or human connection because are full selves are bound to be revealed because we practice alone plus around/with ppl which is best of both worlds in regards to living in your own world + having ppl enter your world yet the world is still yours

Reply
Qwqs Sdad

May 15, 2021 at 8:20 am

She thinks that poverty could affect the educational life of students but there are many other sides which have more effect but we rarely discuss them.
She wondered how can we raise their future by bright ideas. The are powerful and strong enugh so everyone deserve better education . And they can make adifference in the society as aformer student this isnt tough and isnt Impossible

Reply
max mustermann

May 15, 2021 at 8:36 am

This gave me tears

Reply
The Sophist Quotes

May 15, 2021 at 1:43 pm

????????????

Reply
Mohd Khan

May 15, 2021 at 2:57 pm

When i see ” Why every student deserves to be champion” then first thing in my mind is “Because every student is champion in their own world”

Reply
U Cannot Defeat My Shmeet

May 15, 2021 at 6:35 pm

There’s that, then there’s the mere existence of the song “schools out”

Which kinda highlights how schools have absolutely failed in making kids WANT to learn

Reply
Michelle Evelyn Alexandro

May 15, 2021 at 8:53 pm

Our company offers real incomes on Bitcoin everyday. We guarantee the payment to all investors with total security and responsibility, which are fundamental to our success over the years. INVEST AND START EARNING BIG WITH BITCOIN

Reply
Asha Gairola Gairola

May 16, 2021 at 1:15 pm

In asian countries , basically if u don’t get to go collage then u r basicaally unsuccessful in the good jobs

Reply
Jamaican Princess1974

May 18, 2021 at 12:55 am

She’s good

Reply
Belinda Blah

May 18, 2021 at 4:09 am

Wish you could do a show in NZ. These Ted talks are awesomen

Reply
Anand Thakkar

May 18, 2021 at 4:02 pm

We need TEACHERS LIKE THESE!!!!!!!. In India many teachers dont take pride that they r educators. How will they be able to uplift someones self esteem If they do not have pride in what they r doin

Reply
Joviane Mathieu

May 18, 2021 at 10:48 pm

????????????????????????

Reply

Education

Ukraine’s Fight to Keep Educating Its Children | Zoya Lytvyn | TED

Published

4 years ago

April 14, 2022

CYBER TECH TV

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has destroyed so much — including hundreds of schools, where the country’s children were forging their futures — but it has not stopped Ukrainians from pursuing knowledge and curiosity. In a deeply moving talk, education leader Zoya Lytvyn shares her first-hand experience evacuating Kyiv and takes us inside the ongoing effort to continue educating children amid war and destruction. “As long as our children keep learning and our teachers keep teaching — even while they are starving in shelters under bombardment, even in refugee camps — we are undefeated,” she says.

If you love watching TED Talks like this one, become a TED Member to support our mission of spreading ideas:

Follow TED!
Twitter:
Instagram:
Facebook:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:

The TED Talks channel features talks, performances and original series from the world’s leading thinkers and doers. Subscribe to our channel for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.

Watch more: go.ted.com/zoyalytvyn

#StandWithUkraine

Education

Larry Irvin: A program to empower Black teachers in the US | TED

Published

4 years ago

January 28, 2022

CYBER TECH TV

TED Fellow and education innovator Larry Irvin envisions a world where every child can see themselves reflected in their teachers. With his team at Brothers Empowered to Teach, Irvin is providing pathways to careers in education for Black men, who currently make up less than three percent of all teachers in the US — offering training, personal and professional development and job placement. He shares how their holistic, people-centered approach is changing education.

Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.

Become a TED Member:
Follow TED on Twitter:
Like TED on Facebook:
Subscribe to our channel:

Education

Chris Bennett: A close-to-home solution for accessible childcare | TED

Childcare needs a transformation — but rather than investing billions in new buildings and schools, what if we could unlock the potential of people already nearby? Entrepreneur Chris Bennett offers an innovative way to tackle the shortage of childcare worldwide and connect families to safe, affordable and high-quality options in their own communities. Visit to…

Published

4 years ago

December 27, 2021

CYBER TECH TV