I love TED Talks. I was a TED Talk geek long before it was cool, to be honest. I love to learn and be exposed to new things, so the “you have under 18 minutes to present the best of your research and/or expertise” format delivers for me. My earlier One New Habit books are full of them and I still often watch them for a quick jolt of inspiration and motivation. Listed below are my five favorite TED Talks for teachers. I talk about the first one the Positive Mindset Habits for Teachers book. The other four are all thought-provoking in their own ways. I hope you find a few minutes to give them a watch them next time you are looking for a positive way to spend a few minutes relaxing. Click “Read More” to go straight to the talks.
Rita Pierson : Every Kid Needs a Champion
This 8-minute long talk packs a punch and reinforces the need to build relationships with children, as well as the power of positive expectations. It is the inspiration for the “Who Can I Champion This Week?” entry in the Positive Mindset Journal for Teachers and a question I ask myself every week.
Carol Dweck: The Power of Believing You Can Improve
The TED Talk that brought awareness to Dweck’s research on Growth Mindset and ignited an educational revolution. Seriously. Find 10 minutes and 20 seconds to rewatch it.
Ramsey Musallam: 3 Rules to Spark Learning
Musallam is a middle school chemistry teacher, but his insights apply to all classrooms and grades. His personal story of how a brush with death lead him to overcome what he refers to “10 years of pseudo-teaching” and become the teacher he was meant to be is heartwarming and inspiring.
Ken Robinson: How to Escape Education’s Death Valley
With humor and insight, this Brit shares some thought-provoking thoughts on the American education system. Yes, it has some problems. But his message is hopeful. As teachers, we can still be agents of positive change and can nurture our students with a “climate of possibility.”
William Kamkwamba: How I Harnessed the Wind
This talk is one that will simply put a smile on your face. It’s a testament to the ingenuity of young minds and the power of determination. You can even watch this with your students as a powerful reminder that not everyone has access to an educational system. It’s the story of a young man, who had “never seen an internet”, and how he uses books from the public library that he can barely read to make a generator for his family out of discarded junk and in so doing transforms his community.
I hope you find a few minutes to watch these talks and share them. Enjoy!
