Rita Pierson's appearance on Ted Talk embodies almost my entire inspiration for becoming a teacher. Mrs. Pierson really brought to light the fact that we, as teachers, are responsible for being the champion that many kids do not have. Every child deserves to feel confident in themselves academically, and as people.
It is also important to remember that focusing on a child's success, no matter how small, will benefit them more than you could ever know. Mrs. Pierson gave us an example about a student that only answered 2/20 quiz questions correctly, but instead of putting a huge circle around "-18", she put a circle around "+2" with a smiley face. Sure, the child clearly did not understand the concept taught, but what Mrs. Pierson did was fill that student with the confidence he needed to try harder.
I would love to share this video with my future colleagues, because I believe that it serves as an important reminder for every educator. I think that this truth gets overlooked sometimes due to the overwhelming pressures and responsibilities placed on teachers today. It only takes a simple word of encouragement, however, to completely turn a student's day and mindset around.
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