ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Rita F. Pierson - Educator
Rita F. Pierson spent her entire life in or around the classroom, having followed both her parents and grandparents into a career as an educator.

Why you should listen

Rita F. Pierson, a professional educator since 1972, taught elementary school, junior high and special education. She was a counselor, a testing coordinator and an assistant principal. In each of these roles, she brought a special energy to the role -- a desire to get to know her students, show them how much they matter and support them in their growth, even if it was modest.

For the past decade, Pierson conducted professional development workshops and seminars for thousands of educators. Focusing on the students who are too often under-served, she lectured on topics like “Helping Under-Resourced Learners,”“Meeting the Educational Needs of African American Boys" and "Engage and Graduate your Secondary Students: Preventing Dropouts."

Pierson passed away in June 2013.

More profile about the speaker
Rita F. Pierson | Speaker | TED.com
TED Talks Education

Rita Pierson: Every kid needs a champion

麗塔.皮爾森 (Rita Pierson): 每個孩子都需要一位守護者

Filmed:
10,893,254 views

麗塔.皮爾森已經教咗40年書,有一次佢聽到一個同事講:「我份人工唔包我鐘意班細路。」佢回應:「細路唔會喺佢哋唔鐘意嘅人身上學到嘢。」佢呼籲教育家相信佢哋嘅學生,真正咁同學生建立人際關係,拉近彼此距離。
- Educator
Rita F. Pierson spent her entire life in or around the classroom, having followed both her parents and grandparents into a career as an educator. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
I have spent my entire整個 life
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我哩一生人嘅時間
00:16
either一係 at the schoolhouse校舍, on the way to the schoolhouse校舍,
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唔係用喺學校度,就係用係返學途中
00:20
or talking講嘢 about what happens發生 in the schoolhouse校舍.
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再唔係就係談論學校發生嘅事上。
00:24
Both my parents父母 were educators教育工作者,
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我父母都係教师,
00:27
my maternal孕產婦 grandparents祖父母 were educators教育工作者,
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我公公外婆都係教师,
00:29
and for the past過去 40 years I've done the same相同 thing.
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而我係過去40年嘅工作亦同佢地嘅一样。
00:33
And so, needless唔使 to say, over those years
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所以,唔使多講,喺咁多年來
00:36
I've had a chance機會 to look at education教育 reform改革
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我可以从唔同角度
00:40
from a lot of perspectives觀點.
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睇教育改革。
00:42
Some of those reforms改革 have been good.
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有啲教育改革係好嘅。
00:44
Some of them have been not so good.
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有啲就唔係咁好。
00:46
And we know why kids孩子 drop下降 out.
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我哋知道點解有啲學生輟學。
00:48
We know why kids孩子 don't learn學習.
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我哋知道點解有啲學生學唔到嘢。
00:49
It's either一係 poverty貧困, low attendance攷懃,
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原因不外乎係贫窮、低出席率、
00:52
negative peer同行 influences影響. We know why.
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朋辈嘅壞影響。我哋都知道哩啲原因。
00:56
But one of the things that we never discuss討論
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但有件事我哋從來都無討論過
00:59
or we rarely好少 discuss討論
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或者講我哋好少提起
01:01
is the value價值 and importance重要性 of human人類 connection連接,
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就係人與人之間嘅聯繫和關係
01:05
relationships關係.
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嘅價值和重要性。
01:08
James詹姆斯 Comer says that no significant重要 learning學習
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占士.甘馬 (James Comer)講過,有效嘅學習
01:11
can occur發生 without a significant重要 relationship關係.
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係少不了良好嘅師生關係。
01:14
George喬治 Washington華盛頓 Carver卡弗 says all learning學習
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佐治.華盛頓.嘉華 (George Washington Carver) 話
01:17
is understanding理解 relationships關係.
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所有教育都係從建立關係開始。
01:21
Everyone個個都 in this room間房 has been affected影響
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在座嘅每一位,都曾經被
01:23
by a teacher先生 or an adult成人.
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某位老師或者大人影響過。
01:26
For years, I have watched people teach.
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咁多年嚟,我一直觀察老師點教學生。
01:31
I have looked at the best最好 and I've look at some of the worst糟糕.
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我見過最好嘅教學,亦都見識過最差嘅。
01:34
A colleague同事 said to me one time,
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有位同事同我講過,
01:36
"They don't pay支付 me to like the kids孩子.
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「老細比錢我唔係要我去鍾意細路仔,
01:38
They pay支付 me to teach a lesson.
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佢哋出糧比我教書㗎咋。」
01:41
The kids孩子 should learn學習 it.
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班細路應該學嘢。
01:42
I should teach it. They should learn學習 it. Case情況下 closed關閉."
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我應該教書。佢哋應該學。就係咁簡單。」
01:45
Well, I said to her,
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我同佢講,
01:47
"You know, kids孩子 don't learn學習 from people they don't like."
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「你知唔知呢,細路係唔會喺佢唔鐘意嘅人身上學嘢㗎。」
01:51
(Laughter笑聲) (Applause掌聲)
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(笑聲及掌聲)
01:59
She said, "That's just a bunch of hooey胡言亂語."
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佢話:「你唔好亂咁嗡。」
02:02
And I said to her, "Well, your year is going to be long
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我同佢講:「如果係咁…你哩一年會過得好漫長
02:05
and arduous艱巨, dear親愛的."
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同好艱難咯,親。」
02:08
Needless唔使 to say it was. Some people think
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唔使我多講,的確係。有啲人覺得
02:10
that you can either一係 have it in you to build建立 a relationship關係
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可唔可以同其他人建立關係
02:13
or you don't.
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係天生嘅。
02:14
I think Stephen斯蒂芬 Covey柯维 had the right idea想法.
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史提芬.哥威 (Stephen Covey) 嘅觀念好正確。
02:17
He said you ought應該 to just throw in a few幾個 simple簡單 things,
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佢話,你只係需要做幾件事,
02:20
like seeking尋求 first to understand理解
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例如,嘗試主動了解他人,
02:23
as opposed反對 to being understood理解,
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而唔係要求人哋去了解你,
02:25
simple簡單 things like apologizing道歉.
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好簡單嘅事,好似道歉咁。
02:28
You ever thought about that?
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你從來都無諗過可以咁做?
02:29
Tell a kid孩子 you're sorry, they're in shock休克.
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同個細路講對唔住,佢哋會好震驚。
02:33
I taught a lesson once一旦 on ratios比率.
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我曾經教過一堂數學課,教比例。
02:35
I'm not real真正 good with math數學, but I was working工作 on it.
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我數學唔係咁好,不過努力緊。
02:39
And I got back and looked at that teacher先生 edition.
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我返去睇翻我本教師版教科書。
02:42
I'd taught the whole整個 lesson wrong. (Laughter笑聲)
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我成堂教嘅嘢都係錯嘅。(笑聲)
02:45
So I came back to class the next day, and I said,
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所以我第二日番去上堂嘅時候,我話
02:47
"Look, guys, I need to apologize道歉.
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「各位,我要同大家道歉。
02:50
I taught the whole整個 lesson wrong. I'm so sorry."
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我上一堂教嘅嘢係錯嘅。真係對唔住。」
02:54
They said, "That's okay, Ms女士. Pierson皮尔森.
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佢哋話:「唔緊要,老師。
02:55
You were so excited興奮, we just let you go."
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你教得好投入,我哋會原諒你。」
02:57
(Laughter笑聲) (Applause掌聲)
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(笑聲及掌聲)
03:02
I have had classes that were so low,
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我有教過好差嘅班
03:06
so academically學術 deficient缺乏 that I cried.
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佢哋嘅成續好差,我直情喊咗出嚟。
03:10
I wondered, how am I going to take this group
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我諗,我點可以將哩一班學生
03:13
in nine months
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喺九個月之內
03:15
from where they are to where they need to be?
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將佢哋由而家嘅學術程度提升到佢哋需要達到嘅成績?
03:18
And it was difficult困難. It was awfully hard努力.
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真係一件好難嘅事,真係好難。
03:21
How do I raise提高 the self-esteem自尊 of a child孩子
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我點樣可以提高一個小朋友嘅自信嘅同時
03:24
and his academic學術 achievement成就 at the same相同 time?
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又提高佢嘅成績呢?
03:27
One year I came up with a bright明亮 idea想法.
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有一年我諗咗個好計仔。
03:29
I told all my students學生,
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我同所有學生講,
03:31
"You were chosen選擇 to be in my class
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「你係被選中先會嚟到我哩班
03:35
because I am the best最好 teacher先生
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因為我係最好嘅老師
03:36
and you are the best最好 students學生,
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你係最好嘅學生,
03:38
they put us all together一起
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所以佢哋將我哋擺埋一齊
03:39
so we could show顯示 everybody大家 else how to do it."
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去做其他人嘅榜樣。」
03:42
One of the students學生 said, "Really?"
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有個學生問:「真係?」
03:45
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
03:47
I said, "Really. We have to show顯示 the other classes
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我話:「係,我哋要身體力行比其他班睇
03:50
how to do it, so when we walk down the hall大堂,
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我哋行出門口時,
03:52
people will notice通知 us, so you can't make noise譟聲.
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啲人都會注意我哋,所以你唔可以發出噪音。
03:55
You just have to strut."
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要撐住。」
03:58
And I gave them a saying to say: "I am somebody有人.
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我要佢哋講:「我得嘅。
04:01
I was somebody有人 when I came.
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我嚟呢度嘅時候已經掂。
04:02
I'll be a better somebody有人 when I leave離開.
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我離開嘅時候要比之前叻。
04:04
I am powerful強大, and I am strong.
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我又叻又堅強。
04:06
I deserve值得 the education教育 that I get here.
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我值得喺度接受教育。
04:09
I have things to do, people to impress打動,
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我有做事的抱負,要另人刮目相看,
04:11
and places地方 to go."
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要天高任我行。」
04:13
And they said, "Yeah!"
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佢哋全部大嗌「YEAH!」
04:16
You say it long enough,
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如果你講得夠多次,
04:17
it starts初時 to be a part部分 of you.
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佢就會變成你嘅一部分。
04:21
And so — (Applause掌聲)
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所以﹣﹣
(掌聲)
04:27
I gave a quiz測驗, 20 questions個問題.
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我做咗一次小測,一共有20題。
04:31
A student學生 missed錯過 18.
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有個學生錯咗18題。
04:34
I put a "+2" on his paper and a big smiley笑臉 face塊面.
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我寫咗「+2」喺佢份卷上面,仲畫咗個笑嘅表情公仔。
04:39
He said, "Ms女士. Pierson皮尔森, is this an F?"
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佢問:「老師,咁我係咪即係攞F?」
04:43
I said, "Yes."
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我話:「係。」
04:45
He said, "Then why'd點解要 you put a smiley笑臉 face塊面?"
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佢又問:「咁點解你要畫個笑嘅公仔?」
04:49
I said, "Because you're on a roll.
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我話:「因為你有進步。
04:51
You got two right. You didn't miss them all."
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你答啱咗兩題。你無全部錯晒。」
04:55
I said, "And when we review檢討 this,
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我話:「如果我哋再溫習番哩一部分,
04:57
won't唔會 you do better?"
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你會唔會做得再好啲?」
04:58
He said, "Yes, ma'am女士, I can do better."
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佢話:「會,老師,我可以做得好啲。」
05:01
You see, "-18" sucks all the life out of you.
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你睇,”-18“會令人失去衝勁。
05:04
"+2" said, "I ain't唔係 all bad."
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但係“+2”會令人感覺唔係最差,仲有得救。
05:07
(Laughter笑聲) (Applause掌聲)
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(笑聲及掌聲)
05:12
For years I watched my mother母親
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多年來我睇見我媽媽
05:15
take the time at recess休會 to review檢討,
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小息時間都同學生溫習,
05:18
go on home visits訪問 in the afternoon下晝,
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下晝就去做家訪,
05:21
buy combs and brushes and peanut花生 butter黄油 and crackers餅乾
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買梳、刷、花生醬同餅乾
05:24
to put in her desk drawer抽屜 for kids孩子 that needed需要 to eat,
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放喺櫃桶比肚餓嘅細路食同用,
05:27
and a washcloth毛巾 and some soap肥皂 for the kids孩子 who didn't smell氣味 so good.
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仲準備咗啲清潔用品比有需要嘅學生。
05:30
See, it's hard努力 to teach kids孩子 who stink.
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你知啦,身上有臭味嘅學生好難教。
05:34
And kids孩子 can be cruel殘酷.
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而且細路對人可以好惡。
05:36
And so she kept保持 those things in her desk,
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所以佢將呢啲嘢收喺櫃桶,
05:39
and years later之後, after she retired退休,
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而好多年之後,當佢退咗休之後,
05:42
I watched some of those same相同 kids孩子 come through透過
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我見過啲細路過嚟
05:45
and say to her, "You know, Ms女士. Walker获加,
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同我媽媽講:「你知唔知呀老師,
05:47
you made作出 a difference差異 in my life.
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你改變咗我嘅人生。
05:49
You made作出 it work for me.
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你令所有嘢變得有可能。
05:51
You made作出 me feel like I was somebody有人,
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你令我覺得我係得嘅,
05:53
when I knew, at the bottom底部, I wasn't唔係.
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當我喺人生低谷嘅時候,都對自己有信心。
05:56
And I want you to just see what I've become成為."
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我希望你可以睇到今日嘅我。」
05:58
And when my mama亞媽 died two years ago at 92,
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當我媽媽兩年前以92高齡過世嘅時候,
06:01
there were so many好多 former students學生 at her funeral葬禮,
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好多學生嚟參加佢嘅葬體,
06:04
it brought tears眼淚 to my eyes眼睛, not because she was gone,
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呢件事令我好感動到哭,唔係因為佢離開咗,
06:07
but because she left a legacy遺產 of relationships關係
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而係因為佢留低嘅無形資產,
06:11
that could never disappear消失.
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佢同其他人建立嘅關係永遠唔會消失。
06:13
Can we stand to have more relationships關係? Absolutely絕對.
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我哋可唔可以建立更多關係呢?絕對可以。
06:18
Will you like all your children孩子? Of course課程 not.
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你係未所有學生都鍾意?梗係唔會。
06:22
And you know your toughest艱難 kids孩子 are never absent缺席.
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而且你知道最難教嗰班每日都會出現。
06:27
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
06:29
Never. You won't唔會 like them all,
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每日。你唔會個個都鐘意,
06:32
and the tough艱難 ones show顯示 up for a reason原因.
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但係佢哋出現總有理由。
06:35
It's the connection連接. It's the relationships關係.
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重要嘅係你哋之間嘅聯繫、關係。
06:38
And while you won't唔會 like them all,
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就算你唔係每一個學生都鐘意,
06:40
the key關鍵 is, they can never, ever know it.
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重點係,永遠唔好比佢哋知。
06:44
So teachers教師 become成為 great actors演員 and great actresses女演員,
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所以老師會係演技最精湛嘅演員,
06:48
and we come to work when we don't feel like it,
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我哋番工,即使唔想做都好,
06:50
and we're listening to policy政策 that doesn't make sense,
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即使教育政策幾咁荒謬都好,
06:53
and we teach anyway反正.
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我哋都會繼續教。
06:56
We teach anyway反正, because that's what we do.
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我哋繼續教,因為呢件係我哋該做嘅事。
07:00
Teaching教學 and learning學習 should bring joy喜悅.
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教學生都應該係開心嘅事。
07:03
How powerful強大 would our world世界 be
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呢個世界會充滿力量,
07:06
if we had kids孩子 who were not afraid害怕 to take risks風險,
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只要我哋教出嚟嘅學生唔怕冒險,
07:10
who were not afraid害怕 to think,
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大膽思考,
07:11
and who had a champion冠軍?
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仲有人一直支持佢!
07:12
Every child孩子 deserves值得 a champion冠軍,
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每個細路都應該有一個守護者,
07:15
an adult成人 who will never give up on them,
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一個永遠唔會放棄佢嘅大人,
07:17
who understands理解 the power權力 of connection連接,
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呢個大人明白聯繫嘅重要,
07:20
and insists堅持 that they become成為 the best最好 that they can possibly可能 be.
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同埋堅持佢哋要盡力做到最好。
07:24
Is this job工作 tough艱難? You betcha打賭. Oh God, you betcha打賭.
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呢件工作係咪好難?你話呢…真係好難。
07:28
But it is not impossible冇可能.
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但唔係無可能。
07:32
We can do this. We're educators教育工作者.
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我哋可以做到。我哋係教育家。
07:33
We're born出生 to make a difference差異.
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我哋生來就係要改變世界。
07:36
Thank you so much.
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多謝。
07:37
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
Translated by Juliana So
Reviewed by Xingyi Ouyang 歐陽杏儀

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Rita F. Pierson - Educator
Rita F. Pierson spent her entire life in or around the classroom, having followed both her parents and grandparents into a career as an educator.

Why you should listen

Rita F. Pierson, a professional educator since 1972, taught elementary school, junior high and special education. She was a counselor, a testing coordinator and an assistant principal. In each of these roles, she brought a special energy to the role -- a desire to get to know her students, show them how much they matter and support them in their growth, even if it was modest.

For the past decade, Pierson conducted professional development workshops and seminars for thousands of educators. Focusing on the students who are too often under-served, she lectured on topics like “Helping Under-Resourced Learners,”“Meeting the Educational Needs of African American Boys" and "Engage and Graduate your Secondary Students: Preventing Dropouts."

Pierson passed away in June 2013.

More profile about the speaker
Rita F. Pierson | Speaker | TED.com