TED talks teachers need to watch

If you haven’t already jumped on the TED talk bandwagon – do it. TED Talks and TEDx Talks are amazing free resources, featuring speakers from around the world with ideas and stories to share.

However, these can not only be used in the classroom with students, but can be supportive tools for teachers, and contribute to our own personal and professional development.

There are hundreds of talks that are relevant to teachers, so let me start you off on your Teacher TED Talk journey with these…

Christian Williams – 3 Simple words that can change your life: “I need help”.
Christian talks about his experience of being told no, that he can’t do something, to achieving things doctors told him he never would. An inspiring story about not giving up, pushing yourself further, and not being afraid to ask for help.

Linda Cliatt-Wayman – How to fix a broken school? Lead fearlessly, love hard.
Linda, a school principal, talks to us about what it means to be a ‘school’, about low performing schools, hard to reach students, and setting the right tone and expectations.

Bill Gates – Teachers need real feedback.
The legendary Bill Gates speaks about the need for teachers to receive valuable feedback, in order to strengthen and improve their skills, and it wouldn’t be a Bill Gates talk without mention of technology. He speaks about the use of cameras and videos to teach more effectively.

Mae Jemison – Teach Art and Sciences together.
Mae Jemison is an astronaut, a doctor, an art collector, and a dancer. She tells us about her experiences, and calls on teachers to teach both the arts and the sciences together. Fusing intuition and logic to create and encourage bold thinkers.