The echo of a teachers voice | Ibrahim Zeidan | TEDxYasmina British Academy Youth
Ibrahim Zeidan, a year 8 student, reflects on how teachers' words profoundly impact students' lives, arguing that both positive encouragement and seemingly negative comments shape student confidence and success. He emphasizes the importance of appreciating teachers, listening to student perspectives, and recognizing that teachers serve as crucial figures who help students develop resilience and confidence.
Summary
Ibrahim Zeidan delivers a TED talk about the significant impact of teachers' words on students. He begins by sharing his second-grade teacher Miss Kelly's quote about avoiding failure being equivalent to avoiding progress, which he has carried with him. Zeidan explores how teachers' words act as either pressure relievers or confidence builders for secondary students facing academic and social challenges.
He discusses how seemingly small negative comments from teachers can have disproportionately large impacts, such as being told "You will never be able to understand this," which made him feel incapable. However, he also shares a transformative experience where a teacher who had failed multiple times before succeeding shared his perseverance journey, inspiring Zeidan to pursue leadership positions despite initial failures. This mentorship led him to become a KS3 ambassador.
Zeidan addresses the importance of teachers listening to student opinions, arguing that students and teachers should function as collaborative partners rather than a one-way relationship. He raises the issue of student appreciation for teachers, noting that many teachers go unappreciated despite their efforts, using examples of teachers buying supplies out-of-pocket or creating engaging homework that develops creativity.
The speech emphasizes changing perspective on teachers' intentions. When Zeidan's father encouraged him to reconsider why a teacher assigned heavy homework, he realized the teacher was motivating students to work hard and express creativity. Zeidan concludes by thanking specific teachers who have impacted him and asserts that teachers are the foundation of classrooms, describing their words as vessels of knowledge that shape 18 years of students' lives.
Key Insights
- Small comments from teachers, even seemingly minor ones, have huge impacts on students' self-perception and confidence levels
- Hearing words of support from teachers acts as a form of pressure relief for secondary students dealing with high expectations from parents and peers
- A teacher's personal story of failing multiple times before succeeding in leadership positions can inspire students to persevere through their own initial failures
- Students often fail to appreciate teachers who go out of their way, such as buying classroom supplies on weekends, leading teachers to feel undervalued
- Changing perspective to understand a teacher's underlying positive intentions transforms how students receive and appreciate heavy homework assignments
Topics
Transcript
[0:01] Avoiding failure is to avoid progress is a line my second grade teacher Miss Kelly used to tell me. I still remember that line today and I thought why do I still remember that line? Why did the line stick with me so much? Welcome everybody. My name is Ibrahim Zidan in year 8A. Um, I asked myself the question, how much have teachers word had an impact on [0:34] me? And today I'll be answering that question with many more. Please sit back and relax while I speak. Um, as a secondary student, I have many challenges and difficulties. My parents and teachers have high expectations of me. Sometimes the pre pressure catches up to you. So hearing…
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