Every kid needs a champion | Rita Pierson | TED

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast

翻译人员: xuan wang 校对人员: Wei Wu

我这辈子

I have spent my entire life

either at the schoolhouse, on the way to the schoolhouse,

要么是在学校，要么在去学校的路上，

要么是在讨论学校里发生了什么事。

or talking about what happens in the schoolhouse.

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Both my parents were educators,

我的父母都是教育家，

my maternal grandparents were educators,

我的外祖父母也都是搞教育的，

过去40年我也在从事同样的事业。

and for the past 40 years, I've done the same thing.

所以，很显然，过去的这些年里，

And so, needless to say, over those years

I've had a chance to look at education reform

我有机会从各个角度

from a lot of perspectives.

审视教育改革。

Some of those reforms have been good.

一些改革是有成效的。

Some of them have been not so good.

而另一些却收效甚微。

And we know why kids drop out.

我们知道孩子们为什么掉队辍学。

We know why kids don't learn.

我们知道孩子们为什么学不下去。

It's either poverty, low attendance,

原因无非是贫穷，低出席率，

negative peer influences...

同龄人的坏影响。

We know why.

我们知道为什么。

But one of the things that we never discuss

但是我们从未讨论

or we rarely discuss

或者极少讨论的是

is the value and importance of human connection.

人和人之间的那种联系的 价值和重要性。

Relationships.

这就是“关系”。

James Comer says that no significant learning

James Comer (美国著名 儿童精神科医师）说过，

can occur without a significant relationship.

没有强有力的联系， 学习就不会有显著的进步。

George Washington Carver says all learning

George Washington Carver （美国著名教育学家）说过，

is understanding relationships.

学习就是理解各种关系。

Everyone in this room has been affected by a teacher or an adult.

在座的各位都曾经被一位老师

或者一个成年人影响过。

For years, I have watched people teach.

这么多年，我都在看人们怎么教学。

I have looked at the best and I've looked at some of the worst.

我看过最好的，也看过最差的。

A colleague said to me one time,

一次有个同事跟我说，

"They don't pay me to like the kids.

“我的职责不是喜欢那些孩子们。

They pay me to teach a lesson.

我的职责是教书。

The kids should learn it.

孩子们就该去学。

I should teach it, they should learn it,

我管教课，他们管学习。 就是这么个理儿。”

Case closed."

Well, I said to her,

然后，我就跟她说，

“你知道，孩子们可不跟 他们讨厌的人学习。”

"You know, kids don't learn from people they don't like."

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

She said, "That's just a bunch of hooey."

她接着说，“一派胡言。”

And I said to her,

然后我对她说，

"Well, your year is going to be long and arduous, dear."

“那么亲爱的，你这一年会过得 十分漫长和痛苦。”

Needless to say, it was.

事实也果真如此。 有些人认为

Some people think that you can either have it in you to build a relationship,

一个人或者天生可以建立一种关系，

or you don't.

或者压根儿不具有这种能力。

我认为Stephen Covey （美国教育家）是对的。

I think Stephen Covey had the right idea.

He said you ought to just throw in a few simple things,

他说你只需要做一些简单的事情，

like seeking first to understand,

比如试着首先理解他人，

as opposed to being understood.

而不是想要被理解，

Simple things, like apologizing.

比如道歉。

You ever thought about that?

你想过吗？

Tell a kid you're sorry, they're in shock.

跟一个孩子说你很对不起， 他们都惊呆了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I taught a lesson once on ratios.

我有一次讲比例。

I'm not real good with math, but I was working on it.

我数学不是很好，但是我当时在教数学。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And I got back and looked at that teacher edition.

我下课回到家，翻看了教师用书。

I'd taught the whole lesson wrong.

我完全教错了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So I came back to class the next day and I said,

所以我第二天回到班上说，

"Look, guys, I need to apologize.

“同学们，我要道歉。

I taught the whole lesson wrong. I'm so sorry."

我昨天的课都教错了。我非常抱歉。”

They said, "That's okay, Ms. Pierson.

他们说，“没关系，Pierson老师。

You were so excited, we just let you go."

您当时教得非常投入，我们就让您继续了。” （笑声）（掌声）

I have had classes that were so low,

我曾经教过程度非常低的班级，

so academically deficient, that I cried.

学术素养差到我都哭了。

I wondered, "How am I going to take this group,

我当时就想，我怎么能在9个月之内

in nine months,

把这些孩子

from where they are to where they need to be?

提升到他们必须具备的水平？

And it was difficult, it was awfully hard.

这真的很难，太艰难了。

How do I raise the self-esteem of a child

我怎么能让一个孩子重拾自信的同时，

and his academic achievement at the same time?

在学术上也有进步？

One year I came up with a bright idea.

有一年我有了一个非常好的主意。

I told all my students,

我告诉我的学生们，

"You were chosen to be in my class

“你们进了我的班级，

because I am the best teacher

因为我是最好的老师，

and you are the best students,

而你们是最好的学生，

they put us all together

他们把我们放在一起，

so we could show everybody else how to do it."

来给其他人做个好榜样。”

One of the students said, "Really?"

一个学生说，“真的吗？”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I said, "Really. We have to show the other classes

我说，“当然是真的。我们要给 其他班级做个榜样，

how to do it, so when we walk down the hall,

当我们走在楼道里，

people will notice us, so you can't make noise.

因为大家都会注意到我们， 我们不能吵闹。

You just have to strut."

大家要昂首阔步。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And I gave them a saying to say:

我还给了他们一个口号：

“我是个人物。

"I am somebody.

I was somebody when I came.

我来的时候是个人物。

I'll be a better somebody when I leave.

我毕业的时候会 变成一个更好的人物。

I am powerful, and I am strong.

我很有力，很强大。

I deserve the education that I get here.

我值得在这里受教育。

I have things to do, people to impress,

我有很多事情要做， 我要让人们记住我，

and places to go."

我要去很多地方。”

And they said, "Yeah!"

然后他们说：“是啊！”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

You say it long enough,

如果你长时间这么说，

it starts to be a part of you.

它就会开始变成事实。

(Applause)

所以—— （掌声）

I gave a quiz, 20 questions.

我做了一个小测验，20道题。

A student missed 18.

一个孩子错了18道。

I put a "+2" on his paper and a big smiley face.

我在他了卷子上写了个 “＋2”和一个大的笑脸。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

He said, "Ms. Pierson, is this an F?"

他说，“Pierson老师， 这是不及格吗？”

I said, "Yes."

我说，“是的。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

He said, "Then why'd you put a smiley face?"

他接着说，“那你为什么给我一个笑脸？”

I said, "Because you're on a roll.

我说，“因为你正渐入佳境。

You got two right. You didn't miss them all."

你没有全错，还对了两个。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I said, "And when we review this, won't you do better?"

我说，“我们复习这些题的时候， 难道你不会做得更好吗？”

He said, "Yes, ma'am, I can do better."

他说，“是的，老师。我可以做得更好。”

You see, "-18" sucks all the life out of you.

大家看，“－18”让人感觉想死。

"+2" said, "I ain't all bad."

“＋2”意味着，“我没有那么糟。” （笑声）（掌声）

For years, I watched my mother take the time at recess to review,

好多年了，我看着我妈妈 利用课间休息时间批改作业，

go on home visits in the afternoon,

下午去家访，

buy combs and brushes and peanut butter and crackers

买梳子、刷子、花生酱和饼干，

to put in her desk drawer for kids that needed to eat,

把它们放在自己的抽屉里 给那些饿了的孩子们吃，

and a washcloth and some soap for the kids who didn't smell so good.

还有为那些脏孩子们 准备了一条毛巾和一些肥皂。

See, it's hard to teach kids who stink.

很明显，教那些发臭的孩子 是一件困难的事。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And kids can be cruel.

而孩子们有时也是比较“残忍”的。

And so she kept those things in her desk,

所以她把这些东西都放在她的抽屉里，

and years later, after she retired,

然后过了很多年，在她退休以后，

I watched some of those same kids come through

我看到一些当年的孩子们回来告诉她，

and say to her, "You know, Ms. Walker,

“Walker老师，

you made a difference in my life.

您改变了我的生活。

您让它有了意义。

You made it work for me.

You made me feel like I was somebody,

您让我觉得我是个人物，

when I knew, at the bottom, I wasn't.

虽说在心底我知道我不是。

And I want you to just see what I've become."

我就是想让您看看我现在 成为了个什么样的人。”

And when my mama died two years ago at 92,

当我妈妈两年前 以92岁高龄去世的时候，

there were so many former students at her funeral,

有好多好多的以前的学生 来参加了她的葬礼，

我哭了，不是因为她去世了，

it brought tears to my eyes, not because she was gone,

but because she left a legacy of relationships

而是因为她留下了 这些永远不会消失的

that could never disappear.

各种联系。

Can we stand to have more relationships?

我们真的可以建立更多的关系吗？

Absolutely.

当然可以。

Will you like all your children? Of course not.

你会喜欢你所有的学生吗？当然不。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

你也知道那些最难搞的 孩子总是很难甩掉。

And you know your toughest kids are never absent.

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Never.

永远不会。你不会喜欢每一个人，

You won't like them all,

and the tough ones show up for a reason.

然而难搞的那几个的 出现也是有理由的。

It's the connection. It's the relationships.

这就是联系，是关系。

当你不会喜欢他们每一个人的时候，

关键就是他们永远也不会知道这一点。

So teachers become great actors and great actresses,

所以老师们变成伟大的演员，

and we come to work when we don't feel like it,

我们得强迫自己工作，

and we're listening to policy that doesn't make sense,

我们得听从那些毫无道理的政策，

and we teach anyway.

我们还得上课。

We teach anyway, because that's what we do.

我们还得上课，因为这是我们的责任。

Teaching and learning should bring joy.

教学和学习应该是让人愉快的事情。

How powerful would our world be

我们的世界会变得多么的强大，

if we had kids who were not afraid to take risks,

如果我们的孩子都不害怕接受挑战，

who were not afraid to think,

不害怕思考，

and who had a champion?

都赢得了一个支持者？

Every child deserves a champion,

每个孩子都应该得到别人的支持，

an adult who will never give up on them,

一个成年人要永远不放弃他们，

who understands the power of connection,

懂得联系的强大力量，

and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.

坚信他们可以变成那个最好的自己。

Is this job tough? You betcha.

这个职业面临的任务很艰巨吗？ 当然。上帝，毫无疑问。

Oh God, you betcha.

But it is not impossible.

但是这不是不可能的。

We can do this. We're educators.

我们可以的，因为我们是教育家。

We're born to make a difference.

我们天生就是重塑他人的。

Thank you so much.

非常感谢大家。

(Applause)

（掌声）