The Most Powerful Yet Overlooked Resource in Schools | Heejae Lim | TED

翻译人员: Jessie JIE 校对人员: Yip Yan Yeung

I'm eight years old,

我 8 岁了，

and it's my first day at the new school,

这是我到新学校的第一天，

but I cannot express myself.

但是，我无法表达自己。

Actually, I don't understand a single word of English.

其实我一个英文单词都不认识。

My family just moved from Korea to England.

我们全家刚从韩国搬到英国。

My mom is raising my little sister and me,

我的妈妈一边抚养我和妹妹，

and she's also finishing her degree.

一边在完成她的学位。

She's nearly as lost as I am,

她几乎和我一样不知所措，

but with the little English she knows,

但凭借自己会的那一点英文，

she speaks to my teachers in broken English, every day,

她每天都用不怎么标准的英语 跟我的老师们沟通，

about how she can help me at home.

咨询应该如何在家帮助我。

Compared to many other parents in the school who speak no English at all

我有很多同学的父母 完全不会说英文，

or are even scared to ask the questions,

有的甚至不敢问任何问题，

she's much better-off.

跟他们相比， 她的情况算很好的了。

And for that, I'm much better-off.

也正因为如此， 我的情况也算很好了。

Fast-forward three months.

时间快进 3 个月。

Every time my mom picks me up,

每次我妈来学校接我的时候，

a swarm of Korean parents crowd around the car.

都有一大群韩国父母 涌上来，围在车边。

It causes a traffic jam, like, every day. Seriously?

甚至会造成交通堵塞， 几乎每天如此。认真的！

(Laughter)

（笑声）

All the other Korean parents gather around the car,

这些韩国父母围在车旁，

asking my mom the same questions that she asked my teachers.

向我妈妈咨询那些 她问过老师们的问题。

"What is a parent-teacher conference again?"

“ ‘Parent-teacher conference’（家长会） 是什么来着？”

"My kid is behind. What can I do?"

“我的孩子跟不上进度， 我该怎么办？”

I don't know how I'd have survived that first year without my mom.

我不知道，如果没有我妈， 我该怎么撑过那第一年。

But I do know that my experience is not that unique.

但我很确定，我的经历 并不是个案。

Every year, 50 million children go through the US school system.

每年有五千万孩子 进入美国的教育系统。

And out of that, 40 million,

这其中有四千万，

that is, four out of five children,

也就是五分之四的孩子，

come from underserved or immigrant families.

来自于条件不好的家庭 或者移民家庭。

We're talking about the vast majority of the system here.

我指的是教育系统里的 绝大多数学生。

I realize that I'm one of the lucky ones,

我意识到自己是幸运的，

because the law of averages will tell you

因为根据平均数定律 （the law of averages），

that these children are likely to fall behind

这些孩子的学习进度很有可能

by two whole school years.

会落后整整两个学年。

This costs the US economy almost one trillion dollars every year.

这导致美国经济每年 耗费将近一万亿美元。

But it doesn't have to be that way.

但这本来是可以避免的。

In fact, research says that for a student to do well,

实际上，研究表明， 想让一个学生学得好，

a family's engagement is more important than that family's wealth.

家庭的参与要比家庭财富更重要。

A parent is a child's first teacher,

父母是孩子的第一任老师，

and children spend 80 percent of their waking hours

孩子们 80% 的清醒时间

outside the classroom.

都是在课堂外度过的。

So no wonder families are the game changer.

所以难怪家庭是扭转局势的关键。

So here’s a trillion-dollar question:

那么价值万亿美元的问题来了：

How can we better tap into the incredible potential of families

我们如何才能更好地开发 家庭的惊人潜力

and their universal love for their children?

和他们对孩子的爱呢？

This is why the organization I founded helps teachers, families and schools

这就是为什么我创立的组织 要帮助老师、家庭和学校建立联系，

connect using something that we all have:

用一种人人都有的东西：

a mobile phone.

一部手机。

Teachers write the communication in English,

老师用英语写消息，

and parents receive it in their own languages, and vice versa.

父母收到的是译成 自己母语的内容，反之亦然。

We break down the language barrier,

我们打破了语言的壁垒，

bridge cultural and knowledge differences by explaining education concepts

通过解释教育理念 来连接不同的文化和认知，

and enable and prompt parents and teachers to talk to each other.

帮助、促进父母和老师进行对话。

We're playing the role that my mom played

我们扮演的角色跟我妈妈曾经

for the school and my friends’ families:

为学校和我朋友的家庭做的一样：

the communicator, the translator, the coach,

她是沟通者、翻译、教练、

the explainer and the go-between.

解释者和中间人。

And since my mom cannot be everywhere --

但因为我妈不可能无所不在，

and, in fact, no parent can, and that is not for the lack of trying --

事实上，没有任何父母能无所不在， 这也并不是因为他们不够努力，

we've stepped in and connected four million families,

所以我们参与进来了， 目前为止我们已将四百万个家庭、

and students and educators in 70,000 schools to date.

七万所学校里的学生 和教育者连接了起来。

(Cheers and applause)

（欢呼声和掌声）

When families and schools work together, everyone wins.

如果家庭和学校齐心协力， 那么大家都是受益者。

Students are supported, families are empowered,

学生们得到了支持， 家庭教育的作用得以发挥，

and teachers' jobs just become that much easier.

老师们的工作也轻松了很多。

The school environment and community thrives with people from all backgrounds.

学校环境和社区因为来自 不同背景的人们而越变越好。

Even the system itself benefits.

甚至连系统本身也能获益。

Last year, the US spent nearly 700 billion dollars

去年，美国花了 将近 7000 亿美元

on school-aged education.

在学龄教育上。

So imagine if you can increase the return on that investment,

试想一下，若能提高 这项投资的收益，

even just a little bit,

即使只是一点点。

by connecting schools to engage with all families.

通过建立与学校的联系， 让家庭参与进来，就可以做到。

And we should.

而且我们本就应该这么做。

It's literally a no-brainer.

这简直显而易见。

But actually, there's something much bigger here

而且事实上，还有些东西

than student grades.

比学生的分数重要得多。

Education goes beyond economic growth,

教育不只与经济发展相关，

and our goal goes beyond the classroom.

而我们的目标也不限于课堂。

Schools are a funnel to the real world.

学校把学生输送进现实世界。

Public education makes citizens.

学校教育塑造公民。

And in creating the next generation of citizens,

在培养下一代 公民的过程中，

we cannot be leaving behind four out of five children

我们不能落下 五分之四的孩子

or their families.

或他们的家庭。

If we continue to pick and choose who the system engages with

如果我们继续挑挑拣拣 一代又一代，

generation after generation, like we do now,

筛选能参与到系统中的人， 就像我们现在做的这样，

we will not be left with a community, a civil society

我们将无法留住我们的 社区，文明的社会，

or even a functioning democracy.

甚至是正常运作的民主。

Our collective well-being starts with inclusive schools

我们的集体福祉是从 全纳学校（inclusive schools）

and helping every child realize their endless potential.

和帮助每一个孩子发挥 他们无穷的潜力开始的。

So our hope is that one day,

我们希望有一天，

all underserved and immigrant children and their families

所有不受重视的移民儿童 和他们的家庭

will feel that they belong in the education system.

都能融入教育系统。

Our dream is that one day, they'll feel included

我们的梦想是有一天他们能在 他们将要参与建设的社区中

in the very communities that they're expected to build.

找到归属感。

Thank you.

谢谢大家！

(Cheers and applause)

（欢呼和掌声）