TED-Ed Educator Talks

What do we say to kids when intensely traumatic events interrupt everyday life? Whether you're a teacher, parent or community builder, educator Kristen Nguyen provides three research-backed steps for navigating these difficult conversations, restoring a sense of safety and facilitating collective healing.

Middle school is a time like no other, as significant biological and emotional changes coincide with profound personal growth, says educator Jerome Hunter. The middle school for boys that he founded centers on a program that helps redefine masculinity through what he calls the three "Cs" -- confidence, communication and community. He shares the growth he's seen when boys are encouraged to explore their own empathy -- and how it could lead to a more just world.

Learning how to have productive conversations about race is a necessary part of the human experience. Educator Afrika Afeni Mills says the best place to start is in the classroom -- because the earlier these skills are taught, the fewer biases there are to unlearn. She shares four actionable lessons to help people overcome their fear and take on these conversations at any age.

Between 2020 and 2022, The National Center for Educational Statistics reported the largest average decline in reading scores since 1990, and the first ever drop in math. How can we reverse these current trends and improve student outcomes? Brian Johnson, a former teacher turned consultant, has designated three focus areas that can help educators: affirming students, cultivating student-centered culture and reimagining the physical classroom environment.

To truly savor life, pursue "powerful first experiences," says storyteller and nonprofit founder Kenneth Chabert. Learn more about how to create these meaningful moments, where mundane routine is broken by novel experiences in small but significant ways -- no matter how old you are.

In all the conversations about improving education for children, the voices of students, teachers and community members are often left out. Educational designer Punya Mishra offers a method to shift that paradigm, taking us through new thinking on the root of success (and failure) at school -- and how a totally new, different kind of educational system could better meet students' needs.

Did you know Black students in the US attended schools that were more segregated in 2016 than in 1988? Why have schools remain divided, even as the student population has grown more diverse? And how can we intentionally integrate our schools without the burden of the work resting on the few? Sonia Park shares examples of Diverse-by-Design schools that are successfully incorporating the practices of intentionality, inclusivity, and contextuality.

Despite being ranked fifth of all countries in the world for language diversity, the United States tends to focus heavily on English in schools, with the native languages of students often going unrecognized. Educator Megan Alubicki Flick advocates for dual language programs— which focus on developing and sustaining two languages— and explains how they can cultivate and maintain languages, show respect for different cultures, and foster connections in schools and communities.