The One Thing All Great Teachers Do | Nick Fuhrman | TEDxUGA

TEDx Talks21 minutes read

The narrator was inspired by Ranger Bill, leading him to a career teaching with animals and emphasizing the importance of celebrating mistakes, valuing diversity, providing positive feedback, and self-evaluation to empower students.

Insights

  • Great teachers celebrate mistakes and appreciate diversity, using positive feedback like turtle stamps to motivate and encourage students, fostering confidence and empathy.
  • Teaching effectively involves integrating animals into classes, as seen through the narrator's experience with Ranger Bill, emphasizing the importance of caring, self-evaluation, and adapting teaching methods to inspire and empower students.

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Recent questions

  • How did the narrator's journey with Ranger Bill begin?

    It began with a visit to the narrator's elementary school in Maryland.

  • What impact did Ranger Bill have on the narrator's career?

    Ranger Bill inspired the narrator to pursue teaching with animals.

  • How did the narrator transport animals for teaching sessions?

    The narrator used his own car due to being too young to drive state vehicles.

  • What teaching approach did the narrator adopt in college and graduate school?

    The narrator continued teaching students how to educate with animals.

  • What qualities did the narrator emphasize as essential for great teachers?

    Caring, celebrating mistakes, valuing diversity, providing feedback, and self-evaluation.

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Summary

00:00

"Teaching with Animals: Inspiring Education and Empathy"

  • Ranger Bill, an environmental educator, visited the narrator's elementary school in Maryland with various animals, inspiring the narrator to pursue a similar path.
  • The narrator became a "Ranger Bill groupie," shadowing and eventually working with Ranger Bill for eight years, cleaning cages and assisting in teaching with animals.
  • At 16, Ranger Bill offered the narrator a job with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, making him the youngest employee, where he began teaching with animals.
  • Despite being too young to drive state vehicles, the narrator used his own car to transport animals for teaching sessions, focusing on educating younger children.
  • Teaching with animals led the narrator to college and graduate school, where he continued teaching students how to educate with animals, inspired by Ranger Bill's impact.
  • Great teachers, according to the narrator, celebrate mistakes, turning them into teachable moments, like Bob Ross's "happy accidents."
  • Appreciating differences is another key trait of great teachers, as they recognize and value the unique perspectives and experiences each student brings.
  • Great teachers provide positive feedback, with the narrator using turtle stamps on assignments scoring 90 or above to motivate and encourage students.
  • The narrator shared a personal story of a football player student who sought validation through receiving a turtle stamp on his assignment, emphasizing the impact of positive feedback.
  • The narrator's teaching approach involves integrating animals into public speaking classes, helping students overcome anxiety by interacting with animals and teaching with them, fostering confidence and empathy.

15:02

"Great teachers use feedback to inspire students"

  • Great teachers relay feedback using stamps like owl for excellent work and paw for positive improvement.
  • Evaluating oneself and adapting to students' feedback is crucial for great teachers to enhance their teaching methods.
  • Ranger Nick introduces Snowy, a non-venomous corn snake, highlighting the importance of appreciating and respecting wildlife.
  • Snowy evaluates her environment using multiple senses, similar to how great teachers assess their teaching effectiveness.
  • The essence of being a great teacher lies in caring, celebrating mistakes, valuing diversity, providing feedback, and self-evaluation to inspire and empower students.
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