Shadowing Practice: Every kid needs a champion_ Rita Pierson (TED TALKS) - Learn English Speaking with Video

I have spent my entire life

either at the schoolhouse on the way to the schoolhouse are talking about what happens in the schoolhouse.

Both my parents were educators.

My maternal grandparents were educators.

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

And so needless to say, over those years, I've had a chance to look at education reform from a lot of perspectives.

Some of those reforms have been good.

Some of them have been not so good.

And we know why kids drop out.

We know why kids don't learn.

It's either poverty low attendance negative peer influences, we know why.

But one of the things that we never discuss or we rarely discuss is the value and importance of human connection.

Relationships.

James Comer says that no significant learning can occur without a significant relationship.

George Washington Carver says all learning is understanding.

relationships.

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

For years, I have watched people teach, I have looked at the best and I've looked at some of the worst.

A colleague said to me one time, they don't pay me to like the kids.

They pay me to teach a lesson.

The kid should learn it.

I should teach it.

They should learn it case closed.

Well, I said to her,

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

She said, "That's just a bunch of hooey." And I said to her, "Well, your gear is gonna be long and arduous,

dear." Needless to say, it was.

Some people think that you can either Have it in you to build a relationship or you don't

I think Stephen Covey had the right idea.

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

Like seeking first to understand as opposed to being understood.

Simple things like apologizing.

You ever thought about that?

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

I taught a lesson once on ratios.

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

And I got back and looked at that teacher edition.

I taught the whole lesson wrong.

So I came back to class the next day and I said, look guys, I need to apologize.

I taught the whole lesson wrong.

I'm so sorry.

I said, "That's okay, Ms. Pearson.

You were so excited.

We just let you go." I have had classes that were so low so academically deficient that I cried.

I wondered how am I going to take this group in nine months

from where they are to where they need to be.

And it was difficult.

It was awfully hard.

How do I raise the self -esteem of a child and his academic achievement at the same time?

One year I came up with a bright idea.

I told all my students, You were chosen.

to be in my class.

Because I am the best teacher and you are the best students, they put us all together so we could show everybody else how to do it.

One of the students said, "Really?" I said, "Really?" We have to show the other classes how to do it.

So when we walk down the hall, People will notice us, so you can't make noise.

You just have to strut.

And I gave them a saying to say, "I am somebody.

I was somebody when I came.

I'll be a better somebody when I leave.

I am powerful and I am strong.

I deserve the education that I get here.

I have things to do, people to impress and places to go." And I said, yeah!

You say it long enough,

it starts to be a part of you. And so...

I gave a quiz.

20 questions.

Student missed 18.

I put a plus two on his paper and a big smiley face. Is this an F?

I said, "Yes." He said, "Then why'd you put a smiley face?" I said, "Because you on the road." You got two right.

You didn't miss them all.

I said, "And when we review this, won't you do better?" He said, "Yes, ma 'am, I can do better.

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

Plus two said, "I ain't all bad." For about four years,

I watched my mother "Take the time at recess to review." Go on home visits in the afternoon.

Buy combs and brushes and peanut butter

and crackers to put in a desk drawer for kids

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

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

And kids can be cruel.

And so she kept those things in her desk and Years later after she retired, I watched some of those same kids come through and say to her,

"You know, Miss Walker, you made a difference in my life." You made it work for me.

You made me feel like I was somebody when I knew I At the bottom, I wasn't.

I want you to just see what I've become and when my mama died two years ago at 92 I

There were so many former students at her funeral.

It brought tears to my eyes, not because she was gone, but because she left a legacy.

of relationships that could never disappear.

Can we stand to have more relationships?

Absolutely.

Will you like all your children?

Of course not.

And you know your toughest kids are never absent.

Never.

You won't like them all.

The tough ones show up for a reason.

It's the connection.

relationships, and while you won't like them all, the key is they can never, ever know it.

So teachers become great actors and great actresses, and we come to work when we don't feel like it, and we listen to policy that doesn't make sense, and we teach.

Anyway.

We teach anyway because that's what we do.

100

Teaching and learning should bring joy.

101

How powerful would our world be if we had kids who were not afraid to take risk, who were not afraid to think,

102

and who had a champion every child?

103

deserves a champion, an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.

104

Is this job tough?

105

You betcha.

106

Oh God.

107

You betcha.

108

But it is not.

109

impossible.

110

We can do this.

111

We're educators.

112

We're born to make a difference.

113

Thank you so much.

114

Yeah.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

In the TED Talk titled "Every kid needs a champion," Rita Pierson emphasizes the profound impact of relationships in education. By practicing speaking with this video, you can engage with meaningful content that drives emotional connections—essential for enhancing your english speaking practice. The talk articulates the significance of effective communication, both in teaching and learning, making it an ideal resource for those looking to develop their speaking skills.

As you practice shadow speaking with Pierson's engaging delivery, you will not only mimic her language and rhythm but also internalize impactful phrases and ideas. This will help you articulate similar thoughts in your own conversations, contributing to greater fluency and confidence in speaking.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Rita Pierson employs several effective grammatical structures and expressions that provide context-rich learning opportunities for English learners. Here are a few key segments to focus on:

Conditional Statements: "If you don't build a relationship, kids won't learn." This structure illustrates the cause and effect relationship, which is vital for constructing persuasive arguments.
Direct Speech: "I said to her, 'Kids don't learn from people they don't like.'" This technique shows how to quote dialogue, adding authenticity to your communication.
Present Progressive: "I have been watching people teach." This tense emphasizes ongoing actions and experiences, making your speech more dynamic.
Apologizing: "I need to apologize." Knowing how to express regret is crucial for building relationships and rapport, which is a recurrent theme in Pierson's message.

Incorporating these structures into your shadow speech practice will enrich your vocabulary and enhance your grammatical knowledge.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While watching Pierson’s talk, pay attention to the following tricky words and expressions that may challenge your english pronunciation skills:

“Educator”: The emphasis is on the second syllable: ed-U-ca-tor. Practicing this word can help clarify your speech when discussing educational topics.
“Significant”: This term can be easy to mispronounce; focus on breaking it down into syllables: sig-NIF-i-cant.
“Apologize”: The stress is on the second syllable: a-POL-o-gize. Getting this right will convey sincerity when you practice making apologies.

Utilizing the shadowing technique with these words will improve your english pronunciation. Remember to repeat phrases slowly and deliberately, allowing yourself to master both sound and rhythm with each iteration.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	have spent · I've done · have been
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	has been affected · being understood · were chosen
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	kids who didn · kids who stink · kids who were

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: Every kid needs a champion_ Rita Pierson (TED TALKS) - Learn English Speaking with Video

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