I wondered, "How am I going to take this group, in nine months, from where they are to where they need to be?
我當時就在想，“我要怎樣才能在九個月內把這群孩子從現在的水平教到他們要達到的水平？”
And it was difficult; it was awfully hard.
這很困難，這太困難了。
How do I raise the self-esteem of a child and his academic achievement at the same time?
我是怎樣同時提高壹個孩子的自尊心和學習成績的呢？
One year I came up with a bright idea. I told all my students,
有壹年，我突然想出這麽個好辦法：我對所有的學生說，
"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."
“妳們是被選到我的班裏來的。因為我是最好的老師，而妳們是最好的學生。學校讓妳們來我的班是想讓我們給全校做示範。”
One of the students said, "Really?"
其中壹個學生說：“真的嗎？”
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."
我說，“是真的。我們是全校的榜樣。所以當我們走在走廊上，人們會註意到我們，這時妳們不用出聲。只要昂首闊步就行了。”
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."
我還給了他們壹個口號：“我很優秀。我來這裏的時候很優秀，我離開這裏的時候會更優秀！我很厲害。我很強大。我得到現在的教育是理所當然的。我還要完成很多任務，影響很多人，遊覽很多地方。”
And they said, "Yeah!"
他們聽完後說，“是的！”
You say it long enough, it starts to be a part of you.
當妳不斷強化這個口號時，它就會開始成為妳的壹部分。
And so I gave a quiz, 20 questions. A student missed 18. I put a "+2" on his paper and a big smiley face.
後來我給學生做了個測驗，壹***20道題。有個學生錯了18道，我在他的試卷上寫了個“+2”，還在旁邊畫了個笑臉。
He said, "Ms. Pierson, is this an F?" I said, "Yes."
他說，“皮爾斯老師，我是得了個F嗎？” 我說：“是的”。
He said, "Then why'd you put a smiley face?"
他問，“那妳為啥要在我的卷子上畫個笑臉？”
I said, "Because you're on a roll. You got two right. You didn't miss them all."
我說，“因為妳在進步啊！妳還做對了2道，又不是全錯。”
I said, "And when we review this, won't you do better?"
我接著還說，“現在妳再看看卷子，是不是可以少錯幾個呢？”
He said, "Yes, ma'am, I can do better."
他說，“是的。老師，我下次壹定會考得更好。”
You see, "-18" sucks all the life out of you. "+2" said, "I ain't all bad."
顯而易見，“-18”會讓妳的心靈承受致命的打擊，但“+2”說明“其實妳並不差”。
For years, I watched my mother take the time at recess to review, go on home visits in the afternoon,
多年以來，我看著我母親利用課余時間來思考每個孩子的情況，利用下午放學後的時間進行家訪，
buy combs and brushes and peanut butter and crackers to put in her desk drawer for kids that needed to eat,
買些梳子、刷子、花生醬和餅幹放在抽屜裏，當學生餓的時候，可以分給他們吃；
and a washcloth and some soap for the kids who didn't smell so good. See, it's hard to teach kids who stink.
我母親還買了壹些浴巾和香皂，當學生身上有異味時，可以用它們來洗洗。誰也不喜歡教滿身臭味的孩子。
And kids can be cruel. And so she kept those things in her desk.
孩子們可能很調皮搗蛋。所以她把這些東西放在桌子裏。
And years later, after she retired, I watched some of those same kids come through and say to her, "You know, Ms. Walker, you made a difference in my life.
很多年過去了，我的母親也退休了，我經常能看見之前的學生來探望她，並對她說，“沃克老師，您知道嗎，是您改變了我的壹生，
You made it work for me. You made me feel like I was somebody, when I knew, at the bottom, I wasn't. And I want you to just see what I've become."
您幫助我獲得了成功，是您讓我覺得自己很優秀，雖然打心底裏，我知道自己並不優秀。現在，我要讓您為我自豪。”
And when my mama died two years ago at 92, 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.
兩年前，我媽媽去世了，享年92歲。很多她之前的學生都來參加了葬禮。我不禁熱淚盈眶。不是為母親的去世，而是為她與這麽多人建立起的人際關系，這種永不消亡的人際關系。
Teaching and learning should bring joy.
教與學應該帶來快樂。
How powerful would our world be if we had kids who were not afraid to take risks, who were not afraid to think, and who had a champion?
試想壹下，假如我們的孩子都是敢於冒險、敢於大膽思考、勇奪知識桂冠的人，那我們的世界將是何等的強大？
Every child 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.
每個孩子都是冠軍，每個孩子都需要大人的鼓勵，需要理解聯結力量的大人，需要大人們相信他們能做到最好。
Is this job tough? You betcha. Oh God, you betcha. But it is not impossible. We can do this. We're educators. We're born to make a difference.
當老師很難嗎？是的。還真被妳說對了，但這也並非壹項不可能完成的任務，我們能做到。因為我們是教育工作者，我們的天職就是影響他人。
Thank you so much.
非常感謝大家。
這篇文章節選自美國教育家Rita Pierson在TED上的壹場演講。Rita Pierson執教40多年，她將自己畢生精力都放在了教育事業上。作為老師的她不僅輔導學生學習，更成為了學生生活中壹股強大的正向力量。盡管再艱難，她也絕不會放棄自己的學生。“We’re educators. We’re born to make a difference.”
這篇文章節選自美國教育家Rita Pierson在TED上的壹場演講。Rita Pierson執教40多年，她將自己畢生精力都放在了教育事業上。作為老師的她不僅輔導學生學習，更成為了學生生活中壹股強大的正向力量。盡管再艱難，她也絕不會放棄自己的學生。“We’re educators. We’re born to make a difference.”