We can all use a good pep talk now and then.
For teachers, these can come from conferences, colleagues, or the latest Ken Robinson video. Rarely do they come from students, which makes the following pep talk from soulpancake worth a few minutes of your time if you haven’t seen it (it has three and a half million views and counting).
Featuring 9 year-old Robbie Novak, also known as Kid President, the video is pretty straightforward, with humorous one-liners, playful editing, and a a direct address to both teachers and students. It’s the overall tone, however, that qualifies it as a “pep talk.” Novak–err, Kid President–has an undeniable charisma and zest (at least in front of the camera) that, well, ironically separates him from 99% of most 9 year-olds. But his message is simple and true–let’s work together as students and teachers to change the world.
In education–an “industry” that struggles to realize industrial-like efficiency when dealing with non-industrial products and “outcomes”–it’s easy to either get overwhelmed by that struggle, or ignore it all together. As an educator, finding a sustainable rhythm that refuses mediocrity without actually learning to quietly accept it isn’t a simple thing.
Participating in the machine and loving it and caring for it, all the while trying to tear it apart in search of new promise–well, that’s just a macabre take on a field full of children that just want to learn.
“It’s time to be more awesome.”
Indeed.
A Pep Talk For Teachers From Kid President
A Pep Talk For Teachers from Kid President