Tag Archives: vulnerability

Teaching and Learning Should Bring Joy

By Lina Bondesson

Content: This resource is a TED talk titled “Every kid needs a champion” by Rita Pierson, available on YouTube. 

Context: Those who could benefit from this resource include current and future youth educators and facilitators. 

Goal: To remind educators that the relationships they build with students not only leave a lasting impact but also encourage students to enjoy learning. Students who have positive relationships with teachers are more likely to be better problem solvers and more resilient (Rimm-Kaufman, 2025) which are traits that increase conflict competency. 

Suggested Implementation: This video could be implemented in a mid-year training of middle school educators. I suggest that Brené Brown’s “Empathy vs. Sympathy” animated short video on YouTube can be used as a supplemental material in the following lesson plan: 

Materials:  

  • Computer and projector or screen that YouTube can be displayed on 
  • Whiteboard/flipchart/blackboard/screen that can be written on and kept up throughout session 
  • Notebooks or paper and writing utensils for each participant to use for reflection 

Time: 65 minutes 

(10 minutes) Facilitator: [Introduce yourself, give a chance for participants to introduce themselves either one at a time, if there are less than 15 participants, or to the colleagues they are sitting with, if there are more than 15 students.] Today’s session will be about 45 minutes long and focuses on the conscious relationships we build with our students. I want to start today’s session by showing you all a short TED talk by Rita Pierson. While watching, please write down any quotes that stand out to you. If nothing stands out, you don’t need to write anything down. 

(8 mins) Facilitator: display video on screen and have participants watch it together:

(5-7 mins) Facilitator: Instruct participants to turn to a colleague and share a quote they wrote down (if they wrote one), and in 30 seconds explain its importance. Then, ask 3 participants: Does anyone want to share the quote they wrote down? If so, what is it and why did you write it down?  

  • Facilitator: Write any quotes on a whiteboard/flipchart/screen that participants can see through the remainder of the session 

(2 mins) Facilitator: I wanted to share this video to remind us all of the basis of education: relationships. The students in our classes can either leave school encouraged to keep learning new things and approaching the world with excitement, or they can walk away with hatred for learning and distrust for the education system. We make that difference. 

(2 mins) Facilitator: Remind participants of the importance of empathy as an educator by stating: “Rita Pierson reminds us that connection is part of being an educator. But connection requires empathy. Let’s think about times when our classrooms/students/workshops/etc. could benefit from consciously showing empathy.” 

(8 mins) Facilitator: Ask participants to turn to the same colleague and think of a student they have struggled to connect with this year. Why do you haven’t been able to connect? What behaviors and emotions have blocked this connection? How might your actions have prohibited you from connecting with that student? (Participants should use pseudonyms for students) 

  • Inform participants when they have 4 minutes left and should swap who is sharing. If someone cannot find a partner, ask “Whoever doesn’t have a partner put your hand in the air” and if there is an odd number of participants, make one group of three. 
  • It may be beneficial to write the above questions on the whiteboard/flipchart/screen so that participants can easily refer to them. 

(30 sec) Facilitator: “Thank you for sharing, everyone! Now, let’s remind ourselves of what empathy means in this animated short video explanation from Brené Brown.” 

(3 mins) Facilitator: play Brené Brown’s “Empathy vs. Sympathy” animated short on YouTube:

(5 mins) Facilitator: lead group discussion using the following question: 

  • According to your experiences, what is the difference between empathy and sympathy? (This question aims to bring participants into their own experiences and think about situations where someone showed them sympathy rather than empathy and how that made them feel.) 

(5 mins) Facilitator: lead independent reflection on the following questions: (Participants should write their answers in their notebooks/on a piece of paper.) 

  • Which response (sympathy or empathy) do you find yourself defaulting to with struggling students, and why? 
  • What might it look like to respond with empathy to the student you thought of earlier in this session? 

(2 mins) Facilitator: I want to highlight tips that other educators have provided for fostering positive relationships with students: (Provide participants with the link to this website to learn more: https://www.apa.org/education-career/k12/relationships )

  • “Show your pleasure and enjoyment of students. 
  • Interact with students in a responsive and respectful manner. 
  • Offer students help (e.g., answering questions in timely manner, offering support that matches students’ needs) in achieving academic and social objectives. 
  • Help students reflect on their thinking and learning skills. 
  • Know and demonstrate knowledge about individual students’ backgrounds, interests, emotional strengths and academic levels. 
  • Avoid showing irritability or aggravation toward students. 
  • Acknowledge the importance of peers in schools by encouraging students to be caring and respectful to one another.” (Rimm-Kaufman, 2025) 

(7 mins) Facilitator: Now, think back to the student you had in mind at the start of this training. I want you all to brainstorm one concrete action you will take this week to support that student’s learning and show you believe in them. After you think of your action, talk with the same colleague from the start of this session and ask them to give you constructive criticism. 

(5 mins) Facilitator: Now, as a closing activity, turn to the colleague you have been speaking to throughout this class, exchange emails, and set a calendar reminder in three weeks to send a reflection email on how implementing the action you brainstormed in this session has been going in your classroom. Title this reflection email as “I tried it…” and hold each other accountable for sending those reflections! 

(2 mins) Facilitator closing remarks: Building peace starts in the classroom. Research has repeatedly shown that student-teacher relationships have a lasting impact (Rimm-Kaufman, 2025) which means that fostering a positive and supportive relationship with students is the foundation of forming the next generation of learners and leaders. As educators, we need to focus on the relationships we are building with students and be proactive in the atmospheres we foster in our classrooms. Remember, “teaching and learning should bring joy” (Rita Pierson). 

Suggested Implementation Plan Resources: 

Pierson, R. (2013, May 3). Every Kid Needs a Champion. YouTube. https://youtu.be/SFnMTHhKdkw?si=rtgsv0riux9m2Bm1
Brown, B. (2016, April 1). Brené Brown on Empathy vs Sympathy. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZBTYViDPlQRimm-Kaufman, S. (2025, March 5). Improving students’ relationships with teachers. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/education-career/k12/relationships 

Audience: I have shared this resource with a friend of mine who is a TA and a director of an organization I volunteer for that does ESL lessons for refugees. I hope this will be useful for them!