Teachers have the arduous task of shaping the minds of the future. Sometimes this task is not as black and white as it may seem. We have gathered 5 TED talks that will help you achieve success in the classroom and help you reach the teaching goals that some may say are impossible!

1. Rita Pierson

Rita Pierson is part of a long lineage of educators and with over 40 years of teaching experience, has a wealth of knowledge to share with fellow educators! She shares simple techniques and strategies to boost student’s confidence and self-esteem and it all starts with connecting with your students on a more personal level.

2. Azul Terronez

What makes a good teacher great? Azul Terronez asks his students the same question all over the world. There is no cookie-cutter answer, but he thinks he might’ve figured out the key to this riddle that teachers have been asking forever.

3. Diana Laufenberg

Diana teaches us the power of letting children use their voice and the profound effects it can have on their learning experience and the classroom. She believes answering a right or wrong question is not an effective way to learn. Find out how she embraces students’ failures in a positive way to help them learn.

4. Kelly McGonigal

Kelly McGonigal is a psychologist that will change the way you view stress. Turns out, when you have a stack of essays to grade and lesson plans to create in a short period of time – it might actually be good for you! In this TED Talk, Kelly shares tips that not only will benefit you, but ones that you can share with your students to help them become stronger learners.

5. Tyler DeWitt

High school teacher Tyler DeWitt found that his students were disengaged in his science classes and discovered the textbook was the problem – they weren’t understanding the jargon. Tyler is on a mission to encourage science teachers to make science class fun and interesting through stories and demonstrations.