60 Opening and Closing: Activities and Resources
Lynn Meade
Examples of Great Speech Closings
John Gottman, The science of love
Gottman, J. (2018). The science of love. https://youtu.be/-uazFBCDvVw
Allan Pease, Body language, the power is in the palm of your hands
During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” Nelson Mandela, Speech from the Dock in the Rivonia Trial
Mandela, N. (2011). Speech from the dock in the Rivornia trial. https://www.nelsonmandela.org/news/entry/i-am-prepared-to-die
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address.
Lincoln, A. (1863). The Gettysburg Address. http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/gettysburg.htm
So teachers become great actors and great actresses, and we come to work when we don’t feel like it, and we’re listening to policy that doesn’t make sense, and we teach anyway. We teach anyway, because that’s what we do. Teaching and learning should bring joy.How powerful would our world beif we had kids who were not afraid to take risks,who were not afraid to think,and who had a champion?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. 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.
Rita Pierson, Every kid needs a champion.
Pierson, R. (2013). Every kid needs a champion. https://www.ted.com/talks/rita_pierson_every_kid_needs_a_champion?language=en#t-29
Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
Steve Jobs, You’ve Got to Find What You Love, Stanford Commencement Address
Jobs, S. (2005). You’ve got to find what you love. https://news.stanford.edu/2005/06/14/jobs-061505/
I’ve come to TED because I believe that many of you understand that the moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice; that we cannot be full, evolved human beings until we care about human rights and basic dignity; that all of our survival is tied to the survival of everyone; that our visions of technology and designand entertainment and creativityhave to be married with visions of humanity, compassion and justice. And more than anything, for those of you who share that, I’ve simply come to tell you to keep your eyes on the prize, hold on.
Bryan Stevenson, We need to talk about an injustice.
Stevenson, B. (2012). We need to talk about an injustice. https://www.ted.com/talks/bryan_stevenson_we_need_to_talk_about_an_injustice?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare
Maybe there’s two types of people in the world: those people who favor humans over ideology, and those people who favor ideology over humans. I favor humans over ideology, but right now, the ideologues are winning, and they’re creating a stage for constant artificial high dramas where everybody’s either a magnificent hero or a sickening villain, even though we know that’s not true about our fellow humans. What’s true is that we are clever and stupid; what’s true is that we’re grey areas. The great thing about social media was how it gave a voiceto voiceless people,but we’re now creating a surveillance society,where the smartest way to survive is to go back to being voiceless. Let’s not do that.
Jon Ronson, When online shaming goes too far.
Ronsin, J. (2015). When online shaming goes too far. https://www.ted.com/talks/jon_ronson_when_online_shaming_goes_too_far?language=en
Listen to politicians now, with their comprehensive 12-point plans. They’re not inspiring anybody. Because there are leaders and there are those who lead. Leaders hold a position of power or authority, but those who lead inspire us. Whether they’re individuals or organizations, we follow those who lead, not because we have to, but because we want to. We follow those who lead, not for them, but for ourselves. And it’s those who start with “why” that have the ability to inspire those around them or find others who inspire them.
Simon Sinek, How Great Leaders Inspire Action.
Sinek, S. (2009). How great leaders inspire action. https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare
