Ted Talks

Comprehension Questions

1. What subject does the speaker teach?
2. What classroom activity does the speaker describe involving a beaker and a candle?
3. What lesson did the speaker learn from his heart surgeon?
4. What three rules did the speaker create for his own teaching?
5. How does the speaker describe the role of student curiosity in learning?

Discussion/Reflection Questions

6. Why does the speaker criticize relying too much on educational technology or buzzwords?
7. What does the speaker mean by “embrace the mess” in learning?
8. How did the speaker’s medical experience influence his teaching philosophy?
9. What challenge does the speaker see for his daughter Riley’s future teachers?
10. How can teachers act as “surgeons of the classroom,” according to the speaker?

What subject does the speaker teach?

The speaker teaches chemistry.

What classroom activity does the speaker describe involving a beaker and a candle?

The speaker describes an experiment where a candle is placed inside a beaker, and temperature is used to extend a phenomenon in chemistry.

What lesson did the speaker learn from his heart surgeon?

The speaker learned three things: his surgeon’s curiosity drove him to ask hard questions, he embraced trial and error, and through reflection, he designed and revised the procedure to save the speaker’s life.

What three rules did the speaker create for his own teaching?

• Curiosity comes first.
• Embrace the mess (trial and error is part of learning).
• Practice reflection (revise and care for what you do).

How does the speaker describe the role of student curiosity in learning?

The speaker believes that student curiosity is crucial, as it drives the learning process, helping to spark questions that lead to deeper understanding and effective teaching.

Why does the speaker criticize relying too much on educational technology or buzzwords?

The speaker criticizes using technology and buzzwords as a substitute for real inquiry. He believes that if technology is the main focus, it takes away from fostering curiosity and questions from students, which should be the central tool in education.

What does the speaker mean by “embrace the mess” in learning?

The speaker means that learning is not always neat or straightforward. Trial and error, mistakes, and challenges are a natural and valuable part of the learning process.

How did the speaker’s medical experience influence his teaching philosophy?

The speaker’s life-threatening medical experience made him realize the importance of curiosity, reflection, and trial and error in both teaching and life. It helped him shift his focus to valuing student questions above all else.

What challenge does the speaker see for his daughter Riley’s future teachers?

The challenge is how Riley’s future teachers will cultivate and grow her natural curiosity. The speaker suggests that teachers must create environments where curiosity is nurtured, not stifled.

How can teachers act as “surgeons of the classroom,” according to the speaker?

Teachers can act as “surgeons” by carefully designing and revising their teaching methods, much like a surgeon designs and revises medical procedures. They need to be thoughtful, reflective, and responsive to the needs of their students.

Comprehension Questions

1. What did Frank Warren print and hand out in 2004?
2. What was written on the postcards he handed out?
3. Where did he first distribute the postcards?
4. What made Frank’s idea spread beyond Washington, D.C.?
5. What is PostSecret.com known for?
6. Where do the secrets come from?
7. What was the secret involving a Starbucks cup?
8. Why did the man send Frank the proposal postcard?
9. What happened when the couple read the blog on Valentine’s Day?
10. What is the website Matty started and why?

1. He printed 3,000 self-addressed postcards.
2. They were blank on one side, and the other side had instructions asking people to share a secret anonymously.
3. On the streets of Washington, D.C.
4. People started creating their own postcards and mailing them to him.
5. It is the most visited advertisement-free blog in the world.
6. From all over the world, including the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, and even Iraq.
7. It was made out of half a Starbucks cup and mailed as a postcard.
8. He wanted to surprise his girlfriend with a proposal on the blog they always read together.
9. She eventually reached the secret and realized it was a proposal; he proposed and she said yes.
10. IFoundYourCamera.com – it helps return lost photos from found cameras and memory sticks.

Comprehension Questions

1. Why did the speaker return to his old elementary school in 2001?
2. Who did the speaker recognize in the cafeteria, and what was she doing?
3. Why was the speaker surprised when his lunch lady recognized the name “Stephen Krosoczka”?
4. What inspired the speaker to create the Lunch Lady graphic novel series?
5. What kind of superhero is the lunch lady in the books? Give two examples of the enemies she fights.
6. How did real-life lunch staff respond to the Lunch Lady books?
7. What is School Lunch Hero Day, and why was it created?
8. Describe one creative project students made for their lunch staff.
9. What did one lunch lady say she felt like before School Lunch Hero Day?
10. What is the speaker’s final message about saying “thank you”?

1. To talk to the students about being an author and illustrator after publishing his first children’s book.
2. He recognized his old lunch lady, Jeannie, and she was preparing lunches for the day.
3. Because Stephen was his uncle, 20 years older, and she had been his lunch lady too—he was surprised she remembered the family.
4. Seeing his old lunch lady and realizing he had never thought of her as a person with a life outside school inspired him.
5. She is a superhero who uses food-themed gadgets to fight villains like evil cyborg substitutes and a school bus monster.
6. They felt honored and appreciated; many said it was the first time they had been acknowledged for their hard work.
7. It’s a special day created to honor school lunch staff, inspired by the appreciation shown to Jeannie and others.
8. Students made “thank you pizzas” where each student signed a paper topping, or comics featuring the lunch lady as a hero.
9. She said she felt like she was “at the end of the planet” at the school—unseen and unappreciated.
10. That a simple thank you can change a life—for both the person who receives it and the one who gives it.