Obama?
Of course, it’s far too early to tell, but that’s how he refers to himself in an interview on the Ellen show, where my wife first saw this extraordinary young man who can teach us all something about inspirational speaking.
This article reviews the keynote address at the Dallas Independent School District (D.I.S.D.) Teachers’ Conference delivered by a 5th grade student: 10-year-old Dalton Sherman from Charles Rice Learning Center.
This article is the latest in a series of video speech critiques which help you analyze and learn from excellent speeches.
[Introduction]
Of course, it’s far too early to tell, but that’s how he refers to himself in an interview on the Ellen show, where my wife first saw this extraordinary young man who can teach us all something about inspirational speaking.
This article reviews the keynote address at the Dallas Independent School District (D.I.S.D.) Teachers’ Conference delivered by a 5th grade student: 10-year-old Dalton Sherman from Charles Rice Learning Center.
This article is the latest in a series of video speech critiques which help you analyze and learn from excellent speeches.
[Introduction]
[Dalton Sherman]:
I believe in me. Do you believe in me?
Do you believe I can stand up here, fearless, and talk to all 20,000 of
you?
Hey, Charles Rice Learning Center – do you believe in me?
That’s right – they do.
Because here’s the deal: I can do anything, be anything, create
anything, dream anything, become anything – because you believe in me. And it
rubs off on me.
Let me ask you a question, Dallas ISD.
Do you believe in my classmates?
Do you believe that every single one of us can graduate ready for
college or the workplace?
You better. Because next week, we’re all showing up in your schools –
all 157,000 of us – and what we need from you is to believe that we can reach
our highest potential.
No matter where we come from, whether it’s sunny South Dallas, whether
its Pleasant Grove, whether its Oak Cliff or North Dallas or West Dallas or
wherever, you better not give up on us. No, you better not.
Because, as you know, in some cases, you’re all we’ve got. You’re the
ones who feed us, who wipe our tears, who hold our hands or hug us when we need
it. You’re the ones who love us when sometimes it feels like no else does – and
when we need it the most.
Don’t give up on my classmates.
Do you believe in your colleagues?
I hope so. They came to your school because they wanted to make a
difference, too. Believe in them, trust them and lean on them when times get
tough – and we all know, we kids can sometimes make it tough.
Am I right?
Can I get an Amen?
So, whether you’re a counselor or a librarian, a teacher assistant or
work in the front office, whether you serve up meals in the cafeteria or keep
the halls clean, or whether you’re a teacher or a principal, we need you!
Please, believe in your colleagues, and they’ll believe in you.
Do you believe in yourself? Do you believe that what you’re doing is
shaping not just my generation, but that of my children – and my children’s
children?
There’s probably easier ways to make a living, but I want to tell you,
on behalf of all of the students in Dallas, we need you. We need you now more
than ever.
Believe in yourself.
Finally, do you believe that every child in Dallas needs to be ready
for college or the workplace? Do you believe that Dallas students can achieve?
We need you, ladies and gentlemen. We need you to know that what you
are doing is the most important job in the city today. We need you to believe
in us, in your colleagues, in yourselves and in our goals.
If you don’t believe – well, I’m not going there.
I want to thank you for what you do – for me and for so many others.
Do you believe in me? Because I believe in me. And you helped me get to
where I am today.
Thank you.
:))
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