![Rita Pierson: Every kid needs a champion](https://pi.tedcdn.com/r/pe.tedcdn.com/images/ted/25a5bc18d2472308c8ed2bb401b4a497f49a0265_1600x1200.jpg?h=200)
Rita Pierson, a teacher for 40 years, once heard a colleague say, "They don't pay me to like the kids." Her response: "Kids don't learn from people they don't like.'" A rousing call to educators to believe in their students and actually connect with them on a real, human, personal level.