Being the Champion of the Classroom | Eric Hale | TEDxSMU

Teacher Eric Hale talks about what it was like growing up with trauma, and how he has channeled that into his work as an elementary school teacher. Eric Hale, a teacher at David. G. Burnet Elementary in Dallas Independent School District (DISD), has had a great year! He was just recognized as the top teacher in an urban school in the country by the Council of the Great City Schools (Queen Smith Award), was just chosen as Dallas ISD Elementary Teacher of the Year and was also honored as Best in Class on national television on The Kelly Clarkson Show! In 2016, he was a top 10 finalist for the prestigious Fishman Prize for Superlative Classroom Practice, which spotlights public school teachers who demonstrate exceptionally effective teaching with students from high-poverty communities. He was one of twelve teachers selected statewide to participate in Governor Abbott’s inaugural class of teachers charged with identifying and proposing solutions for challenges facing Texas educators. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx