Some of you may recognize the title as the words behind the acronym TED as in TED Talks.
You may also have seen the acronym TEDx Talks, the X meaning that the event was “fully planned and coordinated independently, on a community-by-community basis.”
This week I have decided to share some of the moments that impacted my day at TEDx Victoria: Emergence.
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What is Life?
Tiffany Poirier was a mid-afternoon presenter. A teacher of older elementary school students, she is passionate about having children explore philosophy.
Where is Your Mind?
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but when Tiffany walked out on the stage, my first thought was: Crikey, how does such a petite woman control a classroom of Grade 5s & 6s? And then she started talking.
What are The Rights of Animals?
A soft-spoken woman, her passion for philosophy, for her students and their ability to explore philosophy, resonates through every word she speaks. In a theatre of 800 people, you could have heard a pin drop.
What is Happiness?
Her talk was interspersed with recordings of real children discussing subjects similar to the ones I am bolding and italicizing on this page. Allowed free rein, their thoughts were incredibly astute, imaginative, and unarguable.
She was so awesome that the first thing I did when she was done was text my daughter and warn her she had 5 years to move my grandson to Tiffany’s school district!
Tiffany’s presentation time seemed to disappear in a blink. In closing she did, however, answer for us the first question I asked above.
What is Life? “How you live it. is the answer.”
How are you choosing to live your life? Are you experiencing as much as you can? Learning more about things that interest you? Exploring unknowns and questioning norms?
Are you being happy and creating happiness? Do you share the wealth of love and knowledge you have inside?
My intent is not to turn this into a philosophical forum, but perhaps to challenge you to think about your life – are you maximizing all the best parts?
I love being this age, at this stage of my life, and finding myself challenged by an elementary school teacher who will nourish the minds of a group of children who will be the thought leaders of our next generations!
how you live your life is very important. I have wasted so much time it’s unreal, but no more! Thanks for sharing
So have many of us, Barrie! but we live our lives on a go-forward basis… so Onward and Upward!!
Very interesting post Agnes and like Barrie I also wasted many years but happy with life now and living it my way !!
There’s always more we all can do, it seems, to live life on our terms. I’m certainly no exception to that, though I’m getting closer now.
I think so many people are just trying to “get through” that life they never stop and think about how they are living it and that’s sad.
it’s great to experience new things at any stage of life Agnes. Glad to hear you’re living yours to the full!
Agnes,
Thank you so much for being a part of the TEDxVictoria experience–and for continuing the dialogue by posting all of your thoughtful reflections from the day! You are building a wonderful community with this blog. Your kind words mean a lot to me. 🙂 -Tiffany.
Tiffany, thank you for dropping by! As I try to inspire my generation to recreate a piece of their life, I feel great confidence for the young people today who are inspired by your presence in their classroom.
Might I add I was disappointed to find out you teach on the Mainland as my daughter and grandson live on the island!!
Thank you also for adding value to my TEDx day!