The One Thing All Great Teachers Do | Nick Fuhrman | TEDxUGA 

Hi everyone! It was 5 years ago today that I delivered this TED Talk and my life has been forever changed. Thank you, thank you, thank you for watching, sharing it, and smiling along with my story. I'm so humbled! We're all teachers. --Ranger Nick :)

Went to school with him, he was a rare breed. Nicest kid/guy, befriended anyone and incredibly smart. Congratulations on your success, Nick!

I’m binge-watching all the Ted talks on what makes a great teacher. I’m about to embark on the beginning of my teaching career this summer.

I’ve used the phrase “students don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” This is a teacher who exemplifies that cliche.

This is what viewers want. Thanks Nick. Great teachers: 1. Celebrate mistakes 2. Appreciate differences 3. Relay feedback 4. Evaluate themselves The great teachers C.A.R.E.. Ranger Nick teach people not entertain people. 'People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people don't forget how you make them feel'.

"Owl-standing work, Ranger Nick!" 😇

Teaching is not an easy profession, but it is one of the most fulfilling.

Great teachers helped me and usually because they relate to human beings with mutual respect

I am a teacher/professor of 36 years. Moved to tears. This is a great teacher. So good.

Ive been teaching for 20 years now...I graduated with a B.A. in English and traveled a bit...bartending, waiting tables, temping...i felt extremely lost and disappointed in myself for not "doing something" with my degree. what i didn t realize at the time is that i was working on my ability to communicate and be personable. I was very shy and waiting tables forced me to face that. At age 29, i went back to get my Masters degree in Education -- it was the best decision i ever made. He touches on some really important facets of teaching here...ones I had to learn through experience and many, many mistakes. My first teaching job was in a very challenging school, and i remember many days i said to myself walking into that building " Im going to give this five years" ...i wanted to quit for a while, and I blamed it on the kids-- I thought they were out of control, didnt care, and hated school...again, i didnt realize I was building my own skills, constantly reassessing what i was doing, making personal connections with kids who needed that extra attention, learning how to be myself in front of the room. 20 years in, and i still get excited to start class. even if its a zoom during covid. I dont know everything, and I tell kids all the time "this is going to be hard, but we are going to get through it together."

So happy I had the opportunity to help Ranger Nick create this awesome talk and herd some pretty cool animals!!! 🐍🐢

Nick, when I was teaching adults who had been kicked out of school, I put a smiley face on their assignments. And they LOVED IT! Many had never ever had a positive comment in the whole time they'd been at school.

A lot of people are more concerned about making themselves feel superior rather than bringing other people up. Good teachers make people feel positive and create internal motivation.

Fill in the blank "Great teachers---------." My immediate thought: "Care." How gratifying to see that the first letter of his four main principles spelled "CARE."

"Egg-shellent job! Owl-standing work! Unbe-leaf-able work! Paw-sitive improvement!"

TRULY GREATEST YET!!!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻💡👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻💡👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻💡👍🏻💡👍🏻💡👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻💡👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻💡💡👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Ranger Nick you are Pawsome and Owlstanding. Thank you Dear Nick. Love you.

The owl stamp story broke me. As a professional trainer, I always keep in mind an idea I got some time ago-- that adults are just kids in really big bodies. So, yeah, they need a break during your talk, they need to have some fun, and, yes, they still like stickers! Great ideas and a great presenter! Thank you!

Retired teacher here. Got to spend 40 years doing what I loved. My favorite Ted Talk ever-& I’ve listened to a bunch! Thank you, Ranger Nick!

Dr. Fuhrman (DUDE!!!) is living the DREAM!

Twenty three and a half minutes of my life I'm so happy with. This... is what TED is all about. I cry with happiness.

That’s my professor!! Woo!!

Thank you for your awesome approach to our often challenging profession. I love your five steps & use them daily with my students & yes, caring is the absolute essential that should underscore everything we do. My most influential colleagues have been those that cared enough to keep learning. I am approaching the end of my teaching career now after thirty odd years and, assuming my body doesn’t give up first, I know exactly when the right time will be. It will be the day I stop learning how to do it better. At this point I’ll probably be about 320 years old when I walk out of my classroom for the final time. Thank you for your passion for what you do!

A great teacher continues to teach you long after he or she left you.

Freeman Tilden would be proud of you, Ranger Nick! Thanks for the excellent nature interpretation! I'm retired now, and your talk gave me smiles and great memories!

What a great human being and educator. Those who are lucky enough to get to experience his passion and his presence inside a classroom should definitely not take it for granted! Thank you for all you do!

Protect this man at all costs

I am a 7th grade science teacher who just finished my first year teaching. This moved me to tears. We have so many opportunities every day, every hour to teach like this guy does and make the type of impact he talks about. I want to be like this guy!

Very inspiring. Thank you

Absolutely wonderful job

Great teaching goes down to this exactly and that builds connections. We all need connections

16 years in education and never have I been so inspired as I was after watching this, fantastic effort Mr Fuhrman.

Love this!! He’s so correct

As somebody who's recently made the decision to get my degree in education, Ranger Nick was exactly who I needed to listen to.

Love this talk! I have been teaching for 28 years and love it like you do! The enthusiasm never wanes!

Stumbled upon this--couldn't stop watching! Thank you, Ranger Nick!

Great teachers are approachable.

One of the best best best videos I have ever seen

You are a true inspiration my friend! I'm a teacher myself. I hung that picture @21:34 behind me in my classroom for 2 years now. I live and teach by it every day! Thank you :)

Thank you very much Ranger Nick! You are a great person and a wonderful teacher! You made me happy!

One of many things great teachers do is admit they don't always know but are willing to learn.

I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING!!!!!

It's amazing what we can accomplish with Love...

Thank you very much 😊

thank you nick, you are the new and improved generation of an already great person

Ranger Nick, you Sir are awesome. Thank you

Thanks. I may not forget how you made me feel.

I am so glad i came upon your Ted Talk. Have been feeling emotional all day, tearful even. Debating with myself how the remaining days of my life should look. You have helped decide. Soif I can not be Ranger Seumas, then I can just care. Thats enough for me. God bless.

When I was a student in college our professor would put a sticker on our papers whenever we get the highest score in the class. I swear the amount of joy I felt whenever I get that sticker. It was a badge of honor!... I do it for my middle schoolers now 😎

Thank you for sharing

Edutainment....perfect!!

Who are the 288 that need a hug? See the ESP. What a great talk this was! I loved the references to animals.

I'm thrilled to share how I had the privilege of inspiring a struggling fourth-grade student to embrace reading. Recognizing their challenges, I introduced captivating, real-world applications of reading. We explored exciting topics and stories that aligned with their interests, such as adventure, animals, and space. By making reading relevant to their passions, I witnessed a transformation. Their engagement soared, and they began devouring books with enthusiasm. It's incredibly gratifying to see a struggling reader not only improve but discover the joy of reading, reinforcing the power of personalized, real-world connections in education.

My teacher in 6th grade would get those pop up stickers (like thicker ones that stand out from the paper a little), new ones every time, and put on our tests and assignments when we did well and it was always so fun to see what kind of stickers and notes we got. Like we would compare our stickers after class. “I got an ice cream, what did you get?” I’m kinda sad we didn’t get those in my last school, 9th grade, but hopefully they’ll do it now in high school. It really is motivating

Feedback - it matters, it matters, it matters! Thank you 'Ranger' Dr Nick!

Thank you for caring and teaching. The world is a better place with you in it!

Wow!! Amazing 👏

holy cow if i got turtle on my assignments for good grades (no matter how old I get) I would try a lot harder on test. Its the little things that really bring true joy, honestly. I would love to have a teacher that cared that much. lovely ted talk mate

That WAS my 1st answer! You remember them for life- watched this my accident but you’re good speaker!

This was not forty-five minutes but I am truly changed in my thoughts about educating from this day forward. Thanks Ranger Nick!

My word was love! I was close ❤️

I burst into tears... What an incredibly inspiring person, educator, and speaker!

He even taught us about the importance of “keystone” species! Just watched the story of this critical understanding , “The Serengeti Rules” on PBS’s Nature! Highly recommended!! Bravo Ranger Rick!!👏👏👏

I am glad that I have listened to this great talk. What a phenomenal person he is❤ This world needs more and more people like him. May god bless him with health and happiness so he may be able to teach and educate his students with CARE❤❤❤

I am a teacher and when he asked us to write a word down to fill in the blank, I wrote down care!

he was awesome

EDUTAIN!! Genious!😍

Amazing speech!

tears almost burst, Can't believe... i give you my owl stamp!

Amazing. It has inspired me to start a new week of teaching. Thank you.

Great teachers love people!

Beautiful. 👏🏾👏🏾. Bravo

Students NEVER make mistakes - When they find ways that don't work, I ask the class to help them, the student gets it right, then I tell them how great they are for improving. Students soon learn trying a way that doesn't work is nothing to worry about.

The greatest tribute to Ranger Bill is that his work and caring lives on through Ranger Rick’s teachings. Awesome TED talk - think I’ll celebrate with an M&M.

As I listened to him, so many great teachers I’ve had in my life passed through my mind…and I added him to the list just from this one lesson. The world needs more like him.

Well done, Ranger Nick. Great teachers make 23 mins fly by and leave the audience wanting more.

Thankyou

Much respect to you Ranger Nick, my answer to "good teachers -------- " was "care" and you spelled that out perfectly.

Retired teacher here, now volunteer teaching GED students. I would sometimes write "one-deer-full" on student papers.

Ranger Nick, Mister Rogers genuine people, teaching, being themselves, you can feel the care.

This video makes me emotional. Someone who TRULY cares. All teachers should embody this energy. What a great man.

This guy has a GIFT; so glad he followed his natural instincts and got into the right "profession" for him. He's so smart, maybe mom wanted him to be a doctor and dad wanted him to be a lawyer. He listened, and is where he is supposed to be!

Ranger Nick you just made my day!!! From a teacher to a teacher, we do teach because we care! Teachers smile, teachers are charismatic, teachers inspire. Thank you for making me laugh out loud about the football player and the turtle stamp!! You are a gem, and you have touched so many lives. Thank you for touching mine too!!!

What a brilliant talk.

I absolutely love learning and teaching, its so vital to encourage one another and to share what you are excited about in life!

Awesome!

What you describe is much more than a teacher, it is a mentor. What an achievement! My favorite Ted Talk.

In my short teaching experience in early ages, I had nurtured a few drug addict students and change other way round their lives. They are life time happy now. Well said, Nick!

Wow, this is incredible. We need more people like Ranger Nick in this world. Thank you!

Such an inspiring talk and an inspiring person, thank you so much !

Thanks Nick.. inspirational speech for us teacher.

This is an A+ teacher - Thank you for inspiring teachers to make a difference! Yes, great teachers just care!⭐🐢

Great teachers like Range Nick love what they do and who they do it for.

Ranger Nick you are an inspiration: You are an Educator, a teacher, an edutainer ! Our future generation need more teachers like you.. What a special gift you are to all those who have the pleasure of being in your presence. You made me smile and you taught me more than 'a thing or two' ! I rate this one of my top 3 Ted Talks ! Thank you Ali Pilling ePlants

Great teachers inspire

Excellent. Thank you. So glad you found your calling to give the world positivity, encouragement and love. If everyone had a teacher like you we would rock the world!

Nick, you are the most amazing person I ever had the honor to listen too. I‘m a reacher and I‘m going to aspire to be just like you. Thank you so much.

I'm convinced of the following..all those negative people who gave Dr. Nick a THUMBS DOWN didn't have someone like him while growing up teaching them to be a good HUMAN BEING!

Extremely valuable story and information! Also, that intro track is FIRE!!! 🔥🔥🙌🏾

What an fruitful talk! especially to us future educator. Thank You Ranger Nick.