Seuss Theory (Building Blocks) | Shihan Van Clief | TEDxUCDavisSF

Hey so

Hey so last August I was given the opportunity

last August I was given the opportunity

last August I was given the opportunity to be a teaching artist I grew up loving

to be a teaching artist I grew up loving

to be a teaching artist I grew up loving to be a teacher wanting to be a teacher

to be a teacher wanting to be a teacher

to be a teacher wanting to be a teacher and so I jumped at the opportunity and

and so I jumped at the opportunity and

and so I jumped at the opportunity and now every Monday morning I wake up at

now every Monday morning I wake up at

now every Monday morning I wake up at 5:00 a.m. to take a shower to get

5:00 a.m. to take a shower to get

5:00 a.m. to take a shower to get dressed comb my hair brush my teeth jump

dressed comb my hair brush my teeth jump

dressed comb my hair brush my teeth jump in my car ahead on the five freeway

in my car ahead on the five freeway

in my car ahead on the five freeway north the first time I arrived at the

north the first time I arrived at the

north the first time I arrived at the campus it was still dark outside so I

campus it was still dark outside so I

campus it was still dark outside so I sat in my car turn on the music and just

sat in my car turn on the music and just

sat in my car turn on the music and just waited and as the Sun returned from its

waited and as the Sun returned from its

waited and as the Sun returned from its hibernation

hibernation

hibernation I noticed the kids start to show up

I noticed the kids start to show up

I noticed the kids start to show up reluctantly like tucking in their shirts

reluctantly like tucking in their shirts

reluctantly like tucking in their shirts taking off their shoes and loosening

taking off their shoes and loosening

taking off their shoes and loosening their waist bands to show the security

their waist bands to show the security

their waist bands to show the security they didn’t have any weapons after that

they didn’t have any weapons after that

they didn’t have any weapons after that their wanded down there also no logos

their wanded down there also no logos

their wanded down there also no logos allowed on campus the only colors they

allowed on campus the only colors they

allowed on campus the only colors they could wear our black white and gray so

could wear our black white and gray so

could wear our black white and gray so the future seems bleak to them or at

the future seems bleak to them or at

the future seems bleak to them or at least the color scheme is when we

least the color scheme is when we

least the color scheme is when we arrived in class they start to ask

arrived in class they start to ask

arrived in class they start to ask questions

questions

questions I tell them my name is Shi Han they can

I tell them my name is Shi Han they can

I tell them my name is Shi Han they can call me Shihan because mr. Van Cleef

call me Shihan because mr. Van Cleef

call me Shihan because mr. Van Cleef sounds too formal in a place with this

sounds too formal in a place with this

sounds too formal in a place with this many rules I look around the class I

many rules I look around the class I

many rules I look around the class I tell Justine to get off her phone she

tell Justine to get off her phone she

tell Justine to get off her phone she doesn’t

I say remove yourself from the

I say remove yourself from the superficial electronics and live in the

superficial electronics and live in the

superficial electronics and live in the moment we’re in plus I’m talking and

moment we’re in plus I’m talking and

moment we’re in plus I’m talking and it’s just plain rude so she puts the

it’s just plain rude so she puts the

it’s just plain rude so she puts the phone away

phone away

phone away I tell Edwin to tell us what he did this

I tell Edwin to tell us what he did this

I tell Edwin to tell us what he did this weekend and he stands in front of the

weekend and he stands in front of the

weekend and he stands in front of the classroom he nervously walks up I tell

classroom he nervously walks up I tell

classroom he nervously walks up I tell him to breathe to calm down – silence

him to breathe to calm down – silence

him to breathe to calm down – silence himself but not for too long because

himself but not for too long because

himself but not for too long because silence can drive you mad when he asks

silence can drive you mad when he asks

silence can drive you mad when he asks what I should do I say evoke feeling he

what I should do I say evoke feeling he

what I should do I say evoke feeling he says what does evoke mean I said to

says what does evoke mean I said to

says what does evoke mean I said to bring out of someone to bring out a

bring out of someone to bring out a

bring out of someone to bring out a feeling to make someone feel I say if he

feeling to make someone feel I say if he

feeling to make someone feel I say if he needs to he can yell or he can curse and

needs to he can yell or he can curse and

needs to he can yell or he can curse and he’s like so you’re saying I can say

he’s like so you’re saying I can say

he’s like so you’re saying I can say and I say you need to know who

and I say you need to know who

and I say you need to know who you’re talking to

you’re talking to

you’re talking to it’s important to know this is the

it’s important to know this is the

it’s important to know this is the crutch of the universe I tell them I try

crutch of the universe I tell them I try

crutch of the universe I tell them I try to define things in terms of life in

to define things in terms of life in

to define things in terms of life in terms of their understanding so they get

terms of their understanding so they get

terms of their understanding so they get it so we have something in common and to

it so we have something in common and to

it so we have something in common and to create a connection I ask them to ask

create a connection I ask them to ask

create a connection I ask them to ask questions because the fastest way to

questions because the fastest way to

questions because the fastest way to make a connection with someone is to

make a connection with someone is to

make a connection with someone is to resonate with them I pointed my finger

resonate with them I pointed my finger

resonate with them I pointed my finger to the sky they follow it with their

to the sky they follow it with their

to the sky they follow it with their eyes I tell them to reach for what they

eyes I tell them to reach for what they

eyes I tell them to reach for what they tell them they can’t touch it makes them

tell them they can’t touch it makes them

tell them they can’t touch it makes them believe in the impossible and then while

believe in the impossible and then while

believe in the impossible and then while they focus on my fingertip I slap them

they focus on my fingertip I slap them

they focus on my fingertip I slap them with the other hand I say don’t focus on

with the other hand I say don’t focus on

with the other hand I say don’t focus on the distraction it will only come to

the distraction it will only come to

the distraction it will only come to define you I tell them their stories are

define you I tell them their stories are

define you I tell them their stories are valid that without their stories the

valid that without their stories the

valid that without their stories the world isn’t that interesting they say

world isn’t that interesting they say

world isn’t that interesting they say it’s hard

it’s hard

it’s hard I say consistency is a skill it’s not

I say consistency is a skill it’s not

I say consistency is a skill it’s not inherent they start to believe I asked

inherent they start to believe I asked

inherent they start to believe I asked Vanessa who she’s closest to she says

Vanessa who she’s closest to she says

Vanessa who she’s closest to she says it’s her brother I say who’s older she

it’s her brother I say who’s older she

it’s her brother I say who’s older she says they’re twins again I asked who’s

says they’re twins again I asked who’s

says they’re twins again I asked who’s older she says he is because he was born

older she says he is because he was born

older she says he is because he was born in December and I was born in February

in December and I was born in February

in December and I was born in February and I’m confused

and I’m confused

and I’m confused I have questions because I’ve never

I have questions because I’ve never

I have questions because I’ve never heard of that before she tells me it’s

heard of that before she tells me it’s

heard of that before she tells me it’s called delayed interval delivery it’s

called delayed interval delivery it’s

called delayed interval delivery it’s when twins are supposed to be born but

when twins are supposed to be born but

when twins are supposed to be born but only one comes out the other isn’t ready

only one comes out the other isn’t ready

only one comes out the other isn’t ready so they patched the mom up and just wait

so they patched the mom up and just wait

so they patched the mom up and just wait and I tell her she has now become my

and I tell her she has now become my

and I tell her she has now become my teacher I tell her to be proud of her

teacher I tell her to be proud of her

teacher I tell her to be proud of her story to be bold and how she shares it

story to be bold and how she shares it

story to be bold and how she shares it at snack break and she asks me to play

at snack break and she asks me to play

at snack break and she asks me to play chess she beats me I asked her for a

chess she beats me I asked her for a

chess she beats me I asked her for a rematch she declines she walks away

rematch she declines she walks away

rematch she declines she walks away smiling and proud after break I asked

smiling and proud after break I asked

smiling and proud after break I asked Adam what his best friend would say if

Adam what his best friend would say if

Adam what his best friend would say if he told him he loved him he says he

he told him he loved him he says he

he told him he loved him he says he would probably say you’re gay and laugh

would probably say you’re gay and laugh

would probably say you’re gay and laugh I asked him what if you kept saying it

I asked him what if you kept saying it

I asked him what if you kept saying it he says he probably say it back after a

he says he probably say it back after a

he says he probably say it back after a while I said you know why he shakes his

while I said you know why he shakes his

while I said you know why he shakes his head I said it’s because everyone wants

head I said it’s because everyone wants

head I said it’s because everyone wants to feel loved to feel a connection there

to feel loved to feel a connection there

to feel loved to feel a connection there are connections everywhere we look it’s

are connections everywhere we look it’s

are connections everywhere we look it’s the guy I’ve watched this in whole talk

the guy I’ve watched this in whole talk

the guy I’ve watched this in whole talk in the back updating something that

in the back updating something that

in the back updating something that doesn’t need to be updated right now

doesn’t need to be updated right now

doesn’t need to be updated right now it’s the lady here holding the arm of

it’s the lady here holding the arm of

it’s the lady here holding the arm of the person next to her it’s a physical

the person next to her it’s a physical

the person next to her it’s a physical connection so which connection are you

connection so which connection are you

connection so which connection are you most likely to be connected to now I

most likely to be connected to now I

most likely to be connected to now I will pretend to read off of the

will pretend to read off of the

will pretend to read off of the confidence monitor which isn’t moving so

confidence monitor which isn’t moving so

confidence monitor which isn’t moving so I will use my phone

I will use this to create a belief that

I will use this to create a belief that I needed something to be connected to a

I needed something to be connected to a

I needed something to be connected to a security blanket just in case I forgot

security blanket just in case I forgot

security blanket just in case I forgot which I did what my talk was supposed to

which I did what my talk was supposed to

which I did what my talk was supposed to be talking about but how can I forget

be talking about but how can I forget

be talking about but how can I forget what I’m connected to the world my

what I’m connected to the world my

what I’m connected to the world my family my friends their students their

family my friends their students their

family my friends their students their stories I tell them like I tell myself

stories I tell them like I tell myself

stories I tell them like I tell myself every day

every day

every day tell your friends you love them every

tell your friends you love them every

tell your friends you love them every day smile a lot

day smile a lot

day smile a lot laugh at inappropriate times do whatever

laugh at inappropriate times do whatever

laugh at inappropriate times do whatever you need to do to remain connected

you need to do to remain connected

you need to do to remain connected because the world will give us enough

because the world will give us enough

because the world will give us enough reasons to disconnect and I don’t have

reasons to disconnect and I don’t have

reasons to disconnect and I don’t have time for that and neither do they all we

time for that and neither do they all we

time for that and neither do they all we have time for is a connection thank you

have time for is a connection thank you

have time for is a connection thank you [Applause]