Dallas, Texas student Dalton Sherman gave the keynote address at this year's kick-off for his local ISD. It's not unusual for students to address the district during the back-to-school kick-off, a pep rally of sorts for teachers and staff. But Dalton Sherman is anything but typical.

He starts off his speech with the line, "I believe in me. Do you believe in me?" He goes on to tell the entire 17,000-person audience that for him to succeed, he needs them to believe -- believe in him, in his hopes for success, in themselves, in each other, in their work as educators. It really is an amazing speech, and as an educator, it brought tears to my eyes.

But is it a message that's only important for teachers? Surely kids do need educators to believe in them. But as I watched the end of Dalton's 8-minute speech, I started to pretend that he was talking to me as a parent. And you know what? The message is the same. As we send our kids off to school this season, it's also important for us as moms, dads, and caregivers to believe our kids, in their hopes for success, in ourselves, in each other, and in our work as parents. Thanks for the reminder, Dalton.

To learn more about this remarkable kid, see coverage of his big speech at Dallas News.





(via Supersisters)