My Three (Unofficial) TEDx Talks

Well, here I am — an un-TED talk speaker 🤔 (call it the mute mode 🔕).

But that hasn’t stopped me from thinking: If I ever did step on that famous red circle, what would I talk about?

My brain changes topics more than a shuttlecock changes sides in a badminton rally 🏸.

After one such mental rally late at night, I decided on three talks I’d love to deliver.

1️⃣ Everyone Must Go to Jail Once (Wait, don’t dial 100 yet!)

I’m not talking about the kind with metal bars and police uniforms.
I’m talking about the prisons we build for ourselves — our self-limiting fears, the ghosts 👻 from our own Haunting of Hill House.

I’d share the story of my own “jailbreak” — the moment I realised most of the walls around me existed only in my head. Escaping them changed everything.

For years, I believed I wasn’t good at HR or finance.
Now? I manage people and money better than most around me. Turns out, the prison was unlocked — I just never pushed the door.

2️⃣ The Blue Bird 💙 – Passport to Freedom

This one’s about my cherished Blue Indian Passport — my visa to the world. It’s not just a travel document — it’s a reminder of freedom. Of stamping dreams into reality.

It’s about the thrill of travel, the heartbreak of losing it (yes, I did), and the reminder that borders are real on maps but fluid in the mind.

Travel isn’t just sightseeing — it’s seeing yourself in a new light. Just like in learning — the more borders you cross, the richer your perspective.

3️⃣ Making Big Waves with Small Schools 🌊🐦

This talk would be closest to my heart.

Alternative schools aren’t just fantasy worlds for eccentric educators. They can exist right within our current systems — schools that liberate instead of restrict, that make space for creativity alongside calculus, and that treat students as thinkers, not storage boxes. That teach life skills alongside equations. That see students as creators, not containers.

At Golden Sparrow, I’ve seen this happen. And trust me, when a child realises school can be a launchpad instead of a cage, it’s magical.

Why These Three?

Because they’re all about freedom — from fear, from borders, and from outdated systems.

And maybe that’s the bigger message: you don’t need a stage or a microphone to start conversations that matter.

Author Bio:
Dawood Vaid is an educator, alternative schooling advocate, and founder of Golden Sparrow — a micro-schooling and life skills platform inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Known for his witty keynotes, icebreaker quizzes, and thought-provoking satire, Dawood designs educational experiences that break boundaries — and sometimes, schooling systems!