Metri Srikandi

Educator/Teacher

I'm an English teacher and youth mentor based in Pekanbaru, Indonesia. I currently teach senior high school and serve as the homeroom teacher for an international class program. My main goal as an educator is to move past traditional teaching and actually get my students thinking critically and engaging in global discussions. I'm currently pursuing my Master’s in English Education, with a focus on applied linguistics and ed-tech. Much of my research and daily teaching focus on helping students build strong arguments and improve their formal writing. I also spend a lot of time figuring out how to mix solid teaching strategies with the right digital tools to make learning genuinely engaging. Outside of regular classes, I coach my students for public speaking and debate. Whether we're organizing a service-learning project at a local youth facility or prepping for a major debate, my core belief is the same, it is that young people have unique perspectives that need to be heard. That's exactly why bringing TEDxYouth to our school is so important to me. I want to help build a generation of empathetic, critically aware leaders who aren't afraid to speak up and shape the conversations that matter.

Ultimately, I'm passionate about helping students find their voice. I want to give them the platform and confidence to speak up about global issues rather than just memorizing textbooks. To me, real education is about critical thinking and community action. That's why I always try to connect what we talk about in class to real-world service-learning projects. I want my students to see firsthand that their ideas don't just belong on paper, they can actually make an impact.

My idea worth spreading is that youth don't need adults to speak for them, they just need us to clear the stage so they can lead the conversation. We often treat teenagers like they are just preparing for the future, but they already have brilliant, disruptive ideas about the world right now. Platforms like TEDxYouth are so vital because they show that when we give young people the space and confidence to articulate their perspectives, they start driving the ideas they have. If we want a more empathetic and critically aware world, we have to stop talking down to youth and start listening to them as equal partners in shaping our communities.

Critical Thinking, Mentoring Youth, Public Speaking, Teaching

For years, my version of a TED Talk has been watching my students backstage right before they step up to a microphone. I’ve seen firsthand how a teenager’s entire posture changes when they realize their thoughts actually matter and that people are truly listening to them. When our school finally got the license for TEDxYouth, it felt like the ultimate full-circle moment. I want this event to be a literal launchpad for our community, far beyond just putting on a polished show or checking off the boxes of a prestigious program. I wanted to bring TEDxYouth to my school because I know how many brilliant and deeply empathetic ideas our students are sitting on, and I wanted to be the one to help clear the stage so they can finally share them with the world.

What I’m secretly best at is managing that backstage chaos and handling the raw nerves. I have a knack for reading a room, figuring out exactly what a student needs to hear in a high-stress moment, and turning their overwhelming anxiety into quiet confidence right before the spotlight hits them. It’s the invisible, unglamorous part of mentoring, but it's honestly where the real magic happens.