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Sydney Chaffee: How teachers can help kids find their political voices
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Social justice belongs in our schools, says educator Sydney Chaffee. In a bold talk, she shows how teaching students to engage in activism helps them build important academic and life skills -- and asks us to rethink how we can use education to help kids find their voices. "Teaching will always be a political act," Chaffee says. "We can't be afraid of our students' power. Their power will help them make tomorrow better."
Sydney Chaffee - Educator
Sydney Chaffee believes that teachers and students can change the world together. Full bio
Sydney Chaffee believes that teachers and students can change the world together. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
To me, social justice is a simple concept.
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It's the notion
that all people in a society
that all people in a society
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deserve fair and equitable rights,
opportunities and access to resources.
opportunities and access to resources.
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But it's become
controversial and nebulous,
controversial and nebulous,
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because we've stopped talking
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about what working
for social justice actually looks like.
for social justice actually looks like.
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Working for social justice
can look like this ...
can look like this ...
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or this.
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It can look like this ...
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or it can look like this ...
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or my favorite ...
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it can look like that.
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Those are my students,
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and whenever I'm asked to articulate
my work or my priorities as a teacher,
my work or my priorities as a teacher,
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I explain that I believe education
can be a tool for social justice.
can be a tool for social justice.
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But a few months ago, I logged
onto Twitter -- as I do --
onto Twitter -- as I do --
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and I saw that a fellow teacher
had taken issue with that belief.
had taken issue with that belief.
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"Teachers," he said,
"should not be social justice warriors,
"should not be social justice warriors,
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because the purpose
of education is to educate."
of education is to educate."
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And he ended his argument by saying,
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"I teach my subject."
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But I reject that simplification,
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because teachers
don't just teach subjects,
don't just teach subjects,
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we teach people.
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When our students
walk into our classrooms,
walk into our classrooms,
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they bring their identities with them.
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Everything they experience in our rooms
is bound up in historical context,
is bound up in historical context,
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and so if we insist that education
happens in a vacuum,
happens in a vacuum,
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we do our students a disservice.
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We teach them that education
doesn't really matter,
doesn't really matter,
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because it's not relevant
to what's happening all around them.
to what's happening all around them.
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And what's happening all around them?
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Well, racism for one.
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According to results
of the Implicit Association Test,
of the Implicit Association Test,
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fully 88 percent of white people harbored
subconscious biases against black people,
subconscious biases against black people,
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believing them to be less intelligent,
lazier and more dangerous than whites.
lazier and more dangerous than whites.
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And that's just one concrete example
of the insidious effects
of the insidious effects
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of historic and systemic racism
on our country.
on our country.
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For more evidence,
we could look at incarceration rates;
we could look at incarceration rates;
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we could look at statistics on police
violence against black people;
violence against black people;
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we could look at the opportunity
gap in education --
gap in education --
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so yeah, social justice
belongs in our schools.
belongs in our schools.
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Social justice should be a part
of the mission of every school
of the mission of every school
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and every teacher in America,
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if we want "liberty and justice for all"
to be more than a slogan ...
to be more than a slogan ...
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because schools are crucial places
for children to become active citizens
for children to become active citizens
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and to learn the skills and the tools
that they need to change the world.
that they need to change the world.
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So what are those skills?
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OK, here's a secret:
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many of the skills that people need
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to orchestrate the kinds of change
that will lead to justice
that will lead to justice
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are already built
into the work of schools.
into the work of schools.
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Things like problem-solving,
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critical thinking,
collaboration, perseverance --
collaboration, perseverance --
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none of that should be
revolutionary on its own.
revolutionary on its own.
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Combine that with the ability
to understand history
to understand history
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not as one static and objective narrative
on which we all agree,
on which we all agree,
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but as a series of intertwined events
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about which there can be
countless interpretations.
countless interpretations.
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If we deliberately choose
to explore history with our students
to explore history with our students
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rather than just teach it,
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we help them understand
that history is ongoing
that history is ongoing
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and that it's connected
to current movements for justice.
to current movements for justice.
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And we help them see themselves
as potential players
as potential players
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within a living history.
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So those are the skills I'm talking about
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when I say that education can be a place
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to help kids learn
how to work for justice.
how to work for justice.
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But maybe the reason
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that my Twitter critic
wasn't happy with that idea
wasn't happy with that idea
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is because he doesn't agree
with my definition of justice.
with my definition of justice.
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Fair enough.
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04:01
Maybe he and I don't see
eye to eye, politically.
eye to eye, politically.
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But here's the thing:
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our aim is to encourage students
to articulate their own opinions,
to articulate their own opinions,
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not to coerce them into agreeing with us,
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so it actually doesn't matter
if he and I agree.
if he and I agree.
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What matters is that we're helping
students have those conversations
students have those conversations
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with each other.
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And that means that as adults,
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we need to learn how to become
effective facilitators
effective facilitators
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of our students' activism.
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We've got to help them learn
how to have really tricky conversations,
how to have really tricky conversations,
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we have to expose them
to different opinions,
to different opinions,
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and we have to help them see
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how what they're learning in school
connects to the world outside.
connects to the world outside.
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So here's an example of that.
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Every year, my students study
the history of apartheid in South Africa
the history of apartheid in South Africa
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as a case study of injustice.
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Now for those of you who don't know,
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apartheid was a brutally racist system,
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and the white-ruled government
in South Africa imposed racist laws
in South Africa imposed racist laws
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to oppress people of color,
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and if you resisted those laws,
you risked jail time, violence or death.
you risked jail time, violence or death.
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And around the world,
other countries' governments,
other countries' governments,
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including ours in the United States,
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hesitated to sanction
South Africa, because ...
South Africa, because ...
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well ...
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we benefited from its resources.
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So in 1976, the South African
government passed a new law
government passed a new law
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which required that all students
in South Africa
in South Africa
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learn in the language Afrikaans,
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which was a white language,
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and many black South Africans
referred to that language
referred to that language
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as the language of the oppressor.
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So not surprisingly,
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students of color
were outraged at this law.
were outraged at this law.
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They already attended segregated schools
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with overcrowded classrooms,
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a lack of resources
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and a frankly racist curriculum,
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and now they were being told to learn
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in a language neither they
nor their teachers spoke.
nor their teachers spoke.
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So on the morning of June 16, 1976,
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thousands of kids
from the township of Soweto
from the township of Soweto
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walked out of schools.
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And they marched peacefully
through the streets to protest the law.
through the streets to protest the law.
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At an intersection,
they met up with the police,
they met up with the police,
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and when the kids refused to turn back,
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the police officers set dogs on them ...
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and then they opened fire ...
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and the Soweto uprising ended in tragedy.
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Apartheid itself didn't end
until almost 20 years later,
until almost 20 years later,
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but the activism of those kids
in Soweto profoundly changed
in Soweto profoundly changed
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the way the world viewed
what was happening in South Africa.
what was happening in South Africa.
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News outlets all around the world
published this photo
published this photo
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of 13-year-old Hector Pieterson,
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who was one of the first people
killed by police in Soweto,
killed by police in Soweto,
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and it became nearly impossible
to ignore the brutality
to ignore the brutality
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of the apartheid regime.
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In the months and the years
that followed the Soweto uprising,
that followed the Soweto uprising,
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more and more countries
exerted political and economic pressure
exerted political and economic pressure
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on the South African government
to end apartheid,
to end apartheid,
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and it was largely due to the activism
of those kids in Soweto.
of those kids in Soweto.
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So every year my kids learn about this.
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And invariably, they start
to draw connections
to draw connections
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between those kids
in Soweto and themselves.
in Soweto and themselves.
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And they start to ask themselves
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what kind of political power
and agency they have.
and agency they have.
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They ask themselves whether
there would ever be a reason
there would ever be a reason
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they would risk their lives
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so that a future generation
could live in a more just world.
could live in a more just world.
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And most profoundly for me,
every single year,
every single year,
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they ask themselves whether adults
will ever listen to their voices.
will ever listen to their voices.
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A few years ago,
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my principal got an anonymous email
from one of our students.
from one of our students.
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It informed him that the following day,
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the students planned
to walk out of school.
to walk out of school.
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This was in the wake
of Michael Brown's death
of Michael Brown's death
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in Ferguson, Missouri,
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and the students were planning
to join a walkout and march
to join a walkout and march
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in support of the Black Lives
Matter movement.
Matter movement.
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So at this point,
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the staff at the school
had a decision to make.
had a decision to make.
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Would we use our authority and our power
to try to control the students
to try to control the students
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and prevent them from leaving,
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or would we support them
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as they put into practice
the principles of social justice
the principles of social justice
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that we had taught them about
since the ninth-grade year?
since the ninth-grade year?
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So the next morning,
the kids left school en masse
the kids left school en masse
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and they gathered on the lawn.
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And one of the seniors
jumped up on a picnic table
jumped up on a picnic table
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and went over safety expectations.
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(Laughter)
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And the younger kids
took it very seriously.
took it very seriously.
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And as teachers and as staff we told them,
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"OK, be safe,"
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and we watched as they marched off.
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The kids who chose to stay
spent that afternoon in class.
spent that afternoon in class.
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They debated the merits of protest,
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they talked about the history
of the Black Lives Matter movement,
of the Black Lives Matter movement,
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and they went on
with classes as scheduled.
with classes as scheduled.
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And those who chose to leave
participated in a citywide student walkout
participated in a citywide student walkout
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and raised their collective
voice for justice.
voice for justice.
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But no matter where they chose
to spend the afternoon,
to spend the afternoon,
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our kids learned
valuable lessons that day.
valuable lessons that day.
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They learned that the adults
in their lives would support them
in their lives would support them
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even as we worried for their safety.
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And they learned that they didn't need us
to tell them how or when
to tell them how or when
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or even why to protest.
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They learned that they were members
of a community of young people
of a community of young people
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with a shared vision
of a more equitable society,
of a more equitable society,
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and they learned that they had power
within that society.
within that society.
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They learned that events
like the Soweto uprising
like the Soweto uprising
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are not ancient history,
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and they don't have to end in tragedy.
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And that's what education as a tool
for social justice can look like.
for social justice can look like.
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And here's the thing:
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our kids are ready for this kind of work.
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So in 2015,
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incoming college freshmen were surveyed,
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and 8.5 percent of them said
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that there was a "very good chance"
they would participate in a protest
they would participate in a protest
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sometime during their college career.
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That might not seem very impressive,
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but consider the fact
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that it's the largest number
of students to say that since 1967.
of students to say that since 1967.
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And 75 percent of those kids
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said that helping other people
who are having difficulty
who are having difficulty
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was a "very important"
or "essential" goal for them.
or "essential" goal for them.
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Again, the highest number of people
to say that since the late 1960s.
to say that since the late 1960s.
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And research shows us that working
for justice doesn't just follow
for justice doesn't just follow
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from building all those skills
I talked about earlier --
I talked about earlier --
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it actually goes the other way, too.
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So working for justice,
engaging in activism,
engaging in activism,
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helps students build skills
like leadership and critical thinking,
like leadership and critical thinking,
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and it correlates positively
with their political participation
with their political participation
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and their civic engagement
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and their commitment
to their communities later in life.
to their communities later in life.
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So in other words,
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students are telling us
that social justice matters to them
that social justice matters to them
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and researchers are telling us
that it helps students learn.
that it helps students learn.
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So now it's up to us to listen,
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and that might not be easy.
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In 1976, one of those kids
who participated in the Soweto uprising,
who participated in the Soweto uprising,
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he said that that event
represented divorce
represented divorce
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between black children and their families,
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because their families
had grown up under apartheid,
had grown up under apartheid,
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and they knew how dangerous
it was to speak out.
it was to speak out.
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They wanted their kids
to lay low and stay safe.
to lay low and stay safe.
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And when our kids threatened to walk out,
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a lot of the adults in our community
were really conflicted, too.
were really conflicted, too.
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Some of us worried that they might
encounter violence.
encounter violence.
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Other people worried
that they would walk out
that they would walk out
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but they wouldn't really know
why they were protesting.
why they were protesting.
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And some, including
some students' families,
some students' families,
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were really angry
that the school hadn't done more
that the school hadn't done more
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to prevent them from leaving.
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And all of those fears that adults have
about getting this stuff wrong --
about getting this stuff wrong --
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all of those fears make total sense.
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But despite those fears,
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we have got to prove to our students
that we will listen to their voices
that we will listen to their voices
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and that they do have the power
to effect change.
to effect change.
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It's our responsibility
to equip our students
to equip our students
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with the tools and the skills
that they need
that they need
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to insist on a more equitable world --
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and then sometimes,
to get out of their way,
to get out of their way,
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and let them apply those skills
to things that they care about.
to things that they care about.
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Living up to that vision
is going to require
is going to require
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that we are flexible,
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and it's going to require
that we're creative.
that we're creative.
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It's going to require
that we're brave enough
that we're brave enough
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to stand up in the face of people
who try to silence
who try to silence
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or delegitimize dissenting voices.
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And hardest of all,
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it's going to require accepting the fact
that sometimes we will be the ones
that sometimes we will be the ones
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our students will rebel against.
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(Laughter)
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Sometimes they're going to point out ways
in which systems that we have created,
in which systems that we have created,
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or in which we are complicit,
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contribute to inequity.
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It's going to be uncomfortable,
and it's going to be painful
and it's going to be painful
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as they push us to question
our own assumptions and beliefs.
our own assumptions and beliefs.
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But what if we change the way we think
about rebellion in our kids?
about rebellion in our kids?
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When our kids rebel --
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when they thoughtfully push back
against our ideas
against our ideas
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or the way that we do things,
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what if we chose to see that as a sign
that we're doing something right
that we're doing something right
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and that they're becoming liberated?
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I know it would be easier
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if their critical thinking skills
manifested in more convenient ways --
manifested in more convenient ways --
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on their essays
or their standardized tests --
or their standardized tests --
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I get it --
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but convenience and justice
do not often go hand in hand.
do not often go hand in hand.
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And when our kids learn to think
critically about the world around them,
critically about the world around them,
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they become the kinds of engaged citizens
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who will recognize and question
injustice when they see it
injustice when they see it
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and work to do something about it.
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Welcoming rebellion into our schools
is going to require some rethinking
is going to require some rethinking
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about what teaching
and learning look like,
and learning look like,
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because there's this misconception
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that if we give students any wiggle room,
they're going to walk all over us
they're going to walk all over us
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and classrooms and dinner tables
will devolve into total chaos.
will devolve into total chaos.
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And if we expect kids to sit silently
and passively receive knowledge from us,
and passively receive knowledge from us,
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then their voices will always
feel overwhelming.
feel overwhelming.
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But if we accept instead
that learning is sometimes messy,
that learning is sometimes messy,
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that is requires opportunities
to brainstorm and mess up
to brainstorm and mess up
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and try again,
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that our kids dislike chaos
and want to learn
and want to learn
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when they come to school,
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then we can set up schools
to facilitate that kind of learning.
to facilitate that kind of learning.
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So do me a favor and close
your eyes for a second
your eyes for a second
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and imagine schools
where teachers are thought partners,
where teachers are thought partners,
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letting students grapple
with complex, hard issues
with complex, hard issues
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and not necessarily giving them
the right answers.
the right answers.
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And imagine schools
where we let students make choices --
where we let students make choices --
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we trust them enough to do that
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and we let them experience
the consequences of those choices.
the consequences of those choices.
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Imagine schools where
we let students be humans,
we let students be humans,
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with all of the messiness
and the uncertainty
and the uncertainty
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that is bound to come with that.
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14:42
Whatever you just imagined,
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it's not mythical,
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it's not unrealistically idealistic,
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because teachers all over the country
are already pushing the boundaries
are already pushing the boundaries
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of what teaching
and learning can look like
and learning can look like
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with amazing results for kids.
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They're doing that
in all kinds of schools,
in all kinds of schools,
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15:03
and there are countless models
for teachers who want to get better
for teachers who want to get better
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at helping students learn
in a way that's more authentic
in a way that's more authentic
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and engaging and empowering.
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15:13
I was a reading a book recently,
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it's called "The Students Are Watching,"
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and it was by Ted and Nancy Sizer,
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and in that book, they said
that the work of education
that the work of education
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is often described as a series of nouns,
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like "respect," "honesty," "integrity."
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And they say those nouns
sound really impressive,
sound really impressive,
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but often, they fail
to actually mean anything in practice.
to actually mean anything in practice.
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But verbs, they say, are "active,
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no less demanding
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but requiring constant engagement.
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Verbs are not structures
but, rather, engines."
but, rather, engines."
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And so as I read that, I wondered:
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How do we make justice into an engine
driving our work as teachers?
driving our work as teachers?
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What's the verb form of justice?
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I think there might be an answer
to be found in the words of Cornel West,
to be found in the words of Cornel West,
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who famously said that "justice
is what love looks like in public."
is what love looks like in public."
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And all of my nerdy English
teachers in the crowd
teachers in the crowd
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know that love can be a noun and a verb.
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School has to be bigger.
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It has to mean more
than "I teach my subject."
than "I teach my subject."
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School has to be about teaching people
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to change the world for the better.
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If we believe that,
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then teaching will always be
a political act.
a political act.
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We can't be afraid of our students' power.
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Their power will help them
make tomorrow better.
make tomorrow better.
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But before they can do that,
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we have to give them chances
to practice today.
to practice today.
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And that practice
should start in our schools.
should start in our schools.
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Thank you very much.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sydney Chaffee - EducatorSydney Chaffee believes that teachers and students can change the world together.
Why you should listen
As the 2017 National Teacher of the Year, Sydney Chaffee traveled the world to advocate for education as a transformative tool to help young people create more just societies. Chaffee teaches ninth grade Humanities at Codman Academy Charter Public School in Boston, MA and is a National Board Certified Teacher.
(Photo: Edwin Yoo)
Sydney Chaffee | Speaker | TED.com