Ideas worth spreading

How teachers can help kids find their political voices

1,422,316 views |

Sydney Chaffee |

TEDxBeaconStreet

• November 2017

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."

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."

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxBeaconStreet, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.

Support student activists advocating for stronger gun laws.

Help a young activist raise money for clean water.

Stand up for racial justice.

About the speaker

Sydney Chaffee

See speaker profile

Sydney Chaffee believes that teachers and students can change the world together.

| Explore

Teaching Tolerance

Teaching Tolerance offers teachers free resources, including frameworks, lesson plans and professional development videos, aimed at justice and equity in education. This website is my first stop when I need ideas to help my students grapple with complex and challenging current events.

| Explore

Rethinking Schools

Rethinking Schools publishes amazing writing on teaching towards social justice. Their publications balance thoughtful analyses with "I-can-use-this-tomorrow" practicality, and so much of it is written by classroom teachers.

| Explore

The Choices Program

The Choices Program curricula center on historical moments when people had to make difficult choices; most culminate in a classroom role play where students take on historical identities. I love this method for helping students make connections between history and their own lives.

| Explore

EL Education is a national network of schools organized around the idea that students not only need to master knowledge and skills, but also to demonstrate strong character and create high-quality work. Teaching in an EL Education school and learning from my colleagues has helped me strengthen my ability to design authentic, relevant learning experiences that fire kids up.

sydneychaffee.com | Sydney Chaffee, 2018 | Article

"How Schools Can Support Student Activism"

I wrote this blog post as a follow up to my original TEDx talk and at the request of state chiefs of education who wondered how they should respond to student walkouts leading up to the March for Our Lives. It includes links to articles and resources for teachers and school leaders who want to know how and why they should support student activism.

About TEDx

TEDx was created in the spirit of TED's mission, "ideas worth spreading." It supports independent organizers who want to create a TED-like event in their own community.

Find a TEDx event near you

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxBeaconStreet, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.

Support student activists advocating for stronger gun laws.

Help a young activist raise money for clean water.

Stand up for racial justice.