How to be an activist teacher

Children are passionate about changing their world and their society, making it a better place for them and others.

Although too young to vote, young people have shown that they are old enough to act. Throughout history we have seen activations such as Tiananmen Square, the Velvet Revolution, the Arab Spring, protests against the Vietnam War, and more recently Black Lives Matter and the Climate Strikes, prove that young people really can make an impact.

We’ve seen Greta Thunberg take on the climate emergency and change the hearts and minds of world leaders, Malala Yousafzai speak out for girl’s education, and Bana Alabed at only seven years old reveal the suffering in Aleppo. In these cases, children and young people have grasped what many adults struggle with, the humanity that connects us all and grounds us in this world: our intrinsic responsibility to people and planet.

Today, we are increasingly seeing teachers speaking out about their pupils’ futures and lives. We’ve witnessed teachers voice their concerns about Covid-19 and the return of school, support students in joining the Friday climate strikes, speak out against the ‘teaching to the test’ mentality, and campaign for free school meals over summer.

Yet, as we contend with life post-pandemic, tackle existential challenges like the ecological emergency and growing global inequality, how can we as teachers and practitioners, create an educational environment where children don’t just have a voice, but are empowered to take meaningful action? In her 150^th year, we suggest taking a lesson from Maria Montessori.

Montessori the activist

Maria Montessori’s life is imprinted with an activist’s agenda. She saw social impact as an integral part of her approach to education, which seeks to create citizens as changemakers. Over the course of her life, Montessori’s activism touched on issues still very much present today.

Montessori was a champion of gender equality, having been one of the first women in Italy to obtain a medical degree. She gained international acclaim as an advocate for women’s rights when she addressed her peers at the International Women’s Congress on several occasions, championing women’s education and speaking out against illiteracy.

She fought tirelessly for the rights of children. Whilst working at the University of Rome’s psychiatric clinic, she sought to understand children with special educational needs and make education work for them. She was an impassioned advocate for peace, and while exiled from Rome during the Second World War due to her antifascist views, she lived in India where she developed her seminal work, Education for Peace. Her life’s work has earned her three Nobel Peace Prize nominations.

A love of learning

'…. the great hope for education is to help the little young humanity which is in our hands.' - Maria Montessori in The Child, Society and the World.

What makes Maria Montessori’s work so relevant today is not necessarily her achievements, but her educational philosophy. Central to the Montessori approach is that education is most effective when it is child-led. This is critical today as children carve their own futures, and teachers empower change within and beyond the classroom, by giving children a love and passion for learning.

The Montessori approach to education can help teachers equip children with the skills to create meaningful change in a rapidly evolving world. It’s grounding in child-led education is based on the understanding that children are driven by independence. Experiencing true independence is crucial to the development of children’s confidence and self-esteem, to enable them to see the world as an exciting place full of possibilities and recognise themselves as powerful people who can do things for themselves and for others.

In enabling children to do things for themselves, it encourages characteristics such as creativity, respect, leadership, resilience, and curiosity. These characteristics are synonymous with campaigning and being the change you wish to see in the world.

Nurturing future changemakers

But how do you bring activism into your practice, in a distinctly Montessori way? You could begin by encouraging environmentalism through putting children in touch with the substance of their world. Encourage playing outside, work with clay, gardening and growing activities, and putting children directly in touch with nature. Talk about the ways in which nature is a network or a web of interrelated processes. For example, food chains help children understand the need to care for our planet and its unique ecosystems and balance, ensuring it remains sustainable for this and future generations.

Another way to nurture future changemakers is through encouraging play. Play provides children with opportunities to develop their own views; put things into perspective; make connections and learn about the perspectives of others. Play also develops self-esteem, curiosity and confidence, all of which promote positive well-being and compassion for others – crucial for an activist.

Integral to becoming an activist teacher is tolerance – knowing your own views, although important, are part of a democracy of ideas. To be a truly activist teacher, allow for opinions to be made, create the space for different conversations, beliefs, faiths and worldviews. Don’t be afraid to talk about diversity and difference, celebrate it. Montessori believed children should see that all living things are connected, regardless of our colour, ethnicity, gender identity, language, family structure, and socio-economic status.

Maria Montessori said in her seminal text, Education and Peace, that 'the child is both a hope and a promise for mankind'. By encouraging activism in your teaching, you can inspire change, both in and outside of the classroom.