How teachers can help kids find their political voices | Sydney Chaffee

Translator: Polona Ramšak Reviewer: Nika Kotnik

To me, social justice is a simple concept.

Zame je socialna pravičnost preprost koncept.

It's the notion that all people in a society

Gre za predpostavko, da si vsi ljudje v družbi

deserve fair and equitable rights, opportunities and access to resources.

zaslužijo pravične in enakopravne pravice, priložnosti in dostop do virov.

But it's become controversial and nebulous,

A postala je kontroverzna in nebulozna,

because we've stopped talking

ker smo prenehali govoriti

about what working for social justice actually looks like.

o tem, kako prizadevanje za socialno pravičnost dejansko izgleda.

Working for social justice can look like this ...

Izgleda lahko tako

or this.

ali tako.

It can look like this ...

Izgleda lahko tako

or it can look like this ...

ali pa tako

or my favorite ...

ali pa, meni najljubše,

it can look like that.

tako.

Those are my students,

To so moji študentje

and whenever I'm asked to articulate my work or my priorities as a teacher,

in ko me kdo prosi, naj govorim o svojem delu ali prioritetah kot učiteljica,

I explain that I believe education can be a tool for social justice.

razložim, da verjamem, da je lahko izobraževanje orodje socialne pravičnosti.

But a few months ago, I logged onto Twitter -- as I do --

A pred nekaj meseci sem se prijavila na Twitter - kot ponavadi -

and I saw that a fellow teacher had taken issue with that belief.

in videla, da se je učiteljski kolega spustil v razpravo o tem prepričanju.

"Teachers," he said, "should not be social justice warriors,

"Učitelji," je rekel, "ne bi smeli biti bojevniki za socialno pravičnost,

because the purpose of education is to educate."

ker je namen izobraževanja izobraževati."

And he ended his argument by saying,

Svoj argument je končal z besedami:

"I teach my subject."

"Jaz učim svoj predmet."

But I reject that simplification,

A jaz zavračam to poenostavitev,

because teachers don't just teach subjects,

ker učitelji ne učimo le predmetov,

we teach people.

ampak učimo ljudi.

When our students walk into our classrooms,

Ko naši učenci stopijo v učilnico,

they bring their identities with them.

s seboj prinesejo svojo identiteto.

Everything they experience in our rooms is bound up in historical context,

Vse, kar izkusijo v učilnicah, je povezano z zgodovinskim kontekstom

and so if we insist that education happens in a vacuum,

in če vztrajamo, da se izobraževanje dogaja v vakuumu,

we do our students a disservice.

delamo svojim učencem slabo uslugo.

We teach them that education doesn't really matter,

Učimo jih, da izobrazba ni zares pomembna,

because it's not relevant to what's happening all around them.

ker ni povezana s tem, kar se dogaja okoli njih.

And what's happening all around them?

In kaj se dogaja okoli njih?

Well, racism for one.

No, recimo rasizem.

According to results of the Implicit Association Test,

Rezultati implicitnega povezovalnega testa so pokazali,

fully 88 percent of white people harbored subconscious biases against black people,

da 88 odstotkov belcev goji podzavestne predsodke do črncev

believing them to be less intelligent, lazier and more dangerous than whites.

in verjamejo, da so manj ineligentni, bolj leni in bolj nevarni kot belci.

And that's just one concrete example of the insidious effects

In to je le en konkreten primer zahrbtnega učinka

of historic and systemic racism on our country.

zgodovinskega in sistemskega rasizma v naši državi.

For more evidence, we could look at incarceration rates;

Za več dokazov bi lahko pogledali podatke o zapornikih,

we could look at statistics on police violence against black people;

lahko bi pogledali statistiko policijskega nasilja nad temnopoltimi,

we could look at the opportunity gap in education --

pomanjkanje priložnosti v izobraževanju.

so yeah, social justice belongs in our schools.

Da, socialna pravičnost spada v naše šole.

Social justice should be a part of the mission of every school

Socialna pravičnost bi morala biti del misije vsake šole

and every teacher in America,

in vsakega učitelja v Ameriki,

if we want "liberty and justice for all" to be more than a slogan ...

če hočemo, da bi bili "svoboda in pravičnost za vse" več kot le slogan,

because schools are crucial places for children to become active citizens

ker so šole ključni kraj, kjer otroci postanejo aktivni državljani

and to learn the skills and the tools that they need to change the world.

in pridobijo spretnosti in orodja, ki jih potrebujejo, da spremenijo svet.

So what are those skills?

Katere so te spretnosti?

OK, here's a secret:

Prav, tu je skrivnost:

many of the skills that people need

mnogo spretnosti, ki jih ljudje

to orchestrate the kinds of change that will lead to justice

potrebujejo, da sprovedejo spremembe, ki bodo vodile do pravice,

are already built into the work of schools.

so že vdelane v delo šol.

Things like problem-solving,

Stvari, kot so reševanje problemov,

critical thinking, collaboration, perseverance --

kritično mišljenje, sodelovanje, vztrajnost -

none of that should be revolutionary on its own.

nič od tega ne bi smelo biti revolucionarno.

Combine that with the ability to understand history

Skombinirajte to s sposobnostjo razumevanja zgodovine,

not as one static and objective narrative on which we all agree,

ne kot statične, objektivne zgodbe, s katero se vsi strinjamo,

but as a series of intertwined events

ampak kot serijo povezanih dogodkov,

about which there can be countless interpretations.

ki lahko imajo nešteto interpretacij.

If we deliberately choose to explore history with our students

Če se načrtno odločimo raziskovati zgodovino svojih učencev,

rather than just teach it,

ne pa jo le poučevati,

we help them understand that history is ongoing

jim pomagamo razumeti, da je zgodovino nenehna

and that it's connected to current movements for justice.

in da je povezana s trenutnim gibanjem za pravičnost.

And we help them see themselves as potential players

Pomagamo jim, da se vidijo kot potencialni igralci

within a living history.

znotraj žive zgodovine.

So those are the skills I'm talking about

To so spretnosti, o katerih govorim,

when I say that education can be a place

ko rečem, da je lahko izobraževanje kraj,

to help kids learn how to work for justice.

kjer otrokom pomagamo učiti se delati za pravico.

But maybe the reason

A mogoče je razlog,

that my Twitter critic wasn't happy with that idea

zakaj moj kritik na Twitterju ni maral moje ideje,

is because he doesn't agree with my definition of justice.

ta, da se ne strinja z mojo definicijo pravice.

Fair enough.

Pošteno.

Maybe he and I don't see eye to eye, politically.

Mogoče se politično ne strinjava.

But here's the thing:

A stvar je taka:

our aim is to encourage students to articulate their own opinions,

naš cilj je učence spodbuditi, da izrazijo svoje mnenje,

not to coerce them into agreeing with us,

ne pa, da jih prisilimo, da se strinjajo z nami.

so it actually doesn't matter if he and I agree.

Zato je v bistvu vseeno, ali se strinjava ali ne.

What matters is that we're helping students have those conversations

Kar je važno, je, da pomagava učencem govoriti o tem

with each other.

drug z drugim.

And that means that as adults,

To pomeni, da se kot odrasli

we need to learn how to become effective facilitators

moramo naučiti, kako postati učinkoviti mediatorji

of our students' activism.

v aktivizmu svojih učencev.

We've got to help them learn how to have really tricky conversations,

Pomagati jim moramo naučiti se, kako voditi kočljive pogovore,

we have to expose them to different opinions,

izpostaviti jih moramo različnim mnenjem

and we have to help them see

in jim pomagati, da vidijo,

how what they're learning in school connects to the world outside.

kako se to, kar se učijo v šoli, povezuje z zunanjim svetom.

So here's an example of that.

Tu je primer tega.

Every year, my students study the history of apartheid in South Africa

Vsako leto se moji učenci učijo o zgodovini apartheida v Južni Afriki

as a case study of injustice.

kot primer nepravičnosti.

Now for those of you who don't know,

Za tiste, ki ne veste - apartheid

apartheid was a brutally racist system,

je bil brutalno rasističen sistem

and the white-ruled government in South Africa imposed racist laws

in vlada belcev v Južni Afriki je uvedla rasistične zakone,

to oppress people of color,

da je zatirala temnopolte,

and if you resisted those laws, you risked jail time, violence or death.

in če si se upiral tem zakonom, si tvegal zaporno kazen, nasilje ali smrt.

And around the world, other countries' governments,

In po svetu so vlade drugih držav,

including ours in the United States,

vključno z našo v ZDA,

hesitated to sanction South Africa, because ...

kolebale, da bi sankcionirale Južno Afriko, ker ...

well ...

no ...

we benefited from its resources.

smo imeli korist od njihovih virov.

So in 1976, the South African government passed a new law

Tako je leta 1976 južnoafriška vlada sprejela zakon,

which required that all students in South Africa

ki je zahteval, da se vsi študentje v Južni Afriki

learn in the language Afrikaans,

učijo v afrikanščini,

which was a white language,

ki je bila jezik belcev,

and many black South Africans referred to that language

in mnogi črni Južnoafričani so ta jezik imenovali

as the language of the oppressor.

jezik zatiralcev.

So not surprisingly,

Tako ni presenetljivo, da so bili

students of color were outraged at this law.

temnopolti študentje ogorčeni nad tem zakonom.

They already attended segregated schools

Že tako so obiskovali ločene šole

with overcrowded classrooms,

s prenatrpanimi učilnicami,

a lack of resources

primanjkljajem sredstev

and a frankly racist curriculum,

in odkrito rasističnim predmetnikom,

and now they were being told to learn

zdaj pa so jim ukazali, da se učijo

in a language neither they nor their teachers spoke.

v jeziku, ki ga niso govorili ne oni ne učitelji.

So on the morning of June 16, 1976,

Tako je zjutraj 16. junija 1976

thousands of kids from the township of Soweto

na tisoče otrok iz Soweta

walked out of schools.

šlo iz šol.

And they marched peacefully through the streets to protest the law.

Mirno so marširali po ulicah in protestirali zakonu.

At an intersection, they met up with the police,

Na križišču so naleteli na policijo

and when the kids refused to turn back,

in ko se učenci niso hoteli vrniti v šolo,

the police officers set dogs on them ...

so policisti nanje naščuvali pse

and then they opened fire ...

in jih začeli streljati

and the Soweto uprising ended in tragedy.

in upor v Sowetu se je končal tragično.

Apartheid itself didn't end until almost 20 years later,

Apartheid se je končal šele skoraj 20 let kasneje,

but the activism of those kids in Soweto profoundly changed

a aktivizem tistih otrok v Sowetu je globoko spremenil

the way the world viewed what was happening in South Africa.

pogled sveta na dogajanje v Južni Afriki.

News outlets all around the world published this photo

Novinarske izpostave po vsem svetu so objavile to fotografijo

of 13-year-old Hector Pieterson,

trinajstletnega Hectorja Pietersona,

who was one of the first people killed by police in Soweto,

ki je bil ena izmed prvih žrtev policije v Sowetu,

and it became nearly impossible to ignore the brutality

in postalo je skoraj nemogoče ignorirati brutalnost

of the apartheid regime.

režima apartheida.

In the months and the years that followed the Soweto uprising,

V mesecih in letih, ki so sledili uporu v Sowetu,

more and more countries exerted political and economic pressure

je vedno več držav izvajalo politični in gospodarski pritisk

on the South African government to end apartheid,

na južnoafriško vlado, naj konča apartheid,

and it was largely due to the activism of those kids in Soweto.

in to predvsem zaradi aktivizma tistih otrok v Sowetu.

So every year my kids learn about this.

Zato se moji učenci vsako leto učijo o tem.

And invariably, they start to draw connections

In vedno začnejo iskati primerjave

between those kids in Soweto and themselves.

med tistimi otroki v Sowetu in seboj.

And they start to ask themselves

In začnejo se spraševati,

what kind of political power and agency they have.

kakšne vrste politično moč in sposobnost odločanja imajo.

They ask themselves whether there would ever be a reason

Vprašajo se, če bi obstajal razlog,

they would risk their lives

da bi žrtvovali svoje življenje,

so that a future generation could live in a more just world.

da bi prihodnje generacije lahko živele v bolj pravičnem svetu.

And most profoundly for me, every single year,

In zame še bolj globoko, vsako leto

they ask themselves whether adults will ever listen to their voices.

se vprašajo, če bodo odrasli kdaj prisluhnili njihovim glasovom.

A few years ago,

Pred nekaj leti je

my principal got an anonymous email from one of our students.

moj ravnatelj dobil anonimno elektronsko pismo od enega mojih učencev.

It informed him that the following day,

Obveščalo ga je, da naslednji dan

the students planned to walk out of school.

učenci načrtujejo zapustiti šolo.

This was in the wake of Michael Brown's death

To je bilo zaradi smrti Michaela Browna

in Ferguson, Missouri,

v Fergusonu v Missouriju

and the students were planning to join a walkout and march

in učenci so načrtovali, da se bodo pridružili protestu in pohodu

in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

v podporo gibanju Črna življenja so pomembna.

So at this point,

V tistem trenutku

the staff at the school had a decision to make.

se je moral šolski kolektiv odločiti.

Would we use our authority and our power to try to control the students

Bomo izrabili svojo avtoriteto in moč, da bomo poskusili učence kontrolirati

and prevent them from leaving,

in jim preprečili odhod

or would we support them

ali pa jih bomo podprli,

as they put into practice the principles of social justice

ker so prakticirali principe socialne pravičnosti,

that we had taught them about since the ninth-grade year?

ki smo jih naučili do devetega razreda?

So the next morning, the kids left school en masse

Naslednje jutro so učenci torej množično zapustili šolo

and they gathered on the lawn.

in se zbrali na trati.

And one of the seniors jumped up on a picnic table

Eden od starejših učencev je skočil na leseno mizo

and went over safety expectations.

in ponovil varnostna pričakovanja.

(Laughter)

(smeh)

And the younger kids took it very seriously.

Mlajši učenci so to vzeli zelo resno.

And as teachers and as staff we told them,

Kot učitelji in zaposleni smo jim rekli:

"OK, be safe,"

"Prav, pazite se!"

and we watched as they marched off.

in smo jih gledali, kako so odmarširali.

The kids who chose to stay spent that afternoon in class.

Otroci, ki so se odločili ostati, so preživeli popoldne v razredu.

They debated the merits of protest,

Debatirali so o vrednosti protesta,

they talked about the history of the Black Lives Matter movement,

govorili so o zgodovini gibanja Črna življenja so pomembna

and they went on with classes as scheduled.

in imeli pouk kot načrtovano.

And those who chose to leave participated in a citywide student walkout

Tisti, ki so šli, pa so sodelovali v stavki učencev vsega mesta

and raised their collective voice for justice.

in izrazili svoj skupni glas za pravičnost.

But no matter where they chose to spend the afternoon,

A ne glede na to, kje so se odločili preživeti popoldne,

our kids learned valuable lessons that day.

so se naši otroci tistega dne naučili nekaj pomembnega.

They learned that the adults in their lives would support them

Naučili so se, da jih bodo njihovi odrasli podprli,

even as we worried for their safety.

tudi če jih bo skrbelo za njihovo varnost.

And they learned that they didn't need us to tell them how or when

Naučili so se, da ne potrebujejo nas, da jim povemo, kako in kdaj

or even why to protest.

ali celo zakaj naj protestirajo.

They learned that they were members of a community of young people

Naučili so se, da so člani skupnosti mladih ljudi,

with a shared vision of a more equitable society,

ki delijo vizijo pravičnejše družbe.

and they learned that they had power within that society.

In naučili so se, da imajo v tej družbi moč.

They learned that events like the Soweto uprising

Naučili so se, da dogodki, kot je upor v Sowetu,

are not ancient history,

niso pradavna zgodovina

and they don't have to end in tragedy.

in da se nujno ne končajo tragično.

And that's what education as a tool for social justice can look like.

In tako lahko izgleda izobraževanje kot orodje socialne pravičnosti.

And here's the thing:

In še nekaj:

our kids are ready for this kind of work.

naši otroci so pripravljeno za tako delo.

So in 2015,

Leta 2015

incoming college freshmen were surveyed,

so anketirali nove študente na univerzah

and 8.5 percent of them said

in 8,5 odstotka jih je reklo,

that there was a "very good chance" they would participate in a protest

da obstaja zelo velika možnost, da bi sodelovali v protestu

sometime during their college career.

v času svojega študija na univerzi.

That might not seem very impressive,

To morda ne zveni zelo impresivno,

but consider the fact

a pretehtajmo dejstvo,

that it's the largest number of students to say that since 1967.

da je to največja številka študentov od leta 1967.

And 75 percent of those kids

In 75 odstotkov teh otrok

said that helping other people who are having difficulty

je reklo, da je pomoč drugim, ki imajo težave,

was a "very important" or "essential" goal for them.

zanje zelo pomemben ali ključen cilj.

Again, the highest number of people to say that since the late 1960s.

Ponovno, največje število tako mislečih po poznih 60. letih 20. stoletja.

And research shows us that working for justice doesn't just follow

Raziskave kažejo, da prizadevanje za pravičnost ne sledi le

from building all those skills I talked about earlier --

grajenju tistih spretnosti, o katerih sem prej govorila,

it actually goes the other way, too.

gre tudi obratno.

So working for justice, engaging in activism,

Prizadevanje za pravičnost in aktivizem pomagata

helps students build skills like leadership and critical thinking,

učencem graditi spretnosti, kot sta vodenje in kritično mišljenje,

and it correlates positively with their political participation

in se pozitivno povezujeta z njihovim političnim udejstvovanjem,

and their civic engagement

državljansko vključenostjo

and their commitment to their communities later in life.

in njihovo predanostjo skupnosti kasneje v življenju.

So in other words,

Z drugimi besedami,

students are telling us that social justice matters to them

študentje nam govorijo, da jim je socialna pravičnost pomembna,

and researchers are telling us that it helps students learn.

in strokovnjaki nam pravijo, da pomaga učencem pri učenju.

So now it's up to us to listen,

Zdaj je na nas, da poslušamo,

and that might not be easy.

in to morda ni lahko.

In 1976, one of those kids who participated in the Soweto uprising,

Leta 1976 je eden od otrok, ki so sodelovali pri uporu v Sowetu,

he said that that event represented divorce

dejal, da je tisti dogodek predstavljal ločitev

between black children and their families,

med črnimi otroki in njihovimi družinami,

because their families had grown up under apartheid,

ker so njihove družine zrasle v apartheidu

and they knew how dangerous it was to speak out.

in so vedele, kako nevarno je spregovoriti.

Želele so, da bi se otroci potuhnili in ostali varni.

They wanted their kids to lay low and stay safe.

And when our kids threatened to walk out,

Ko so naši otroci zagrozili, da bodo šli,

a lot of the adults in our community were really conflicted, too.

je bilo tudi veliko odraslih v skupnosti v konfliktu s seboj.

Some of us worried that they might encounter violence.

Nekatere nas je skrbelo, da lahko pride do nasilja.

Other people worried that they would walk out

Druge je skrbelo, da bodo odšli,

but they wouldn't really know why they were protesting.

ne bodo pa zares vedeli, zakaj protestirajo.

And some, including some students' families,

Nekateri, med drugimi družine učencev,

were really angry that the school hadn't done more

so bili res jezni, da šola ni naredila več,

to prevent them from leaving.

da bi preprečila, da bi šli.

And all of those fears that adults have about getting this stuff wrong --

In vsi ti strahovi odraslih, da bi bilo kaj narobe,

all of those fears make total sense.

so smiselni.

But despite those fears,

A navkljub tem strahovom

we have got to prove to our students that we will listen to their voices

moramo učencem pokazati, da jim bomo prisluhnili

and that they do have the power to effect change.

in da imajo moč vplivati na spremembe.

It's our responsibility to equip our students

Naša dolžnost je, da jih opremimo

with the tools and the skills that they need

z orodji in spretnostmi, ki jih potrebujejo,

to insist on a more equitable world --

da vztrajajo na pravičnejšem svetu,

and then sometimes, to get out of their way,

in potem včasih, da se jim umaknemo

and let them apply those skills to things that they care about.

in jim dovolimo te spretnosti uporabiti za stvari, ki so jim pomembne.

Living up to that vision is going to require

Uresničitev te vizije bo zahtevala,

that we are flexible,

da smo fleksibilni,

and it's going to require that we're creative.

in bo zahtevala, da smo kreativni.

It's going to require that we're brave enough

Zahtevala bo, da smo dovolj pogumni,

to stand up in the face of people who try to silence

da se spoprimemo z ljudmi, ki poskušajo utišati

or delegitimize dissenting voices.

ali delegitimizirati nasprotovanje.

And hardest of all,

In najtežje,

it's going to require accepting the fact that sometimes we will be the ones

treba bo sprejeti dejstvo, da bomo včasih mi tisti,

our students will rebel against.

proti kateriim se bodo učenci upirali.

(Laughter)

(smeh)

Sometimes they're going to point out ways in which systems that we have created,

Včasih nam bodo pokazali načine, na katere sistemi, ki smo jih ustvarili

or in which we are complicit,

ali s katerimi smo povezani,

contribute to inequity.

prispevajo k neenakosti.

It's going to be uncomfortable, and it's going to be painful

Neprijetno bo in boleče,

as they push us to question our own assumptions and beliefs.

ko nas bodo silili, da podvomimo v svoje domneve in prepričanja.

But what if we change the way we think about rebellion in our kids?

Kaj pa, če spremenimo svoje razmišljanje o upiranju naših otrok?

When our kids rebel --

Ko se naši otroci upirajo,

when they thoughtfully push back against our ideas

ko razsodno zavračajo naše ideje

or the way that we do things,

ali načine, kako delujemo,

what if we chose to see that as a sign that we're doing something right

kaj če se odločimo to videti kot znak, da delamo prav

and that they're becoming liberated?

in da oni postajajo osvobojeni?

I know it would be easier

Vem, da bi bilo lažje,

if their critical thinking skills manifested in more convenient ways --

če bi spretnosti kritičnega mišljenja manifestirali bolj konvencionalno,

on their essays or their standardized tests --

v esejih ali standardiziranih testih.

I get it --

Razumem,

but convenience and justice do not often go hand in hand.

a prikladnost in pravičnost ne gresta vedno z roko v roki.

And when our kids learn to think critically about the world around them,

In ko se naši otroci naučijo kritično razmišljati o svetu okoli sebe,

they become the kinds of engaged citizens

postanejo taki angažirani državljani,

who will recognize and question injustice when they see it

ki prepoznajo in dvomijo v nepravičnost, ko jo vidijo,

and work to do something about it.

in nekaj naredijo za to.

Welcoming rebellion into our schools is going to require some rethinking

Sprejetje uporništva v šole bo zahtevalo ponoven razmislek

about what teaching and learning look like,

o tem, kako poučevanje in učenje izgledata,

because there's this misconception

ker obstaja napačna predstava,

that if we give students any wiggle room, they're going to walk all over us

da če damo učencem prosto pot, nas bodo pohodili

and classrooms and dinner tables will devolve into total chaos.

in v učilnicah in jedilnicah se bo razvil popoln kaos.

And if we expect kids to sit silently and passively receive knowledge from us,

Če pričakujemo, da bodo otroci tiho in pasivno od nas sprejemali znanje,

then their voices will always feel overwhelming.

se bodo njihovi glasovi vedno zdeli neobvladljivi.

But if we accept instead that learning is sometimes messy,

Če pa namesto tega raje sprejmemo, da je učenje včasih neprijetno,

that it requires opportunities to brainstorm and mess up

da zahteva priložnosti za prebliske in zablode

and try again,

in za nove poskuse,

that our kids dislike chaos and want to learn

da naši otroci ne marajo kaosa in se želijo učiti,

when they come to school,

ko pridejo v šolo,

then we can set up schools to facilitate that kind of learning.

potem bomo lahko prestrukturirali šole, da bodo omogočale tovrstno učenje.

So do me a favor and close your eyes for a second

Naredite mi torej uslugo in za trenutek zaprite oči.

and imagine schools where teachers are thought partners,

Predstavljajte si šolo, kjer učitelje vidimo kot na patnerje,

letting students grapple with complex, hard issues

ki dovolijo učencem spopasti se s kompleksnimi, težkimi temami

and not necessarily giving them the right answers.

in jim ne dajo nujno pravih odgovorov.

And imagine schools where we let students make choices --

Predstavljajte si šole, kjer dovolimo učencem, da sami izbirajo,

we trust them enough to do that

dovolj jim zaupamo za to

and we let them experience the consequences of those choices.

in jim pustimo, da izkusijo posledice svoje izbire.

Imagine schools where we let students be humans,

Predstavljajte si šole, kjer dovolimo učencem biti ljudje

with all of the messiness and the uncertainty

z vso zmedo in negotovostjo,

that is bound to come with that.

ki pride zraven.

Whatever you just imagined,

Kar koli ste si pravkar predstavljali,

it's not mythical,

ni mit,

it's not unrealistically idealistic,

ni neresnični idealizem,

because teachers all over the country are already pushing the boundaries

ker učitelji po vsej državi že premikajo meje tega,

of what teaching and learning can look like

kako naj poučevanje in učenje izgleda,

with amazing results for kids.

in to z neverjetnimi rezultati za otroke.

They're doing that in all kinds of schools,

To počnejo v vseh vrstah šol

and there are countless models for teachers who want to get better

in obstaja nešteto modelov za učitelje, ki želijo bolje

at helping students learn in a way that's more authentic

pomagati učencem se učiti na način, ki je bolj avtentičen

and engaging and empowering.

in privlačen in ki opolnomoča.

I was a reading a book recently,

Pred kratkim sem brala knjigo

it's called "The Students Are Watching,"

z naslovom Učenci gledajo

and it was by Ted and Nancy Sizer,

avtorjev Teda in Nancy Sizer,

and in that book, they said that the work of education

ki pravita, da se delo v izobraževanju pogosto

is often described as a series of nouns,

opisuje s celo vrsto samostalnikov,

like "respect," "honesty," "integrity."

npr. spoštovanje, poštenje, integriteta.

And they say those nouns sound really impressive,

Pravita tudi, da ti samostalniki zvenijo zelo veličastno,

but often, they fail to actually mean anything in practice.

a pogosto v praksi nič ne pomenijo.

But verbs, they say, are "active,

Glagoli, pravita, pa so "... aktivni,

no less demanding

nič manj naporni,

but requiring constant engagement.

zahtevajo pa nenehno dejavnost.

Verbs are not structures but, rather, engines."

Glagoli niso strukture, ampak stroji, ki poganjajo."

And so as I read that, I wondered:

Ko sem to brala, sem razmišljala:

How do we make justice into an engine driving our work as teachers?

Kako pravičnost spremenimo v stroj, ki poganja naše delo kot učitelji?

What's the verb form of justice?

Kaka je glagolska oblika pravičnosti?

I think there might be an answer to be found in the words of Cornel West,

Mislim, da lahko odgovor najdemo v slavnih besedah Cornela Westa:

who famously said that "justice is what love looks like in public."

"Pravičnost je, kako ljubezen izgleda v javnosti."

And all of my nerdy English teachers in the crowd

In vsi moji zagnani učitelji v publiki

know that love can be a noun and a verb.

vedo, da je lahko ljubezen samostalnik ali glagol.

School has to be bigger.

Šola mora biti večja.

It has to mean more than "I teach my subject."

Pomeniti mora več kot le: "Učim svoj predmet."

School has to be about teaching people

Šola mora biti poučevanje ljudi,

to change the world for the better.

kako spremeniti svet na bolje.

If we believe that,

Če to verjamemo,

then teaching will always be a political act.

bo poučevanje vedno politično dejanje.

We can't be afraid of our students' power.

Ne moremo se bati moči učencev.

Their power will help them make tomorrow better.

Njihova moč jim bo pomagala polepšati jutrišnji dan.

But before they can do that,

A preden lahko to storijo,

we have to give them chances to practice today.

jim moramo dati priložnost, da vadijo danes.

And that practice should start in our schools.

In ta vaja bi se morala začeti v naših šolah.

Thank you very much.

Hvala lepa.

(Applause)

(aplavz)