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

翻译人员: jacks peng 校对人员: Wanna Shi

To me, social justice is a simple concept.

于我而言，社会正义是个简单的概念。

It's the notion that all people in a society

是指社会中的所有人

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

享有公平且同等的 权利、机会以及资源。

But it's become controversial and nebulous,

但这一概念开始引起越来越多的争议， 变得越来越模糊

because we've stopped talking

因为我们不再去探讨

about what working for social justice actually looks like.

真正为社会正义而奋斗是什么样的。

为社会正义而奋斗可以是这样的……

Working for social justice can look like this ...

or this.

或是这样的。

It can look like this ...

它可以是这样……

or it can look like this ...

抑或是这样……

or my favorite ...

或我最喜欢的……

it can look like that.

它可以是这样。

Those are my students,

那些是我的学生，

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

每当我被问起身为教师的工作是什么 或是我当老师的首要任务是什么时，

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

我会说我相信教育可以作为 推动社会正义的工具。

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

但几个月前， 我同往常一样登录了推特，

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

我看到一位老师 对我的这一说法提出了异议。

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

他说，“老师， 不应该成为社会正义战士，

because the purpose of education is to educate."

因为教育的目的只是教育。”

And he ended his argument by saying,

最后，他说：

"I teach my subject."

“我只教我的学科。”

But I reject that simplification,

但是我不同意这种简化，

because teachers don't just teach subjects,

因为教师不仅仅要教书，

we teach people.

我们还要育人。

When our students walk into our classrooms,

当我们的学生走进教室时，

they bring their identities with them.

他们携着他们的身份特征而来。

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

他们在教室里经历的种种 都和历史背景密切相关，

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

所以， 如果我们提供的教育脱离实际，

we do our students a disservice.

我们便没有对学生尽责。

We teach them that education doesn't really matter,

我们是在告诉他们 教育没那么重要，

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

因为教育与他们周围发生的事情无关。

And what's happening all around them?

那么他们周围都发生了什么呢？

Well, racism for one.

嗯，种族主义就是其中之一。

According to results of the Implicit Association Test,

根据内隐联想测验的结果，

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

多达88%的白人在潜意识中 对黑人存有偏见，

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

他们认为黑人没有白人聪明， 黑人更加懒惰，而且更加危险。

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

这仅仅是历史性和系统性的种族主义

of historic and systemic racism on our country.

对我们国家危害影响 的真切例子之一。

For more evidence, we could look at incarceration rates;

还有很多例子， 我们可以看看监禁率；

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

我们可以看看警方针对黑人的暴力；

we could look at the opportunity gap in education --

我们可以看看教育机会的差距——

so yeah, social justice belongs in our schools.

所以说，学校有责任推动社会正义。

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

社会正义应当成为美国每个学校

and every teacher in America,

以及每位老师的使命之一，

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

若我们真想让“人人享有自由 和正义”不再是一句空口号的话……

because schools are crucial places for children to become active citizens

因为学校是孩子成为积极公民、

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

学到改变世界的技能的主要场所。

So what are those skills?

那么包含哪些技能呢？

OK, here's a secret:

嗯，这是个秘密：

many of the skills that people need

许多用来改变世界

to orchestrate the kinds of change that will lead to justice

推动正义的技能

are already built into the work of schools.

已经包含在学校的工作之中。

Things like problem-solving,

譬如解决问题的能力，

critical thinking, collaboration, perseverance --

批判性思维，合作能力， 坚韧的精神——

none of that should be revolutionary on its own.

每一种技能本身并不那么特别。

Combine that with the ability to understand history

将这些技能与 理解历史的能力相结合，

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

不把历史看成是 公认的静态的客观陈述，

but as a series of intertwined events

而是看成一系列相互交织的事件，

about which there can be countless interpretations.

存在着多种解读。

If we deliberately choose to explore history with our students

如果我们有意和学生一同 探索历史，

rather than just teach it,

而不只是教授历史，

we help them understand that history is ongoing

那么我们就可以帮助他们理解 历史是不断前行的，

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

而且与当今追求正义的运动 有所联系。

And we help them see themselves as potential players

我们就帮助他们认识到 他们也是当前历史中

within a living history.

潜在的参与者。

So those are the skills I'm talking about

这些就是我在

when I say that education can be a place

谈论学校可以成为帮助孩子们

to help kids learn how to work for justice.

学习如何为正义而战的地方时， 所需要的技能。

但我在推特上的同行 不认同这一观点

But maybe the reason

that my Twitter critic wasn't happy with that idea

可能是因为

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

他不同意我对正义的定义。

Fair enough.

好吧。

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

也许他和我对政治持有不同的看法。

But here's the thing:

但是事情是这样的：

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

我们的目的是鼓励学生 表达他们自己的观点，

not to coerce them into agreeing with us,

而不是强迫他们赞同我们，

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

所以我和他是否彼此认同 其实并不重要。

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

重要的是我们在推动学生彼此间

with each other.

进行关于社会正义的对话。

And that means that as adults,

这意味着作为成年人，

we need to learn how to become effective facilitators

我们需要学习如何有效培养

of our students' activism.

学生的社会积极性。

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

我们要引领他们学习如何 进行真正棘手的对话，

we have to expose them to different opinions,

我们要让他们接触不同的观点，

and we have to help them see

我们还要让他们了解

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

他们在学校中所学是如何与 外面的世界相联系的。

So here's an example of that.

举一个例子。

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

每年，我的学生都会将南非的 种族隔离历史

as a case study of injustice.

作为非正义的案例进行学习。

Now for those of you who don't know,

现在你们中有些人可能不知道，

apartheid was a brutally racist system,

种族隔离是非常残酷 的种族主义体系，

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

南非的白人政府颁布种族主义法律，

to oppress people of color,

来镇压有色人种，

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

如果你敢违抗法律的话，等待你的 是监禁、暴力或是死亡。

And around the world, other countries' governments,

放眼全球， 其他国家的政府，

including ours in the United States,

包括我们的美国政府，

hesitated to sanction South Africa, because ...

不愿意制裁南非，因为……

well ...

因为……

we benefited from its resources.

南非的资源使我们受益。

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

1976年， 南非政府颁布了一项新的法律，

which required that all students in South Africa

要求南非所有学生

learn in the language Afrikaans,

都要用南非荷兰语进行学习，

which was a white language,

这是一种白人的语言，

and many black South Africans referred to that language

许多南非黑人将其看作是

as the language of the oppressor.

压迫者的语言。

So not surprisingly,

无疑，

students of color were outraged at this law.

这项法律激怒了有色学生。

They already attended segregated schools

他们已经在隔离的学校上学了，

with overcrowded classrooms,

那里教室拥挤，

a lack of resources

资源匮乏，

and a frankly racist curriculum,

课程设置充满了种族主义色彩，

and now they were being told to learn

而现在他们被告知

in a language neither they nor their teachers spoke.

要以一种他们不说 老师也不说的语言来进行学习。

So on the morning of June 16, 1976,

所以在1976年6月16日早晨，

thousands of kids from the township of Soweto

索韦托小镇上上千名孩子

walked out of schools.

走出学校。

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

他们在马路上和平前进着， 抗议这一法律。

At an intersection, they met up with the police,

在十字路口，他们遇到了警察，

and when the kids refused to turn back,

当孩子们拒绝撤退时，

the police officers set dogs on them ...

警方向他们放出了警犬……

and then they opened fire ...

然后开火……

and the Soweto uprising ended in tragedy.

索韦托起义以悲剧收场。

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

种族隔离直到20年后才结束，

but the activism of those kids in Soweto profoundly changed

但是索韦托孩子们的 激进运动极大地改变了

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

世界看待南非所发生之事的态度。

News outlets all around the world published this photo

全球新闻机构刊登了这张

of 13-year-old Hector Pieterson,

13岁男孩赫克托·彼得森的照片，

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

他是在索韦托 最先被警方杀害的孩子之一，

and it became nearly impossible to ignore the brutality

此时种族隔离政府的暴行

of the apartheid regime.

已经难以被忽视了。

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

在索韦托起义结束的数月数年里，

more and more countries exerted political and economic pressure

越来越多的国家向南非政府施以 政治和经济压力，

on the South African government to end apartheid,

要求结束种族隔离，

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

而这大部分要归功于 索韦托孩子们的激进运动。

So every year my kids learn about this.

每年我的学生都会学习这些内容。

And invariably, they start to draw connections

毫无例外， 他们开始将索韦托的孩子

between those kids in Soweto and themselves.

和他们自身联系起来。

And they start to ask themselves

他们开始问自己

what kind of political power and agency they have.

他们有什么样的政治能力 和能动性。

They ask themselves whether there would ever be a reason

他们问自己是否存在一个理由

they would risk their lives

能让他们愿意牺牲自己的生命，

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

以使未来某一代 能生活在更加公正的世界中。

And most profoundly for me, every single year,

让我印象最深刻的是，每一年

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

他们都会问自己 成年人是否会倾听他们的声音。

A few years ago,

几年前，

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

我的校长收到了 一封来自学生的匿名电邮。

It informed him that the following day,

电邮里写着：明天

the students planned to walk out of school.

学生们打算罢学一天。

This was in the wake of Michael Brown's death

这是因为迈克尔·布朗

in Ferguson, Missouri,

在密苏里州弗格森市 被无故枪杀，

and the students were planning to join a walkout and march

学生们计划就此参加游行，

in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

支持“黑人的命也是命”运动。

So at this point,

所以这个时候，

the staff at the school had a decision to make.

学校的教职工需要做个决定。

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

我们是应该使用 我们的权威和权力去控制学生

and prevent them from leaving,

阻止他们罢学呢，

or would we support them

还是我们应该支持他们

as they put into practice the principles of social justice

把我们从9年级开始就教育他们的

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

社会公正的原则付诸实践。

So the next morning, the kids left school en masse

所以第二天上午， 孩子们一起离开学校，

and they gathered on the lawn.

他们聚集在草坪上。

And one of the seniors jumped up on a picnic table

其中一个高年级同学 跳上野餐桌，

and went over safety expectations.

超出了学校的安全规范。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And the younger kids took it very seriously.

年轻的孩子们 非常认真地对待这件事。

And as teachers and as staff we told them,

作为老师和教工我们告诉他们，

"OK, be safe,"

“好吧，注意安全。”

and we watched as they marched off.

我们看护着他们游行。

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

选择留在学校的孩子 在教室里度过那个下午。

They debated the merits of protest,

他们辩论抗议的意义，

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

他们谈论“黑人的命也是命” 运动的历史，

and they went on with classes as scheduled.

他们按计划上课。

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

那些选择离开的学生 参加了全市范围的学生罢课，

and raised their collective voice for justice.

提高了他们对正义的呼声。

But no matter where they chose to spend the afternoon,

但不管选择在哪里度过那个下午，

our kids learned valuable lessons that day.

我们的孩子们在那天 学到了非常有价值的一课。

They learned that the adults in their lives would support them

他们了解到生活中的大人们 会支持他们，

even as we worried for their safety.

尽管他们担心他们的安全。

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

他们意识到他们不需要 我们告诉他们如何、何时

or even why to protest.

或者甚至为什么抗议。

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

他们了解到他们是年轻团体的一员，

with a shared vision of a more equitable society,

拥有追求更平等社会的共同愿景，

and they learned that they had power within that society.

他们了解到他们在社会中拥有力量。

They learned that events like the Soweto uprising

他们了解到像索韦托起义这样的事件

are not ancient history,

不是古老的历史，

and they don't have to end in tragedy.

并且他们不必以悲剧收场。

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

这就是教育作为推动 社会公正的工具的样子。

And here's the thing:

事实在于：

our kids are ready for this kind of work.

我们的孩子们已经 做好这类工作的准备了。

So in 2015,

在2015年，

incoming college freshmen were surveyed,

受调研的大学新生中，

and 8.5 percent of them said

8.5%的人说

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

他们非常可能会在大学期间

sometime during their college career.

参加一场抗议活动。

That might not seem very impressive,

这个数字看起来也许并不大，

but consider the fact

但要考虑到这个事实

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

这是自1967年以来 持同样观点的最高数字。

And 75 percent of those kids

75%的孩子表示

said that helping other people who are having difficulty

帮助处于困境的其他人

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

是他们“非常重要”或“必不可少”的目标。

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

再次，这是20世纪60年代末以来， 持同样观点学生的最高数字。

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

研究显示为正义而工作不只是

from building all those skills I talked about earlier --

培养我们早先谈论的这些技能——

it actually goes the other way, too.

它实际上也有其他方式。

So working for justice, engaging in activism,

所以为正义而工作， 积极参与社会正义活动，

helps students build skills like leadership and critical thinking,

可以帮助学生培养领导力 和批判性思维等

and it correlates positively with their political participation

并且与他们的政治参与

and their civic engagement

和公民参与

and their commitment to their communities later in life.

以及他们之后对社区的献身 呈正相关。

So in other words,

所以换句话说，

students are telling us that social justice matters to them

学生是在告诉我们， 社会公正对他们很重要，

and researchers are telling us that it helps students learn.

研究告诉我们， 它可以帮助学生们成长。

So now it's up to us to listen,

所以现在该由我们倾听了，

and that might not be easy.

这可能并不容易。

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

在1976年， 一个参与索韦托起义的孩子，

he said that that event represented divorce

说那件事代表了

between black children and their families,

黑人孩子脱离了他们的家人，

because their families had grown up under apartheid,

因为他们的家人 是在种族隔离制度下长大的，

and they knew how dangerous it was to speak out.

他们知道高声呼吁是多么的危险。

They wanted their kids to lay low and stay safe.

他们想让他们的孩子躲起来， 注意安全。

And when our kids threatened to walk out,

当我们的孩子威胁要走出去时，

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

我们群体中的很多成年人也很矛盾。

Some of us worried that they might encounter violence.

有些人担心他们会遭遇暴力。

Other people worried that they would walk out

其他人担心他们走出去

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

但却不真正清楚他们为啥抗议。

And some, including some students' families,

还有一些人，包括一些学生的家人，

were really angry that the school hadn't done more

真的非常生气， 因为学校没有采取措施

to prevent them from leaving.

去阻止学生离校。

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

成年人担心这个事情会搞砸——

all of those fears make total sense.

所有这些恐惧是完全合理的。

But despite those fears,

但就算他们心存恐惧，

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

我们还是得向我们的学生证明， 我们会倾听他们的声音，

and that they do have the power to effect change.

他们确实有影响改变的力量。

It's our responsibility to equip our students

这是我们的责任

with the tools and the skills that they need

去武装我们的学生以工具和技能

to insist on a more equitable world --

去坚守一个更公平的世界——

and then sometimes, to get out of their way,

然后有时候，不要挡路，

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

让他们把这些技能 应用于他们关心的事情中。

Living up to that vision is going to require

要实现这一愿景需要我们

that we are flexible,

具有灵活性，

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

并且需要我们具有创造力。

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

它要求我们足够勇敢

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

站起来面对那些试图压制

or delegitimize dissenting voices.

或者剥夺异议者声音的人。

And hardest of all,

还有最困难的是，

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

我们需要接受事实：

our students will rebel against.

有时候， 我们会成为学生反抗的对象。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

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

有时候他们会指出我们创建的系统，

or in which we are complicit,

或是我们作为同谋，

contribute to inequity.

在哪些方面造成了不公平。

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

当他们促使我们 去反思我们的假设和信念时，

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

这将会让人很不舒服， 也很让人不安。

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

但如果我们改变 对孩子们叛逆的看法会怎样呢？

When our kids rebel --

当我们的孩子叛逆时——

when they thoughtfully push back against our ideas

当他们的想法跟我们的观点冲突

or the way that we do things,

或者做事方式相悖时，

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

如果我们选择把这视为 一个我们要做正确的事，

and that they're becoming liberated?

他们正在获得解放的信号呢？

I know it would be easier

我知道这会容易些，

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

如果他们的批判性思维技能能够 在更便利的方式中得到体现——

on their essays or their standardized tests --

如在他们的散文中或在标准测验中——

I get it --

我知道这点——

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

但便利和公正并不总是相伴而行。

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

当我们的孩子学会 辩证思考周围的世界，

they become the kinds of engaged citizens

他们会成为积极的公民

who will recognize and question injustice when they see it

识别和质疑他们看到的不公

and work to do something about it.

并努力采取行动。

Welcoming rebellion into our schools is going to require some rethinking

在学校中欢迎叛逆 将需要重新思考

about what teaching and learning look like,

教与学是什么样子，

because there's this misconception

因为存在这样一种误解，

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

如果我们给学生任何回旋的空间， 他们就会在我们爬到我们头上，

and classrooms and dinner tables will devolve into total chaos.

教室和餐桌就会陷入一片混乱。

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

如果我们期待孩子们静静坐着 被动接受我们传授的知识，

then their voices will always feel overwhelming.

那么他们的声音总会让人感到刺耳。

But if we accept instead that learning is sometimes messy,

但如果我们接受 学习有时候很混乱的事实，

that it requires opportunities to brainstorm and mess up

它需要不时头脑风暴， 把事情搞砸，

and try again,

再次尝试，

that our kids dislike chaos and want to learn

我们的孩子不喜欢混乱，

when they come to school,

想在上学的时候学习，

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

那么我们就可以建立学校 来促进这种学习。

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

所以帮我个忙，闭上眼睛一会，

and imagine schools where teachers are thought partners,

想象这样一个学校： 教师被视为合作伙伴，

letting students grapple with complex, hard issues

让学生解决复杂的难题，

and not necessarily giving them the right answers.

而不必给他们正确答案。

And imagine schools where we let students make choices --

想象一个我们会让学生 做选择的学校——

we trust them enough to do that

我们充分相信他们可以选择

and we let them experience the consequences of those choices.

并让他们体验这些选择的后果。

Imagine schools where we let students be humans,

想象这样一个学校： 我们让学生当人，

with all of the messiness and the uncertainty

他们身上的所有这些混乱和不确定

that is bound to come with that.

是必然的。

Whatever you just imagined,

不管你怎样想象，

it's not mythical,

这都不是神话，

it's not unrealistically idealistic,

不是不现实的理想主义，

because teachers all over the country are already pushing the boundaries

因为全国的教师已经在推倒

of what teaching and learning can look like

教和学的样子的边界，

with amazing results for kids.

给孩子们带来了惊人的结果。

They're doing that in all kinds of schools,

他们在各种各样的学校中这样做，

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

有无数的模式可以帮助老师更好地

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

帮助学生以一种更真实、

and engaging and empowering.

更有吸引力、 更可赋予力量的方式学习。

I was a reading a book recently,

我最近正在看一本书，

it's called "The Students Are Watching,"

书名叫《学生在看着》，

and it was by Ted and Nancy Sizer,

由泰德和南希·西泽尔所著，

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

在书中，他们指出教育工作

is often described as a series of nouns,

常被描述为一系列的名词，

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

如“尊重”、“诚实”、“正直”。

And they say those nouns sound really impressive,

他们说这些词听起来 真令人印象深刻，

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

但常常，它们在实践中 没有任何实际意义。

But verbs, they say, are "active,

但他们说，动词是“积极的，

no less demanding

要求同样高，

but requiring constant engagement.

但需要持续的参与。

Verbs are not structures but, rather, engines."

动词不是结构，而是引擎。”

And so as I read that, I wondered:

在读这本书的过程中，我在想：

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

作为教师，我们如何让公正 成为驱动我们工作的引擎？

What's the verb form of justice?

公正的动词形式是什么？

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

我想这个答案可能可以在 康乃尔·韦斯特的话中找到，

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

他那句话知名的话说道： “正义是公共领域的爱”

And all of my nerdy English teachers in the crowd

人群中我所有书虫英语老师

know that love can be a noun and a verb.

都知道爱可以是名词 也可以是动词。

School has to be bigger.

学校必须有更大的格局。

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

它的意义需要超过 “我只教我的学科”。

School has to be about teaching people

学校应该教人们

to change the world for the better.

如何把世界变得更好。

If we believe that,

如果我们相信这点，

then teaching will always be a political act.

那么教学就永远是一种政治行为。

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

我们不能害怕学生的力量。

Their power will help them make tomorrow better.

他们的力量将帮助 他们把明天变得更美好。

But before they can do that,

但在他们这么做之前，

we have to give them chances to practice today.

我们今天就需要给他们机会实践。

And that practice should start in our schools.

这个实践应该在我们学校开始。

Thank you very much.

非常感谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）