“Social justice education needs to be in the fabric of our daily teaching work because every day social injustice is woven into the fabric of our students’ lives.”  

                                                     – Terezia Zoric

I consider myself one of what the Internet calls a “social justice warrior.” My passion lies in fighting for the end of injustice, mainly through spreading awareness, presenting different perspectives to ongoing conversations, and living a life that champions social justice in every aspect. Though “social justice warrior” is a monicker I embrace as a human fighting for the rights of all people, the connotation is often one of nuisance rather than praise, dismissal rather than acceptance. I aim to change that perception, to encourage others to take up causes that they’re passionate about and pursue them to the fullest.

Activism is also a term shrouded in derision. In the age of the World Wide Web, that provides a soapbox for every person, place or thing to spout their brand of social justice, the very definition of activism is thrown into chaos. No longer are the cliched hippies with poster board or canvassers ringing your doorbell the faces of activism: it includes regular, ordinary people on a platform that is arguably the greatest social awareness tool every created.

I set myself a task to explore activism and whether it has a place in the primary classroom. In British Columbia, I’m lucky to be working with a new curriculum that removes barriers and weaves social justice throughout all learning, but I’m aware that obstacles still exist for a lot of teachers. Therefore, my inquiry question is,

What can social justice education through an activist lens in the primary classroom look like?

To follow my journey as I inquire further, please feel free to peruse my reflection posts here, and share your thoughts! I love collaborating with others, especially other social justice warriors!

Here is an evolving list of resources for teachers I have encountered during my research.