FROM COMPLIANCE TO EMPOWERMENT
“ The classroom, in turn, acts as a microcosm of the larger society: a place where ideas can be challenged, helping students develop the skills needed to engage thoughtfully with the world.”
thought— moving away from unquestioned authority and toward personal analysis. Just as historians are now encouraged to evaluate history critically, students in classrooms must be empowered to question authority and ideas, testing them for merit. The classroom, in turn, acts as a microcosm of the larger society: a place where ideas can be challenged, helping students develop the skills needed to engage thoughtfully with the world. Orwell’ s quote,“ The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history,” underscores the importance of this understanding. Over time, I’ ve come to realize that critical reflection on both past and present events reveals recurring patterns in human behavior, particularly the“ will to power,” as Nietzsche described. This dynamic plays out daily in classrooms, where authority must be negotiated— asserted at times, and relinquished at others. However, this will to power should not be misconstrued as promoting dominance over others, but encouraging students to harness their inner drive to think critically, challenge ideas, and develop their own sense of purpose. It’ s about empowering them to take charge of their own intellectual and personal growth. The challenge is that authority is most vulnerable in an environment of critical thinking, where anything, including authority itself, can be questioned. So, how do we navigate this?
1. Engage with student pushback and embrace the opportunity to sharpen your own understanding. In my conversations with fellow educators, I’ ve never heard,“ The problem in my classroom is that the students don’ t question my authority.” The opposite is often true:“ The students won’ t follow the rules.” This is where we must lean in. Students are naturally curious, and they will question, rebel, and challenge. Instead of avoiding this pushback, we must help them understand the why behind the rules, even if we don’ t always agree with them. The reasoning behind rules typically falls into three categories: safety, learning, or tradition. But what happens when there’ s no clear reasoning at all? It’ s essential not to confuse inarticulate curiosity with thoughtless resistance.
2. Believe in student voice and look beyond the grievance. When students feel something is unjust, they are often at their most passionate. I once worked with a group of female student council members frustrated by a policy requiring
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CSEE Connections Summer 2025 Page 13