A Culture of Agency

All over the world, educators are increasingly recognizing the profound importance of agency in the life of the child. While there is much written about agency, there are precious few resources that are immediately accessible and speak directly to teachers. Reading A Culture of Agency feels more like a stimulating conversation with a colleague—one of those conversations that has you immediately wanting to get back into the classroom to put the many ideas into practice. Informed by a rich body of work in the field, combined with her own careful, classroom-based research, this book both validates and stretches the thinking of educators committed to championing the rights of the child.  

--Kath Murdoch, Teacher, Author, Education Consultant in Inquiry 

In A Culture Agency, Lisa Burman artfully shows teachers how to nurture agency, not only in their students, but also in themselves as teachers.  In today’s educational environment that is sometimes overly focused on test scores and standardization, Lisa provides a vision for educational experiences that respect teachers’ and students’ abilities to make important decisions. My greatest hope is this book inspires teachers to make thoughtful decisions themselves, rather than relying on someone, or some program, who has never met their students. This book is a must-read for all educators who care about children as thinkers. 

--Matt Glover, consultant and author of Craft and Process Studies 

I feel so honored to be asked to write this review for my friend and her wonderful, important book. It is because of Lisa that I first began to reflect on the importance of agency in the lives of children and their teachers. I am grateful for that spark and for all the theoretical and practical knowledge within the pages of A Culture of Agency. Built on relationships, the framework of rituals of belonging and identity, language of agency, environment, and learning contexts can be applied anywhere in the world, to any classroom. Read this book! It will be a transformational experience.  

--Dr. Diane Kashin, RECE

Now more than ever, children deserve a sense of control and joy as they learn. At a time when so many choices have been made for them, Lisa Burman invites us to recenter children. A Culture of Agency guides educators and caregivers alike to help communities of young learners build authentic relationships based on curiosity, connection, and self-worth. This timely reminder urges us to examine our intentions around engagement and build a true sense of belonging for children and ourselves. 

--Molly Wheeler, Assistant Professor, St. Catherine University's Early Childhood and Montessori Programs in St. Paul, MN