The Human in Geography: Holding Space for Hard Truths

This piece draws on an article originally published as "The Human in Geography" on the Geographical Association's blog, 23 March 2026.

I recently spent an hour with the geography teachers of the Girls Learning Trust at Wallington Girls School, south of London. My case, as an educational psychologist rather than a geographer, was simple: young people's agency grows when they feel seen, heard, and emotionally held while we teach them age-appropriate truths about the planet.

This matters most in climate education, where the emotional load is significant and often unspoken. One teacher put it plainly: "We're so focused on getting through all the content that we don't make time for talking about how it makes us feel… we leave climate till the end of Year 11 because it's such a complex issue. We should put it at the beginning and give more space to consider how we feel."

We talked through the obstacles teachers face:

Limited time and authority for sustainability leads

Most schools now have someone responsible for their Climate Action Plan, but the role is usually squeezed into an already full timetable, with little authority to secure even modest changes. The risk of burnout is real. My argument: supporting young people starts with our own inner work. Unless teachers feel supported themselves, and have space to process their own feelings, we risk projecting our fears into our teaching rather than holding space for pupils' concerns. A whole-school commitment to genuine climate action sends a powerful signal to pupils: we care about your future, and we're doing something about it.

Conspiracy theories and inherited denial

Some pupils arrive with climate-related conspiracy narratives, often absorbed from family or online spaces. Climate psychology helps here — we all want to be soothed into believing "things will be okay." Challenging misinformation without undermining family relationships is delicate work. It takes patience and a commitment to critical thinking over confrontation.

Apathy and the gap between outrage and action

Many students express outrage at global events but struggle to translate that into everyday behaviour. Understanding ourselves as part of a collective effort — where small actions add up and influence others — can help bridge that gap.

For engaged young people, the emotional weight can be heavy, particularly around global inequality. Girls, in particular, report higher levels of eco-anxiety and face disproportionate impacts worldwide. Many families are also navigating real financial pressure, where sustainability can feel like a luxury. This shapes how we need to talk about personal responsibility — sensitively, and with an awareness that those who can do more carry a greater responsibility to do so.

None of this is unusual, and none of it should be faced by teachers alone. It's exactly why I believe every teacher — not just those in science and geography — needs training in climate literacy, climate psychology, and emotional facilitation. Content and feeling both matter. When we hold space for both, we help young people move from anxiety toward agency, from overwhelm toward courage. In doing so, we get closer to the real heart of geography: the experience of being human in a changing world.