The Ant Revolution: Helping Students & Teachers Embody Their Power (Inspired by A Bug's Life)

Kelley P Spence, PhD
4 days ago
6 min read

In one of my all time favorite movies, the 1998 Pixar film A Bug’s Life, it seems like the grasshoppers have all the power. They’re bigger, louder, and fueled by fear and control. But by the end of the story, we see the truth: it was the ants who held the power all along — they just didn’t know it.

That’s the heart of what our teens & young adults — and our teachers & communities — need to remember perhaps now more than ever before.

The Ants, the Grasshoppers, and the Power of “We”

At the beginning of the movie, the ants believe the grasshoppers are in charge and blindly follow their orders. The ant colony works tirelessly, puts their own needs aside, follows the rules set by the grasshoppers and those in charge, and shrinks themselves just to stay safe. One “mistake” (Flik’s invention going wrong) feels catastrophic, because the system tells them they’re powerless and replaceable.

But the turning point comes when the ants realize:

There are many more ants than grasshoppers (which the grasshoppers already know).
The grasshoppers’ control depends on the ants staying afraid and disconnected.
When the ants push back and act together, they can change the entire system.

Sound familiar?

In our schools, it can feel like the “grasshoppers” are:

Standardized, one-size-fits-all tests and curriculum
Policies made far from the classroom – without any input from the classroom (teachers or students)
Endless demands, data, changes, stress, and pressure

Teachers and students can start to feel small, like their role is just to comply, perform, and “get through” the school day and school year. But just like the ants, this is only part of the story.

Teachers as “Flik”: The Brave (and Imperfect) Innovators

The main character, Flik, is awkward, creative, and constantly “doing too much” for the comfort of those who want to keep things the same in the ant colony. His inventions don’t always work, and he gets blamed when things go wrong. But his greatest contribution isn’t a perfect invention — it’s his vision, imagination, and determination to make a positive difference for all the ants (not just a select few).

He dares to imagine something different.

Teachers are often the “Fliks” of the education world:

Trying new ways to connect with students
Questioning, “Why do we do it this way?”
Risking failure because they care more about students than their own wellbeing

And just like Flik, it’s easy to internalize the message: “If I don’t fit the mold and just go with the structures assigned to me (even if I know it’s not the best thing), maybe I’m the problem.”

But here’s the truth: your willingness to try, reflect, and try again is exactly what shifts classrooms from compliance to connection. It is also what students need and want more of, and what they deserve. Your presence, your creativity, and your courage to teach in brain-wise, human-centered ways quietly rewire what “school” can feel like for your students.

Helping Students See Their “Ant Power”

One of the most powerful teaching opportunities in A Bug’s Life is helping students see themselves as the ants — not as victims, but as part of an empowered collective group of potential changemakers.

You might invite them to reflect:

Who are the “grasshoppers” in your world — the forces that make you feel small, stuck, or powerless?
Where have you been told you “just have to accept” something, even if it feels unfair or outdated?
Where do you already have more power than you think — in your choices, your voice, your friendships, your community?

From there, teachers can gently guide their students toward a new story:

One student speaking up about a hurtful remark can change the tone of a class and bring greater awareness to a situation that may or may not have been intentional.
A group of students and teachers organizing a purposeful kindness or inclusion effort can change the culture of an entire school – and community.
A classroom learning to regulate stress and listen deeply to one another can model a different way of being for students both in and outside of the classroom - to share with others in their families and communities.

Just like the ants, our students may not realize the power they hold — until someone helps them see it, embrace it, and practice using it every single day.

That “someone” is often you – their hardworking teachers (particularly during adolescence).

Why This Matters for Teacher Wellbeing

In the movie, the ants only stand up to the grasshoppers when they remember who they are and what they can do when they work together.

Teachers need that same reminder - today more than ever.

You may not control policy, testing schedules, or the latest initiative — but you do hold tremendous influence over:

The emotional climate of your classroom.
The way students see themselves and each other inside your classroom.
How safe, seen, and heard adolescents feel in your presence.
Whether your classroom becomes a place of stress, or a place of calm and possibility.

These are not small things. They are life-shaping, life-changing.

Every time you:

Pause instead of react
Listen instead of dismiss
Connect before you correct
Teach to the brain instead of pushing through stress
Help students learn how to regulate their nervous system
Model well-being and healthy habits in your classroom
Smile and make a student feel welcome and seen

…you are quietly challenging the “grasshopper” narrative that school must be high-pressure, fear-based, stressful, and a merry-go-round of doing more, more, and more (without it ever being enough). You’re modeling a different way to hold power: one rooted in calm, curiosity, kindness, presence, and compassion.

Inviting Students Into a Different Story

What I love most about A Bug’s Life is that in the end, it’s not a single hero saving the day. It is a community of ants standing together and embodying their shared power and connection that secures their triumph over the grasshoppers.

Although this is technically labelled as a “kids” movie, don’t dismiss the power of its messaging for both you and your adolescent and young adult students.

Consider showing it in your classroom (or as a homework assignment), where you can:

Use the film as a springboard for discussion:
- “Where do you see power used to control?”
- “Where do you see power used to protect and uplift?”
- “What kind of ‘ant’ do you want to be in your school, family, or community?”
- “Which character in the movie did you most relate to and why?”
- “Are there other characters who reminded you of people in your life and how, if applicable, did that change the way you view them?”
Help students name their strengths and values, and how they can use them in real life to make changes and improvements for themselves and others.
Highlight and celebrate even small acts of courage, kindness, and leadership.

You’re not just helping your students pass a test. You’re helping them rehearse how to show up in the real world outside of your classroom regardless of "grasshopper" behaviors — as thinkers, feelers, citizens, influencers, and positive changemakers.

From Chaos to Connection, One Classroom at a Time

In a world that often feels dominated by “grasshoppers” — loud voices, fear, stress, and pressure — it can be easy to forget that real, sustainable change almost always starts with the “ants”: the many, the overlooked, the undervalued, the everyday choices of ordinary people.

As a teacher, you are in the perfect position to:

Reclaim your own sense of power and purpose.
Offer students a new lens on their own capacity for empowered change and authenticity.
Build a classroom culture where calm, connection, kindness, and courage are the expected norm — not the exception.

You don’t have to fix the whole system to make a meaningful difference. You begin where you are: one student, one conversation, one small shift at a time.

Just like in A Bug’s Life, the moment the ants remember who they are, everything changes around them.

When you and your students remember your power — your “ant power” — the classroom becomes not just a place to survive, but a place to grow, to heal, to thrive, and to imagine something better - together.

At the end of A Bug’s Life, the grasshoppers don’t magically disappear—the story does. The story that the ants are weak, replaceable, and dependent on fear finally collapses. A new story begins: one of shared power, courage, and community.

That’s the story we have the chance to write with our students every day.

If you’re ready to make that shift in your own classroom, here are a few next steps:

Join me in our online, self-paced education course, The Engaged Classroom to learn how to build calm, connected, brain-aligned learning spaces.
Get your copy of The Voice of the Student to hear directly from adolescents about what helps them thrive and how they really want their classrooms to be.
Visit thevoiceofthestudent.com for free resources, updates, and support on your journey.