Blog #1: Understanding Gender Diversity
Hello everyone, and welcome to this week's blog covering the importance of gender diversity and inclusion in the classroom!
This module is definitely an exciting one to explore, although sometimes it can be challenging to navigate within a school environment. Children and young adults are all doing their best to succeed both academically and socially while also learning more about themselves and who they want to become. It is tricky to sift through the typical stresses of elementary, middle and high school. As teachers it is so crucial that we are aware of these harbored feelings that students may have, and are proactive and understanding when helping to guide them through their struggles. When it comes to gender studies, children are only just beginning to comprehend what that means and are exploring more about their own body and preferences. It is vitally important to allow for students to come into their own with positive support from the educators and have a safe environment to feel comfortable to do so. According to the article, "Students Exploring Gender Identity," there are a few simple "do's and don'ts," to keep in mind from the teacher perspective that will cultivate a safe space for students:
1. Model gender inclusive language and behavior.
Don’t categorize students by binary gender (e.g., line up by boys/girls).
2. Do: Implement policies for non-discrimination and anti-harassment for gender diverse students.
Don’t wait for issues to arise before addressing harassment and discrimination against gender diverse students.
3. Do: Maintain an open mind that gender identity is complex and each student’s identity is unique.
Don’t attempt to categorize students or draw conclusions about other qualities based on their gender expression.
4. Do: Respect students’ stories and allow them to inform people (peers, teachers, parents) in their own time and in their own way.
Don’t share information about gender identity without students’ permission. In particular, be aware that in a virtual learning environment (VLE) some students may have other people in the same learning space who are not aware of their gender identity.
5. Do: Recognize that, depending on home situations, in a VLE, some youth may feel limited in their ability to express their gender identity.
Don’t assume that students are equally comfortable expressing their gender identity at home and at school (whether in person or in VLE).
6. Do: Be aware of your own biases or assumptions that might send mixed messages to students.
Don’t assume students should behave or express their gender identities in certain ways.
7. Do: In the VLE, use your pronouns in your email signature and on your video screen. This communicates to students that you don’t make assumptions about pronouns and gender identity based on appearance alone, and that they can report the pronouns that they use.
Don’t require that every student use their preferred pronouns in their email or on screen, as they may not be ready to share these yet.
8. Do: In the VLE, invite students to change the name on their video screen to reflect the name that they would like to use during your class.
Don’t require that they use the name with which they are registered for school.
By understanding and following these helpful cues, you not only create a safe environment for gender exploration, but you also cultivate a play where racial inclusivity is at the forefront of the classroom. It boils down to respect and acceptance. Each one of those "do's" coincide with fundamental manners. In last week's module we learned a great deal about this. "Strategies for Embracing Anti-Racist Work in Our Classrooms," was one of the few websites that we explored and I found that we must have a general understanding of basic concepts like equity and respect in order to make for a nurturing environment. Overall, educators must always be cognizant and supportive of their students as they navigate tricky times throughout their educational experiences!
References:
Ferlazzo, L. (2020, July 28). Strategies for embracing anti-racist work in our classrooms. Ed Week.
Hey Kelly,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. As educators we need to make sure our students are safe and comfortable with who they are in the classroom. We want our students to enjoy themselves in class and interact with each other because you learn a lot from other people’s ideas. If the students interact in class and talk to each other they will be more comfortable in the classroom and become more confident in learning the material. In the classroom everyone is accepted no matter your sexuality, gender, or race. Every student is going to be treated with respect. You need to treat the students the way you want them to treat you. I really like the do’s and don’t list you created. It is really helpful for me and it makes it even more interesting that it is coming from a teacher’s perspective. Overall great post. I really learned a lot from this.
Hi Kelly! i enjoyed reading your blog! i think it was a good idea including the do's and dont's for future teachers to look upon when having a safe space in their classroom. as future educators we should all take into consideration of this list so there is no exclusion. i agree in one of the statements that says to be aware with what you say to others. its always good to take into consideration when talking about a certain topic of talking about someone. make sure you use the right pronouns. overall great blog!
ReplyDeleteHi Kelly! This was a great blog post! I feel like you demonstrated what a good blog post looks like for this class. To start off, I really liked the way that you added a Do and Don't list. This is a great resource for not only educators, but anyone who is interested in learning more about gender diversity. Something that you mentioned a couple of times in your post was about creating a safe space for students. This is something that I feel very strongly about as well and appreciate that other people can as well. When students feel safe, respected, listened to, etc, they are going to thrive and be able to learn more. Overall, this was a great post. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDelete