LGBTQ+

Discussing issues around LGBTQ+ may seem intimidating. It is often uncomfortable for not only the students but the teachers as well. However, it seems, at least to some extent, that it is the responsibility of the teachers to set the tone for how issues surrounding gender and sexual orientation will be addressed in the classroom. After all, the teacher sets the tone for the behavior that should be modeled in class.
    While exploring PBS NewsHour, I found many informative resources on topics of LGBTQ+. As a future educator, this can be a place I look towards for learning more personally, professionally, or for resources to utilize in a classroom setting. Here is the link-- http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/2015/06/teachers-guide-to-lgbt-youth-resources/ .

As teachers, it is important that we keep up with current events, as they are shaping our students development and the classrooms we teach in. For example, after perusing the PBS page I learned something quite pertinent to a future public secondary education teacher. Apparently, “In May, the Obama administration issued a directive to school districts across the country requiring them to accommodate transgender students and allow them to use bathrooms and locker rooms corresponding to their gender identity”. This directly effects the school climate and allows for a more comfortable area for all students. As a teacher, it is important that I continue to educate myself not just on LGBTQ+ issues, but the concerns of as many students as possible. This is just one example of the importance of educating yourself on current events surrounding education.

Comments

  1. Maria, I really appreciate your comments on the "tone" that a teacher sets. And this tone is expressed on so many levels, which is why we need to work to be aware of our own biases and address those of our students. These biases can subtly undermine the conscious tone we are trying to set. I like the directive from Obama. Unfortunately, there may have been some backwards movement in this area since he left.

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