Blog # 8 Sex and Gender Based Systems

 I began my learning this week by watching the Youtube video: Woke Read Aloud: They, She, He, Easy as ABC

I love this teacher's tone, teaching style, and overall presence. They discuss pronoun usage and respect in a way that Kindergartener's can understand. They encourage children to respect what makes others feel good about themselves. They also remind children that they will make mistakes and that's okay! What matters is recognizing your error, correcting, and reflecting. I think videos like these are great examples to show other teachers how to talk about topics like these.

They also discusses the importance of communicating with peers and family. Communication is key to make sure feelings of respect are established.

Queering Our Schools: 

The question- "How do we create classrooms and

schools where each child, parent, and staff member’s unique, beautiful self

is appreciated and nurtured?"

-To build a community where no one is silenced, you must invite children to speak and ask questions without judgement. You must be prepared for the questions and equipped to handle what comes next. This is challenging, but possible. 

Karl Fleischmann: When speaking with children it is difficult to explain such topics as transgender/a-gender. Shift the focus to talking about how we are all different and being different is GOOD. As opposed to common belief that anything "other than" is a bad thing. 

"Emphasizing empathy is at the heart of creating safe spaces for everyone"

~ teaching children to think of others perspectives and feelings teaches them to be considerate in the classroom and in the real world. This skill is valuable. 

"Community is built by working through differences, not sweeping them under the rug".

The documentary below is a resource and example of how to speak with young people openly and objectively. This video is from 1996 so some terms are dated. However, it shows various examples of the importance of starting these conversations with elementary aged children- in doing so we ensure a safe place for all children. 

"Queering the curriculum" means to include topics and people related to LGBTQ+ in all subject areas. Much like the inclusion of diversity in all subject areas. 

This article argues that to improve social justice in the area of LGBTQ+ issues we must first create safe spaces for children AND adults, we must cultivate and teach empathy in our classrooms, and we must adapt our curriculum to include topics, descriptions, examples or LGBTQ+ issues and persons. We must allow for safe and meaningful conversations, questions, and discussion. 

Guidance for Rhode Island Schools on Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students- Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

My first thought in reading the title was that "non-conforming" has a negative connotation. It insinuates an act of disobedience- it reinforces the "not normal" ideologies. 

"the purpose of this guidance is to:

• Foster an educational environment that is safe and free from discrimination for all students, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression,

• Facilitate compliance with state and federal law concerning bullying, harassment, and discrimination,

• Reduce the stigmatization of and improve the educational integration of transgender and gender non-conforming students, maintaining the privacy of all students, and fostering cultural competence and professional development for school staff, and

• Support healthy communication between educators and parent(s)/guardian(s) to further the successful educational development and well-being of every student." (p.1)

  ..."all students, without exception, have the right to attend a school in which they feel safe and able to express their identity without fear." (p.3) 

  In May, 2001, Rhode Island became the second state in the country to explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression, thereby protecting transgender people from discrimination in employment, housing, credit, and public accommodations (R.I. Pub. L. 2001, ch. 340).👏👏👏👏👏👏

  "Some students may feel uncomfortable with a transgender student using the same sex-segregated restroom, locker room or changing facility. This discomfort is not a reason to deny access to the transgender student. School administrators and counseling staff should work with students to foster understanding of gender identity and to create a school culture that respects and values all students."

  
  

  -----this text was more challenging to get through for a few different reasons. The first, and most obvious, is that is more of a document than an article or narrative. It is literal and uses jargon that may not be easily understood by all. 

  I could not help by feeling saddened  by the text... while many of the points were evident and stated in order to protect children, it was saddening that this text must exist in order to ensure basic human rights for all students. I can't imagine the fight of a parent or an individual who is trying to survive within this educational system and the overall culture of the United States. It is saddening that the knowledge shared in this text is not a given. It reminds me to not take for granted my way of existing.