Blog post #1 Module three: understanding gender diversity
Gender diversity is becoming more intertwined with the education system as well as diversity in general and it is important to take a deep dive into the facts of diversity as new educators.
As we have seen the Genderbread person, and the concepts of understanding each part of gender, this chart outlines gender identities and what exactly each of them stand for. It is important to understand each of these gender identities so that everyone can feel respected, especially when in the classroom.
As we take a look into the American Psychological Association (APA), we can see all that it offers about learning the correct language and explaining what each of the gender identities are. The section “What can teachers do?” is a really effective way of helping new educators become more aware and better learners of this information so that they can help their students when needed. One takeaway from this list would be the first set of rules “Don’t categorize students by binary gender (e.g., line up by boys/girls).” It is very important to be aware of how we are addressing the students, and make sure they are addressed as a whole and not into groups.
The Respect Online Course is “a really good way of letting more people become aware of the responsibility of sexual health as well as preventing various sexually transmitted diseases from spreading such as HIV as well as pregnancy among the LGBTQ.” This course helps educators become more knowledgeable on this topic so that they can help address any issues that may come their way.
The Pronoun Guide is a really good tool to have as well. This is important to understand as when having a conversation with someone, you want to make sure the correct pronouns are being used. Especially when it comes to a student who is still exploring gender diversity and is maybe unsure what pronouns best fit them. It is important to learn gender diversity as it shows the students that you care for them and accept them for who they are.
Personal thoughts
In recent years there has been more talk about diversity and making sure that everyone is included especially when it comes to being in school. It is very important that as teachers we become aware of all the factors that students may be going through and make sure that we are showing them respect just as we want them to respect us. Gender identity has been made more aware to educators as this is something important to know about in the classroom as well as outside the classroom, so that everyone can feel comfortable in their own learning space. In a school setting it is very easy for students who are still figuring out their identity to feel out of place or that they are different from everyone else and that they may not be socially accepted by their peers or educators. It is important as educators that everyone feels safe in school as well as in their own skin.
References:
Feminist Elizabethan. (n.d.). For the iron lady- A blog that discusses and analyzes pop culture and social issueshttps://feministelizabethan.com/feminist-memes/gender-identities/
Students Exploring Gender Identity. APA mental health primers (n.d.). https://www.apa.org/ed/schools/primer/gender-identity
The Respect Online course. Preventing health risks and promoting healthy outcomes among lesbian gay bisexual transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) students. (n.d.). https://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/programs/safe-supportive/training/respect-online-course
Pronoun Guide. (n.d.). https://www.glsen.org/activity/pronouns-guide-glsen