When I read “A Mother Speaks Out” in Rethinking Our
Classrooms I almost cried. Obviously we
need to raise awareness about gay and lesbian issues to our students just as we
need to raise cultural awareness and racial understanding. I know that this can be a tricky subject, but
I think if we teach it in the same context as how we might teach about other
religions or holidays (we teach and provide information to educate but we don’t
participate in religious activities or celebrate holidays in a classroom
setting) then it is possible. I am curious to know what anybody else has to say
on this issue. Thoughts? Ideas?
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ReplyDeleteI too struggle with this topic. One thought that came to mind the other day is that when I think about this topic, it is usually in relation to student's parents, but not to students themselves. It seems silly now, but it wasn't until that day that I really thought about the possibility of my students being gay or lesbian. I think this was mainly because I was thinking about teaching in the K-2 grades, and I just didn't think that sexuality played that big of a role with children that young. This remains to be seen. In one of the classes this quarter we talked a lot about gender roles and how the expressed very early on. How would this affect someone that is still trying to figure out who they are? How can I encourage them to try on different roles without letting my personal beliefs be reflected in how what I say or how I act?
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