Supporting LGBTQ Students
When you think about the "culture" that makes culturally relevant teaching, too often we think of race and ethnicity. However, culture is much more than the color of your skin. Even within one race there is a wide variety of unique cultures. To try to simplify what "culture" means, I even tried to to go to the trusty ol' google and found that it is clearly not that simple. Try it for yourself - I can't even begin to summarize. The definition that I connected with most of all was this one:
As an educator, I have found that GLSEN (www.glsen.org) is a phenomenal resource full of information, readings, lesson ideas, and ways to support a safe place for all students in school. They have resources for students, for teachers, about policy, and a notable amount of research as well. Go to their website to download free resources, or get ideas for No-Name Calling Week toward the end of January 2017!
As you review these resources, ask yourself,
- A culture is a way of life of a group of people--the behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols that they accept, generally without thinking about them, and that are passed along by communication and imitation from one generation to the next.
As an educator, I have found that GLSEN (www.glsen.org) is a phenomenal resource full of information, readings, lesson ideas, and ways to support a safe place for all students in school. They have resources for students, for teachers, about policy, and a notable amount of research as well. Go to their website to download free resources, or get ideas for No-Name Calling Week toward the end of January 2017!
As you review these resources, ask yourself,
- What have I done to create a safe space for all students in my school?
- What else can I do to serve as an ALLY to students who may not have one?
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