August
Tiffany Scoco
Corinne McKamey
FNED 346
10 October 2018
Safe spaces-Making schools and communities welcoming to LQBT youth. By Annemarie Vaccaro, Gerri August and Megan Kennedy.
Corinne McKamey
FNED 346
10 October 2018
Safe spaces-Making schools and communities welcoming to LQBT youth. By Annemarie Vaccaro, Gerri August and Megan Kennedy.
"Classrooms lay the foundations for an inclusive and safe society; a just community where common interests and individual differences coexist. To the extent that teachers, school administrators, and college professors create an atmosphere in which difference is not only tolerated but expected, explored, and embraced, students will be more likely to develop perspectives that result in respectful behaviors."
This quote is saying that classrooms should be open and accepting of all students. Classrooms are the first place young children go to grow and learn it should be welcoming to everyone no matter their differences. Teachers, administrators, and professors should all be open and accepting to their students. They should not be judgemental or rude to any students or allow other students to be rude or judgemental to each other. The teachers should create atmospheres that are a happy and healthy learning environment for all students. All students should feel welcomed and involved in the classroom. Its relevant to the text because the article is talking about classrooms and their impact on students.
“Justin a promising musician, was bullied because of his sexual orientation. He took his life after finishing his freshman year of high school. After Justin’s death, his mother campaigned to change district policies that required teachers to remain neutral regarding issues of sexual orientation. Tammy Aaberg named the problem: ‘most of the teachers and principals… mean well-they want to intervene. But the teachers still don’t know what they can and can’t do.’ LGBT students need advocacy and protection, not neutrality.”
This quote is saying that children are committing suicide because bullying in school is so bad for them they would rather kill themselves than live any longer. In Justin’s case he was bullied for his sexual orientation, but children can be bullied for just about any reason. Justin’s mother was trying to take a stand and help the schools become better places so no other child would commit suicide. She was fighting to change district policies saying that teachers can remain neutral on issues regarding sexual orientation, she wants teachers to no longer remain neutral, she wants them to stand up and depend LGBT students who are being bullied. Teachers should provide advocacy and protection to LGBT students. Its relevant to the text because the article is talking about teachers and their impact on students.
“Sexual orientation topics are entirely absent from nearly half our elementary teacher education programs in the United States. It is therefore unsurprising that LGBT people are largely absent from elementary curricula or classroom discussions.”
This quote is saying that elementary schools do not teach children about sexual orientation in the United States. Which if you think about it is the biggest reason for children in middle and high schools to not be accepting of other children who are LGBT. If they were taught in elementary school, at a young age what to expect and to be accepting of everyone no matter their sexual orientation then bullying would be as big a problem as it currently is. Its relevant to the text because the article is talking about teachers and lessons and their impact on students.
Talking point:
I think that all classrooms should be open and welcoming to all students no matter their race, gender or sexual orientation. A classroom is supposed to be a place of growth and learning not judgement and fear. As teachers we should aspire to have a classroom that all students feel happy, healthy and a safe place to learn. Bullying is a serious problem that needs to be fixed. Schools should be open to all students no matter their race, gender, or sexual orientation and bullying of any kind is unacceptable and needs to be stopped immediately. I also think that we should be teaching our students about sexual orientation in elementary school and how to be accepting of their peers so as they get older LGBT students will not get bullied as badly or hopefully at all and be accepted by their peers.
I love the last quote that you chose. I believe that this is a topic that should be taught in elementary schools because kids would be more familiar with it. Someone's sexual orientation does not define them as a person.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that this topic should be taught at a young age, that way students will become familiar with the LGBT community and will form the concept that sexual orientation or being transgender does not define you as a person.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that this topic should be taught to young children in school, so they will be familiar with people who are LGBT. They would learn that its okay to be different and wont judge people.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the subject should be taught at a young age. Acceptance starts at a young age and they need to be taught it before they encounter it in the real life and don't know how to process or react properly to the situation.
ReplyDeleteYou made a lot of valid points that I agree on. I definitely think students should be taught about sexual orientation at a young age.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your talking point, I think you made a lot of great points of how the classroom setting should be for LGBT
ReplyDelete