LGBTQ+ topics in the classroom starts with LGBTQ+ topics in the curriculum

This project seeks to opens up conversations about normalizing LGBTQ+ themes in classrooms as a way to not only make LGBTQ+ students comfortable, but also to ensure that their heterosexual cisgender counter parts and also comfortable with such topics. When I started this project two months into my Year 2 Practicum placement, I had hoped to find places within and across Ontario curriculums for positive LGBTQ+ representation that would in turn work towards creating a school space where LGBTQ+ students can feel wholly comfortable to be themselves.

Following my six-week practicum block and the subsequent once weekly days in the classroom where I understand more about the students and the community, my focus for this project shifted slightly. Going into the project, I hadn’t considered how the trust and relationship between the educator and students would affect the way that LGBTQA+ topics can be broached in the classroom. My photo project now challenges me and other educators to make changes to the herteronormative way that curriculum might present gender and sexual identities to their students, while also considering the sort of environment that the classroom needs to have to support their discussions.

The above picture is a screenshot of a stock market activity that my associate teacher and I ran during the last week of school in December. As part of the financial literacy strand, students were given opportunity to buy, sell, and trade stocks. This google sheets was projected onto the board every math class so the students could see how the stock value would go up and down and how that would affect their total assets. It was a very fun, very interactive week of lessons, but that’s not the point of the picture.

I wanted to share this picture because while he was making the rows and stocks, my associate teacher said, “I love putting in a subtle rainbow.” While it has multiple meanings the rainbow is of course one of the most obvious symbols of the LGBTQA+ community and-- speaking from experience-- a symbol that’s also a subtle way for members of the community to come together around. What I mean by that is, seeing a rainbow in mundane places gives a subtle nod to the LGBTQ+ community and often signals that it's a safe space. An outright flag is great also, but where that doesn’t fit, colour coding your spreadsheets works as well.

This image features a screenshotted tweet by @elierlick, who is an LGBTQA+ activist. The tweet has almost 20k RTs and over 60k likes, and that’s not counting the amount of shares it has on platforms off of Twitter. This screenshot was sent to me by a friend along with the caption, “this is going to make me cry,” which is a statement of high praise coming from this particular friend.

The picture that’s attached in the tweet is an anonymous survey that teachers can use to ensure that they are respecting and validating their students’ identities in a way that’s safe for the student if they’re not out. These are basic questions about the students’ pronouns, preferred name, who the teacher can use the names or pronouns in front of, and some basic hobby questions. The second picture is an extension of that survey, formatted slightly different from transstudent.org. Both of these surveys serve the same purpose of ensuring that students know that your classroom is a safe space. The pronoun and preferred name questions are simple questions that might open up the door for conversation about pronouns with students and also normalize the idea that not every one identifies with the gender that people automatically see them as. This also creates a space where students are introduced to concepts of gender identities outside of the sex ed curriculum, again normalizing the concept so it’s not overtly sexualized.

The pictures that I chose for this project fall around the theme of LGBTQ+ content in the classroom and normalizing such topics. In my experience, there’s space in classrooms and curriculum to open up conversations but these conversations are not to be taken lightly. These are also conversations that should happen once a relationship has been built and established.

The pictures I chose for this project took me a little ways away from my initial problem tree, where I had planned to look specifically at the Ontario curriculums to see places where LGBTQ+ topics could fit. My pictures however brought me towards a more nuanced understanding of what LGBTQ+ content might look like in a classroom setting.

The two pictures that I’ve shared in this blog post show both a subtle way of making LGBTQA+ students comfortable in a class and a not-so-subtle way.

Picture 2 shows the subtle ways that a teacher can help make LGBTQ+ students comfortable in their classroom and picture 3 shows the not so subtle ways that a teacher can accomplish the same thing.

Further Resources

The following resources are websites of programs that are available for junior and intermediate level students to explore LGBTQ+ topics. I’ve only personally interacted with the educational resources at the Centre for Sexuality in Calgary and their educators and programs inspired me and the direction I wanted my teaching practice to take. I was recommended to check out The 519 when I asked a colleague about Ontario based groups and I’m intrigued by the Glitterbug Program that promotes inclusion and affirms gender diverse families. The Family Services Ottawa website has a link to a community based service that supports LGBTQ+ individuals around Ottawa.

• The 519- Glitterbug Program. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2021, from https://www.the519.org/programs/glitterbug

• School education program objectives. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2021, from https://www.centreforsexuality.ca/programs-workshops/school-based-education/school-education-program-objectives

• LGBTTQ+ around the rainbow. (2020, November 13). Retrieved February 17, 2021, from https://familyservicesottawa.org/children-youth-and-families/around-the-rainbow