SOGI 1 2 3 - Learning Module - Curriculum Resources
Episode Stats
Words per Minute
160.45258
Summary
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (SOGI) issues need to be talked about in schools, especially in primary, primary and secondary schools. In this episode, we talk about how to talk about SOGI issues in schools and how to integrate them into the curriculum.
Transcript
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One thing that really surprised me was our Scholastic Book Fair this year actually had a table for diversity.
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And I was able to purchase some books on new immigrants, refugees, as well as the book Red, which is one of my favorite books, Michael Hall.
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It's written a kid's picture book about a crayon who comes dressed in a label, which is red, but he's really blue.
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When I read it to a group of grade two threes, one of the kids at the end put up his hand and said,
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I think this book is about transgender. I think that crayon's a transgender character.
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And then another kid says, maybe the author's transgender. I'm like, maybe.
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Like, it was just a neat conversation that I wouldn't have had five years ago.
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The revised BC curriculum has left a lot of scope for teachers to really personalize for their students
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and personalize for themselves what it is they're going to teach.
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There's scope for embracing diversity. There's certainly scope for creating safer classrooms.
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So it's really important that more and more examples are introduced in various curriculum areas at age-appropriate levels.
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And so that that becomes normalized in the everyday stories that are told in classrooms, both by teachers and by children,
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People say that the curriculum is what we teach, but it's also what we leave out.
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And it sends a message to students when certain things are left out.
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It's appropriate at all grade levels to talk about both sexual orientation and gender identity,
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I think administrators and teachers in schools can best support students around SOGI issues
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if they just make it public that they're supportive.
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Whether or not that's taking a moment to talk about the history of it,
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because we know pink shirt is rooted in a case where there was a gay student who was bullied
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Those things need to be talked about in conjunction with SOGI policies.
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And talking about things like pronouns, saying, you know, these are the pronouns I use.
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This is why we're going to talk about pronouns.
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Figuring out those clever ways to integrate those things into their lessons.
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Are you talking about pronouns in your English grammar lesson?
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Here's a great time to talk about the they pronoun and how it was Miriam Webster's word of the year in 2016 or 15.
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And this is how language has changed and evolved and why that's important, right?
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So just finding those ways to talk about gender when it comes up and to really be leaders for their young people.
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Well, I think a lot of students are interested in talking about homophobia or transphobia or LGBTQ2 plus politics,
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because I think in general, a lot of students dislike current events.
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I mean, there's a lot of current events around bathroom rights, around other countries in the world
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where people are being executed or tortured for being queer.
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Textbooks written a while ago that are used in classes might not be up to date that discuss SOGI-related issues.
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And I think this is the opportunity that teachers and administrators have,
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is to bring in current events that are affecting students who might be trans or queer.
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I think when we're talking about sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms and in schools,
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it's more of how do we treat the subject with as much dignity and respect as we do any other kind of relationship.
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When we talk about, you know, whether it be kindergarten to grade 7,
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talking about home life and relationships between, you know, your mom and your dad.
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Maybe this child has two moms and maybe this child has two dads.
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It's the same thing. We're talking about relationships.
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The way I approach these topics with early primary students often begins with a book.
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It is in the curriculum for us to talk about family and family diversity,
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and that's a really natural way to talk about it.
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And at their age, 6 and 7, they're remarkably open and accepting if that's the tone that is set.
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So it's actually not as difficult as it seems, I don't think.
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Don't be afraid to start with the younger grades.
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There's everything in between, and there are different types of families.
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And the kids are old enough to learn about that and to be accepting of each other's differences.
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A family can be made up in many different ways.
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Robin's family is made up of her dad, Clifford, and his partner, Henry.
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And usually in kindergarten, like right off the bat, the house centre and the dress-ups are very popular.
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And many, many times I've had children who go and choose dress-ups that aren't stereotypical.
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And immediately I'm intervening and educating to help everybody be respectful
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and allow people to choose how they want to dress up and how they want to use their imaginations
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There are people whose gender might be a little bit of both or might even be neither.
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All girls like playing with dolls. Is that a stereotype?
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You know, in my class they're 12 and 13 years old
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and they really haven't had this form of education in gender identity.
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This morning we have a brand new book in our library called 10,000 Dresses
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and we're going to be showing it to you on the screen up there
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I think it's about a guy who wants to wear a dress
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And I was wondering if you would buy me a dress just like that.
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Okay, so we're going to pause for the middle part
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and there's probably other people in the school
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and then I'll tell her that there'll be a GSA club
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so she can be herself there if she wants to come there.
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So with the grade 11s, we did a slam poetry unit
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to this idea of exploring identity, being vulnerable
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One big thing that I've tried to take on this year
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And when I was doing it with my students this year,
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not only for teaching about sex ed and sexual health,