K-12 Classroom Educators

As a classroom teacher, it can be daunting to make sure you are creating a classroom culture that is inclusive for all of your students. This page of the website is dedicated to providing K-12 teachers with resources to competently work with students within the LGBTQ+ community. You will find professional development, lesson plan ideas, and tips for conducting courageous conversations in your classroom and school community.

Professional Development

Looking for professional development on this topic can be difficult. Teaching Tolerance at Tolerance.org offers four webinars for teachers. Each webinar can be taken on your own time and is completely free. You can even print a certificate of completion to turn in for professional development credits. To participate in the webinars, select the button on the right.

Here are a few that address LGBQ+ Topics:

LGBTQ Best Practices: Classroom Culture and Curriculum
Let's Talk! Discussing Gender in the Classroom
Religious Freedom and LGBTQ Equality
Gender Savvy: Creating an Inclusive School Climate.

Webinars. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.tolerance.org/professional-development/webinars

Webinars

Lesson Plan Ideas

Here you will find several lesson plan ideas on how to teach about gender stereotypes, the role of gay men and lesbian women during the Civil Rights Era, ways to reduce gender stereotypes, as well as teaching with the anti-bias framework. The anti-bias framework is part of Teaching Tolerances's Perspective Curriculum. There are four domains identified in the framework: identity, diversity, justice and action. Select the title of the lesson plan for a direct link to the lesson.

What are Gender Stereotypes?In this lesson, students will think about characteristics they ascribe to either boys or girls. They will learn about the idea of “stereotypes” and will consider whether gender stereotypes are fair or unfair. They will also discuss how it feels to not conform to socially defined gender norms.

Image: http://sweetclipart.com/rainbow-colored-raised-hands-969

What are Gender Stereotypes? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.tolerance.org/classroom-resources/tolerance-lessons/what-are-gender-stereotypes

Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fibonacciblue/4838653911

The Role of Gay Men and Lesbians in the Civil Rights MovementMost history textbooks lack inclusion of the significant contributions LGBT African-Americans made to the civil rights movement. This series introduces students to four LGBT people of African descent with whom they may not be familiar, yet who were indispensable to the ideas, strategies and activities that made the civil rights movement a successful political and social revolution.

The Role of Gay Men and Lesbians in the Civil Rights Movement. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.tolerance.org/classroom-resources/tolerance-lessons/the-role-of-gay-men-and-lesbians-in-the-civil-rights-movement

Analyzing Gender Stereotypes in MediaThis lesson helps students analyze and critique messages about gender that they get from various media. Students will focus on toys and toy advertisements, challenging themselves to think past what advertisements tell them about their gender identity.

Image: https://stream.org/lgbt-ideological-seduction-children/

Analyzing Gender Stereotypes in Media. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.tolerance.org/classroom-resources/tolerance-lessons/analyzing-gender-stereotypes-in-media

Image: https://www.cherrypoint.marines.mil/Photos/igphoto/2001784521/

Four PerspectivesA strategy to introduce the anti-bias framework into group discussion and textual analysis. Students respond to and pose questions from the four anti-bias domains: identity, diversity, justice and action.

Four Perspectives. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.tolerance.org/classroom-resources/teaching-strategies/community-inquiry/four-perspectives

Role Plays to Reduce Gender StereotypesThis lesson offers role plays and essential questions to guide students as they participate. Children have a chance to use creative, dramatic expression to consider not only the roots of gender stereotypes, but also their consequences and strategies for counteracting them.

Image: https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/the-good-life-lying-to-children/

Exploring Gender Stereotypes Through Role Plays. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.tolerance.org/classroom-resources/tolerance-lessons/role-plays-to-reduce-gender-stereotypes

Tips For Conducting Courageous Conversations in Your Classroom

Killermann, S., & Killermann, S. (2018, December 11). The Genderbread Person v4. Retrieved from https://www.itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2018/10/the-genderbread-person-v4/

Courageous Conversations

Sometimes having class discussions about sensitive topics can be daunting for teachers and students alike. Here are a few tips for initiating meaningful, inclusive conversations about LGBTQ+ topics or other tricky issues.

5 tips to engage students in courageous conversations. (2018, September 06). Retrieved from https://www.eschoolnews.com/2018/09/07/5-tips-to-engage-students-in-courageous-conversations/

How to Have Difficult Conversations About Diversity. (2017, October 23). Retrieved from https://blog.xyplanningnetwork.com/advisor-blog/how-to-have-difficult-conversations-about-diversity