News and Events => Opinions & Editorials => Topic started by: Shana A on December 21, 2011, 10:34:32 AM Return to Full Version
Title: One teachers approach to preventing gender bullying in a classroom
Post by: Shana A on December 21, 2011, 10:34:32 AM
Post by: Shana A on December 21, 2011, 10:34:32 AM
December 16, 2011
One teachers approach to preventing gender bullying in a classroom
"It's Okay to be Neither," By Melissa Bollow Tempel
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melissa-bollow-tempel/teaching-gender-variant-children_b_1163459.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melissa-bollow-tempel/teaching-gender-variant-children_b_1163459.html)
http://togetherforjacksoncountykids.tumblr.com/post/14314184651/one-teachers-approach-to-preventing-gender-bullying-in (http://togetherforjacksoncountykids.tumblr.com/post/14314184651/one-teachers-approach-to-preventing-gender-bullying-in)
Allison was biologically a girl but felt more comfortable wearing Tony Hawk long-sleeved T-shirts, baggy jeans, and black tennis shoes. Her parents were accepting and supportive. Her mother braided her hair in cornrows because Allie thought it made her look like Will Smith's son, Trey, in the remake of The Karate Kid. She preferred to be called Allie. The first day of school, children who hadn't been in Allie's class in kindergarten referred to her as "he."
I didn't want to assume I knew how Allie wanted me to respond to the continual gender mistakes, so I made a phone call home and Allie's mom put me on speakerphone.
"Allie," she said, "Ms. Melissa is on the phone. She would like to know if you want her to correct your classmates when they say you are a boy, or if you would rather that she just doesn't say anything."
Allie was shy on the phone. "Um ... tell them that I am a girl," she whispered.
One teachers approach to preventing gender bullying in a classroom
"It's Okay to be Neither," By Melissa Bollow Tempel
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melissa-bollow-tempel/teaching-gender-variant-children_b_1163459.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melissa-bollow-tempel/teaching-gender-variant-children_b_1163459.html)
http://togetherforjacksoncountykids.tumblr.com/post/14314184651/one-teachers-approach-to-preventing-gender-bullying-in (http://togetherforjacksoncountykids.tumblr.com/post/14314184651/one-teachers-approach-to-preventing-gender-bullying-in)
Allison was biologically a girl but felt more comfortable wearing Tony Hawk long-sleeved T-shirts, baggy jeans, and black tennis shoes. Her parents were accepting and supportive. Her mother braided her hair in cornrows because Allie thought it made her look like Will Smith's son, Trey, in the remake of The Karate Kid. She preferred to be called Allie. The first day of school, children who hadn't been in Allie's class in kindergarten referred to her as "he."
I didn't want to assume I knew how Allie wanted me to respond to the continual gender mistakes, so I made a phone call home and Allie's mom put me on speakerphone.
"Allie," she said, "Ms. Melissa is on the phone. She would like to know if you want her to correct your classmates when they say you are a boy, or if you would rather that she just doesn't say anything."
Allie was shy on the phone. "Um ... tell them that I am a girl," she whispered.
Title: Re: One teachers approach to preventing gender bullying in a classroom
Post by: Jamie D on December 22, 2011, 02:22:59 AM
Post by: Jamie D on December 22, 2011, 02:22:59 AM
Nice article. Thanks for posting it.