Including gender expansive & non-binary students

Concrete strategies

for the classroom

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By Mx. Kate Fractal

Who am I?

• Math & Computer Science Teacher K-8
• Presenter
• Here: Polyamory, Risk-awareness & consent
• Queer
• Raised by lesbians: Girls are the active ones
• Female, but not serious about it
• Dates non-binary people
• Enjoys board gaming & square dancing
• Online: Katefractal.com @optimizingke

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Who are Brian & Ari??

• Autistic
• Multiple Transition transgender person
• Teaches in Martial Arts & Aquatics

• Fabulous
• Non-binary
• Software Engineer

Expectations

• Take care of yourselves.
• Leave if you need to.
• Take care of each other.
• Speak from “I”.
• Listen with an open heart.
• Respect confidentiality.
• This is a space for learning
• Active participation
• All questions are welcome.

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Who are we?

What does gender-expansive / non-binary mean?

• Adjectives (usually describing people)
• Non-binary or genderqueer
• Any gender identity that is not exclusively masculine or feminine‍
• Gender-expansive
• An umbrella term describing any gender that broaden cultural norms
• Examples...

Breaking Down Gender

Gender is

• Multi-dimensional
• Spectrums
• Can change over time
• Both internal and social
• Complex!

These students are here

• Estimates of number of gender-expansive students range from 3%[2] to 27%[3].
• 35% of teens personally know someone who uses gender-neutral pronouns[1].

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• Do we know?
• What assumptions need to change?

What are we already doing?

• Being here, engaging in conversation
• Not seating students by gender
• Gender-neutral bathroom passes
• Acknowledging when a curriculum may not be inclusive (XX/XY is a really rudimentary approach to genetics)
• Survey on first day of class to ask name and pronouns. In what circumstance should I use this name? (don’t out to parents in report card) (can I share with other staff)
• Go around the room and say three of these five things: favorite food, pet, pronouns, etc. (give people the option but don’t require them to out themselves)
• “How would you like to be referred to for now?”
• Ask again quarterly?
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Why practice?

Practice moves actions from the rational brain to the automatic brain.

Practicing Language: Addressing a group

• Students
• Everyone
• Honored guests
• Scholars
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Practicing Language: Pronoun self-correction

• Apologize
• Self-correct
• “I’m sorry, they”
• Understand that the misgendered person may still be hurt.
• Don’t make it about you.
• Don’t make a big deal out of it.

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Let’s try it!

Discussion: Encouraging diverse student groups

Students are part of society and may act out societal stereotypes by self-segregating.

How do we encourage diverse groups for projects, discussions, etc.?

Strategies for welcoming difference

• Know students as individuals.
• Be vulnerable. Let students teach you.
• Give students choice. Don’t assume their interests.
• Do your research.
• Culturally-responsive teaching
• Universal Design for Learning
• Trauma-informed teaching
• https://www.genderspectrum.org/
• https://www.rethinkingschools.org/

Breakout groups

By subject area

• When / how does gender come up?

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• How could you include visible examples of gender-expansive people in your classes?

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• What other ways could you welcome gender-expansive and non-binary people?

Breakout groups: Planning Action Item

• What is one thing you could change or add to increase welcome?
• A lesson, unit or project?
• A classroom norm?
• Written materials?
• What would your first step be to make this change?
• What resources or supports would help you?

Breakout groups: Sharing

• English: flexibility & choice when trying to write neutrally. What would an individual student use as a gender descriptor in their writing?
• Spanish: Discussion of neutrality Spanish.
• Approach powers that be: letting students/parents lead the way in updating curriculum. Opportunity to grow not a failure. More than one person speaking
• Be patient with the process. Every evolving, all in the same boat.

Conversations to create inclusive communities

• Who
• Students
• Teachers and staff
• Administrators
• Parents
• What
• Assuming diversity
• Resisting gender stereotypes
• Access to traditionally gendered spaces (bathrooms, locker rooms, sports, trips, etc.)

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Good work, everyone!

We covered a lot of ground!

• Logistics
• Feedback forms
• PDPs
• Questions?
• Final thoughts?
• Anything else?