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Action Plan
Action Plan
Craig Rizzi
EL 520
Oakland University
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Craig Rizzi
Action Plan
Action Plan
Background and Issue
Students at XXXX High School are generally respectful to each other
and the staff. They do a great job of getting along, or at least keeping the
peace. However, it seems that not all students are sensitive to gender and
sexuality issues. Their unfamiliarity with the issue is not their fault; they have
never been formally educated about these issues. The climate of the city
that they live in doesnt help, either. The mentality of the city is rather
conservative, so its no wonder that some students reflect that attitude. Not
all students are closed-minded, but I have observed students not speaking
with respect about gender and sexuality issues. For example, some students
use the word gay to be synonymous with dumb or uncool. I believe
that actions like these create an environment that is not safe, or potentially
hostile, for many students.
Research, such as Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, tells us that students
need to feel safety and a sense of belonging before they can meaningfully
engage in cognitive tasks. Students who do not feel acceptance in their
school environment by teachers and their peers will likely suffer
academically due to a lack of ability to deeply engage. This is a major issue
for our school culture, because we are essentially marginalizing a portion of
our student body. In addition, students sense that some of their peers feel
unsafe in school, which can contribute to an even greater sense of a
fracturing school community for all. We are not a truly functioning school
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Action Plan
community until all students feel safe and are able to achieve at their full
potential.
In addition to the above issues, staff receive little-to-no training on
issues of sexuality and gender. Short of sending students to their counselor,
teachers are not prepared to help a student who may feel comfortable asking
them for help. Furthermore, no teachers visibly indicate in their rooms that
they are willing to help students by discussing these issues. This is not at all
due to a lack of compassion. Rather, it is a lack of organization and a low
comfort level with the situation. I believe that if teachers were provided
some training on how to handle situations like this, they could help to create
an even more welcoming school environment in which all students feel safe
and are able to learn effectively.
In short, the issue centers around the idea that students and staff need
to do a better job helping students understand issues surrounding gender
and sexuality so that we can create a more welcoming environment for all
students.
Research Application
Slesaransky-Poe advocates for creating inclusive environments for all
students, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or disability. Using her
research, I can begin to approach solving some of the problems identified in
the issues section stated above.
First, and foremost, is the issue of a hostile environment for LGBT
students. Slesaransky-Poe (2013) states that schools should focus on
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Craig Rizzi
Action Plan
changing culture, as opposed to changing behavior (p. 41). This difference is
significant, because reducing bullying behavior will not necessarily make the
culture any less hostile, as LGBT students may not believe that their
environment cares for or understands them any more deeply.
In attempting to change cultural acceptance of this portion of the
student body, education will be very important. Education starts with the
staff, by providing them with information about gender and sexuality. Staff
members need to know how to help students, as they are the ones who are
most often in contact with them. Slesaransky-Poe (2013) advocates for adult
education for all adults who are in contact with kids at any point (p. 41). The
Genderbread Person is an effective way to begin these conversations with
both staff and students (Slesaransky-Poe, 2013).
Education can also take the form of general exposure, as Bryan (2012)
advocates in discussing gender identity, biological sex, and sexuality. He
states that if educators truly have the goal of educating the whole child, then
they have the responsibility of working with students gender and sexuality
at every level (p. 7). As I stated above, I believe that students wont truly feel
comfortable and be able to engage in learning until we show that we care
about them.
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Action Plan
policies, supportive adults, an LGBT-inclusive curriculum, and a Gay-Straight
Alliance (p. 43).
The first step in this process involves focusing on school culture, as
opposed to the bullying that LGBT students may experience. Obviously, the
bullying should not be ignored, however, I believe that improving the culture
in the school will eliminate many of the negative feelings that contribute to
bullying. By instituting policies that do not tolerate any sort of discrimination,
we begin to shift peoples mindsets regarding LGBT issues. It becomes
unacceptable to treat this population with anything less than the utmost
respect they deserve.
The second step is to provide education to adult staff in the school
building about gender and sexuality. Armed with this information, they can
begin to help students who are experiencing distress or bullying due to
gender and sexuality. They can also help to disseminate knowledge and
dispel myths regarding these issues.
The third step involves creating an LGBT-inclusive curriculum that
educates students about these issues. Using the definitions set forth by
Bryan (2012), we can help students realize that there are differences
between gender, sexuality, and birth sex. People are afraid of things that
they do not understand, so helping students to see these differences and
understand the most current research will do a lot in curbing the
discrimination and potentially hostile environment in school.
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Action Plan
Finally, the creation of a Gay-Straight Alliance can give students a safe
place to talk about their issues and find help and support from their peers.
This connectedness will go a long way in helping students feel more
comfortable in the school and enhancing the school culture. In addition, the
GSA could provide further education and raise awareness regarding a
number of different relevant topics, such as the Day of Silence and Ally Week
(Slesaransky-Poe, 2013, p. 44).
In all, I think the most important idea that all of these minor steps
include is that raising awareness for LGBT issues is so important. Once
people begin to understand gender and sexuality at a deeper level, they will
feel more comfortable stepping up for these individuals and providing
support for them whenever necessary. Slesaransky-Poe (2013) and Bryan
(2012) provide a great foundation and set of ideas for raising awareness and
defining some of these topics at a level that is understandable by all
students, especially at the high school level.
References
Bryan, J. (2012). From the dress-up corner to the senior prom: Navigating
gender and sexuality diversity in preK-12 schools (pp. 1-37). New York,
NY: Rowman & Littlefield Education.
Slesaransky-Poe, G. (2013). Adults Set the Tone for Welcoming all Students.
Phi Delta Kappan, 94(5), 40-44.
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Action Plan
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