Creating Trans-Inclusive Schools: Introductory Activities That Enhance the Critical Consciousness of Future Educators
International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education 2016, Volume 28, Number 2, 293-301 http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/ ISSN 1812-9129 Creating Trans-Inclusive Schools: Introductory Activities that Enhance the Critical Consciousness of Future Educators Kris Tunac De Pedro, Christopher Jackson, Erin Campbell, Jade Gilley, Brock Ciarelli Chapman University The Lawrence King murder and other tragedies surrounding transgender youth have prompted a national discussion about the need for schools to be more supportive and inclusive of transgender students. In this multi-authored reflection, the authors describe a series of three introductory activities in an undergraduate educational studies course aimed at cultivating critical consciousness about transgender students. The instructor and students discussed their viewing of televised interviews featuring transgender individuals and participated in a gallery walk and a role-playing activity. These activities cultivated students’ critical awareness of the experiences of transgender students and strategies for creating trans- inclusive classrooms and schools. On February 12, 2008, fourteen-year-old Brandon 2012). A hostile school environment and consistent McInerney brought a handgun to school and shot his school victimization are associated with depression, classmate, Lawrence King, a transgender1 student, twice suicide, dropout, academic failure, substance abuse, in the back of the head during a computer class at E.O. risky sexual behaviors, and long term outcomes such Green Junior High School in Oxnard, CA. Major news as poverty and unemployment (Goldblum et al., agencies such as CNN and the New York Times covered 2012; Greene, Britton, & Fitts, 2014). the events leading and following this shooting for In response to recent tragedies and concerning several years until Brandon McInerney’s second degree school climate data, national education murder conviction.
[Show full text]