This week seems an appropriate time to talk about LGBT issues in schools. Last week, there were FIVE SUICIDES (that we know of) of LGBT students who were bullied and harassed in their schools. This reminds me that no matter what your politics are, no matter what your religious background is, no matter what your personal opinions are, teachers MUST WORK HARDER to make schools safe spaces for all students.The most extensive collection of educational resources for teachers is the Gay Lesbian Straight Educators Network. GLSEN is full of statistics, information, lesson plans, activities, and other resources for educators. Talk a look at everything that is available for you.
And you may have seen this video from Ellen Degeneres that has been widely floated around Facebook. It is worth watching and sharing.
Further, there is a powerful campaign on youtube right now, started by blogger Dan Savage, called the itgetsbetterproject. Check it out.
We will talk much more about all of this in class.. see you Tuesday!
LB :)
I just read Kevin's blog and found out about this. I am discussing it with my family right now. I am so upset that I can not even express it in words. My heart aches for the families of the children that they lost. One of the worst things that can happen is the loss of your child. Ellen is right, something must be done to prevent any further incidents.
ReplyDelete"these kids needed us and we have an obligation to change this" I think this is the most important thing that we, as teachers, need to fix.
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