LibGuides: Trans-Inclusive Education: Campus & Classroom Tips

Classroom Tips

Schmalz, J. (2015, September 3). 'Ask me': What LGBTQ students want their
professors to know [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.chronicle.com/
article/Ask-Me-What-LGBTQ-Students/232797?cid=cp11

The Chronicle of Higher Education interviewed over a dozen LGBTQIA+ students for this 12 minute video. The students respond to prompts such as "what makes you excited to learn?" and "do you feel safe?" The students discuss their fear of being outed in front of the class and of finding an accessible bathroom, and share experiences about professors who refused to use their correct name and pronouns.*Students discuss the ways in which focusing on their own safety prevented them from being present and engaged in the classroom. There are also suggestions for how professors can support students of all genders and help them to thrive. Though this video is addressed to university professors, the content is relevant to Northfield Mount Hermon. The video is accompanied by a summary article with a link to the transcript of the video.

*Note: the video used the terms "preferred pronouns" and "preferred name." This language has fallen out of favor because it implies that an individual's name and pronouns are preferred but not required. I've changed the language to "correct name and pronouns." As always, differ to trans youth and how they refer to themselves.

Moore, A., Pan, L., & Erlick, E. (2017). 5 Ways to make schools safer for LGBTQ students [Infographic]. Retrieved from http://www.transstudent.org/5ways

This graphic from Trans Student Educational Resources is geared towards high school students and suggests ways for them to support their trans peers. Some of these, particularly hosting an LGBTQ panel and introducing trans-inclusive policy are helpful for high school teachers as well.

Necessary practices for supporting trans students
This 20 page powerpoint presentation was prepared by the diector of the Stonewall Center at the University of Umass Amherst. It is an example of a campus-wide traning around trans-inclusivity. The workshop helps educators comply to all state laws, offers suggestions for teachers, and covers the university policies. Parts of this tranining are relevant to a braoder audeince, such as suggestions for addressing students and asking about pronouns. Administrators at Northfield Mount Hermon might consider organizing a training of this sort.

Beemyn, G. (2017). Necessary Practices for Supporting Trans Students [PowerPoint
slides]. Retrieved July 24, 2017, from https://www.umass.edu/stonewall/
sites/default/files/faculty_spring_17.pdf website: https://www.umass.edu/
stonewall/sites/default/files/faculty_spring_17.pdf
Schools in transition: A guide for supporting transgender students in K-12 schools
This 68 page guide is available online in full-text by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The HRC is a well known non-profit that advocates and lobbies for LGBT rights. The guide goes over the legal responsibilities of teachers and administrators and covers how to respect students’ pronouns, suggestions for making classrooms more inclusive for trans students, and specific considerations that affect trans youth in high school. There is also a section on how to work with unsupportive parents, a tool that might be particularly helpful for advisors.This guide is geared towards lower and upper school teachers and administrators.

Orr, A., Esq, & Baum, J., M.S. (2015). Schools in transition: A guide for supporting transgender students in k-12 schools (B. Sherouse, Ph.D., Ed.).
Retrieved from http://www.hrc.org/resources/
schools-in-transition-a-guide-for-supporting-transgender-students-in-k-12-s
Trans* Ally Workbook
The Trans* Ally Workbook is a 37 page booklet, available online and in print. The booklet has a table of contents to ease browsing, references at the back for more information, and a glossary of terms. The text is illustrated to help give examples. This source names some of the reasons people give for not respecting trans people's pronouns as well as excercises and reflections. The book is specifically geared towards the LGBTQ+ community but is accessible to a broader audience.

Shlasko, D., & Hofius, K. (2014). Trans* Ally Workbook (S. Argetsinger, Comp.) [PDF].
Safe school environments for transgender students
This article was published in the National Association for School Psychologists. To complete this study, the authors interviewed 300 students between the ages of 13-20 about their experiences and needs. The article includes statistics on how often the students were bullied or harassed and input from the students on what would make their schools safer. The students suggest ways their teachers and administrators could be more supportive. This student input makes the article especially valuable for teachers. Though published in a scholarly journal, the text is appropriate for a general audience.

Dubois, C. (2015). Safe school environments for transgender students. Communique, 44(1), 1+. Retrieved from Gale Virtual Reference Library database. (Accession No. GALE|A434224997)
Developing Allies to Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Youth: Training for Counselors and Educators
This article analyzes two workshops that provide resources to teachers on supporting trans students. The article discusses pedagogical strategies and helps teachers develop skills. The article includes responses from the workshop participants and the outcomes of their training. This source offers practical tools that teachers can apply in their own classrooms.

Cass, K., & Meier, S. C. (2014). Developing allies to transgender and gender- nonconforming youth: Training for counselors and educators. Journal of LGBT Youth. Retrieved from LGBT Life with Full Text database. (Accession No.
10.1080/19361653.2014.840764)
Why Trans* Students Matter
“Why Trans* students matter” is an interview with Z Nicolazzo, an assistant professor at Northern Illinois University. Nicolazzo is trans* and uses ze/hir pronouns. The interviewer uses these pronouns throughout the text, providing a model for how they are used grammatically. Nicolazzo covers why trans* is sometimes written with an asterix, what ze learned from advising trans* youth and, the importance of trans-inclusive policies whether or not the number of trans* students on campus can be quantified.

Nicolazzo, Z. (2017, February 23). Why Trans* students matter (Interview by L.
Gardner) [Transcript]. Retrieved July 24, 2017, from The Chronicle of Higher Education website: https://shar.es/1TfoOG
Tampons in men’s rooms? It’s just a small part of ‘menstrual equity,’ campus activists say
This article from the Chronicle of Higher Education covers a growing trend on college campuses that goes a step beyond gender neutral bathrooms: placing menstrual products in the men's bathrooms. This step helps make the campus more accessible to trans men and highlights the fact that not only women menstruate. The article interviews trans students and puts the trend in the larger national context of what is called “menstrual equality.” Though this article discusses efforts on college campuses, the suggestions are relevant to a boarding high school environment.

Arriaga, A. (2017). Tampons in men's rooms? It's just a small part of "menstral Eeuality," campus activist say. The Chronicle of Higher Education, May(16). Retrieved from https://shar.es/1Tfo2B
Translating Research into Practice: Trans Youth Recommendations for Improving School Systems
This source is a qualitative study that covers the experience of 24 trans youth in Philadelphia. The text includes many direct quotes from the students and presents their recommendations for high school administrators and educators. The study focuses on trans youth of color, a population that faces high risk of violence, discrimination, and homelessness.Though the study was conducted in 2005, the research is still applicable today.

Sausa, L. (2005). Translating research into practice: Trans youth recommendations for improving school systems. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Issues in Education, 3(1), 15-28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J367v03n01_04