Promising Practices :)

The first session that I attended was called Teaching Transgender Students. I basically already knew everything that she went over. I felt like it was common sense, but Im glad that I was placed in this session. But there were some things that were said in this session that I didnt know. The number one concern of transgender children in the classroom is if their child be welcomed. Parents want to make sure that their children aren’t bullied and teased, and that the school is safe. Does that school have co-ed bathrooms for the students? That way a transgender student wont feel uncomfortable using the bathroom. We all know how uncomfortable it can be to hold in your pee, and im sure that would distract their learning process. The school should welcome EVERYBODY, have knowledge of transgender students, have no tolerance towards bullying, and have a strong anti-bias commitment, which means a number of things, such as other students sticking up for peers if they're get picked on. Teachers shouldn’t use students legal names, call them what they want to be called so the student feels comfortable. If a students legal name is Chris, but wants to be called Christina, respect that.

Collier says, "To allow the child to express him/herself you should motivate the student, which encourages learning (pg.230)." Allowing students to express themseleves, such as how they dress, will allow them to feel uncomfortable, accepted, and like they have a place in the classroom and arent invisible. This in itself is strong enough to motivate students to want to learn, which is key.

Carlson says, "First, regardless of how young people construct a gay identity, the very existence of more-or-less "out" gay-identified youth in schools poses a threat to silencing practices. It remains to be seen how long public schools can fail to respong to the existence of "out" gay youth, and gay teachers." Lets end this silence in schools and in socities in themselves. Lets stop looking at being gay as a bad thing, because its not! Its what certain people are. If society stops being so afraid of homosexuality, maybe more youth and teachers will come out. Embraces differences, its what makes the world unique and spunky.

I was shocked about the suicide rates of transgender students. 50% will have made one suicide attempt by the age of 20. I believe that If schools make transgender students feel at home, comfortable, like they are just like everybody else, like that matter, then the rate will decrease with time.

The second session that I attended was for ALLIED. I was excited about this session since I was a presenter. I was able to share some of my personal experiences, and read a poem I wrote about who I am and who I am not. Here’s a few lines from it:

I am a 21 year old lesbian, who is positive about liking girls
I am not a college student who is just going through a "phase"
I am myself at all time, take it or leave it
I am not a flamer, dyke, or whatever term people want to associate me with
I am one outgoing and friendly
I am not a lesbian trying to get your number
I am being true to myself, and doing what makes me happy
I am not choosing to like girls just to get attention
I am following heart and being the best person that I can be
I am not "plagued" by anything
I am a strong, open minded, determined individual
I am not a weak person whose going to let the thoughts of people of power put me down
I am one with a big heart, full of life.
I know what I want in life.

I shared in this session my example of how when i go to allied I feel like certain people actually understand me. When i talk about certain things I have to deal with, they show me empathy, while when I share my struggles with other people, they show me sympathy. People in allie show me empathy because they actually understand what im talking about. They have been through want I have been through, or something like it. They want to help me through it.

At the end of the conference, I asked if they got something out of it. My personal goal at RIC, is to share my experiences, and to share my mind set with others to help them better understand homosexuality. Maybe this will make them comfortable around gay people. Maybe heterosexual people will accept homosexuality and maybe, just maybe, one day it will be legal to get married. Maybe teasing will increase in school systems in the future. Maybe people wont stay "in the closest" because they are afraid to be themselves. Maybe, me continuing to help others understand my homosexuality, will help make all of this possible.

After the allied meeting, a couple girls emailed thanking me for sharing my experiences with them and just being myself.

One girl said in an email, "thank you for being so great, the things you share in class and in your blog are so inspirational, although im not a lesbians i also face some hardships among many other things and for you to be open about yourself and for people to accept you it gives me hope in the world."

I cant put into words how much this touched me. It put me in the best mood ever. I really felt like i did something good for somebody. Like im a role model in some way, by just being myself. It makes me feel really good inside :)

Their are a few things that I "filed" in my mind when the key note speaker, Dr. Tricia Rose, made her speech. As teachers, we need to teach painful topics to our students in ways to empower students and create that vision in the world. Its not just about the facts, but how the students feel about these "painful" topics, and what we can DO to make sure acts like these don’t occur again. Don’t just talk about the topic-act upon it. This is a long process, that will not happen in just once class. To enable this process, we need to be painfully honest, and make sure that we don’t skip over the "ugly parts." We need to also recognize that we are individuals but also members of certain groups. I agree with this statement very much. I feel as though we considering yourself part of a group, "Lesbian" "Italian", people tend to generalize us, and make false judgments. But that’s where individuality comes into play. Others need to realize that not everybody in the group is the same. Everybody is a unique individual. Just because Im a lesbian, it doesn’t mean I like to get my hands dirty and work on cars" Dont generalize a person, to your personal thoughts about the "group" that they belong to.

I enjoyed Promising Practices very much. I'm glad I got to hangout with my friends from class, and Im happy we are all becoming good friends. I don’t have many friends back home, so im happy to be making friends. They are all very sweet and I cant wait to hangout with them outside of the classroom. I felt like I touched some peoples lives, even if it was in the smallest way possible. Maybe it was helping them understand what its like to be a lesbian, and some of the struggles I have faced. Maybe I helped showed some people that even though im gay, im just like them. Maybe i helped clear up some of their foggy misconceptions. Maybe now they will be more accepting and comfortable around homosexuality.

I found this video on youtube. Its a news cast on two different stories about transgender. The first news clip is about an 8 year old boy, and the second is about a crime.



What upset me is that this news lady said, "Arent his parents embarressed to put this on the school sytem" Put what on the school system? The school system should be the ones being embarressed for not letting a child dress the way he wants. Doesnt he have the right to? He should be allowed to be himself and dress how he wants. Other classmates shouldnt tease him either. If so, they teacher should do something about it such as wearing a skirt to class (if its a guy) and embrace they choice to wear what you want. I dont know. Maybe I am too open minded, and im asking to much out of this nation. Then the news cast says that soiciety is afraid to speak out on this matter because they dont want to be looked at and called intolerant. Then he brings illegal aliens into the issue. What does that have to do with anything? Geez. They should be the ones being afraid to talk, since they are so close minded. Then the next video is talking about a transgender who took part in a crime, which is basically putting a negitive thought/image in societys head about transgender people. Then it seemed as though they were laughing and kind of putting down this man. Which is showing others who are watching, that its okay. When clearly its not. Im sure if a straight man did this crime, they wouldnt be poking fun at him like they were with this transgender.

It just mad me upset. But, this is what keeps me going. Makes me want to show others who I am. Allow them to learn from me. Clear their misconceptions and allow this nation to walk towards justice.