Saša Kovačević

Reshma Saujani, shown above, failed at her attempt to take on congress. But at 33, this was the first time that she felt she had done something truly brave. This was something that she feels her male counterparts are taught to do from a young age, while girls are taught perfection. We already know that gender equity is being fought for in today's society, and we must consider what influences we have as future teachers. 

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In this reflection, I chose to look at the two topics of identity and gender because I believe that they go hand in hand. There are a lot of preconceived notions about gender that can influence identity, and vice versa, especially when considering social norms. As Saujani discusses, girls that are growing up are not given the same opportunities. As a teacher, I think my ultimate goal is to provide an inclusive classroom for my students. Often, an inclusive classroom refers to one that is not segregated by student capability, but when I consider a classroom that is inclusive, I consider it to be one of equal opportunity. 

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I believe this is important for two reasons. One, teaching topics and providing resources that relate to gender and sexual minorities will allow students to have the information and tools they need to develop a gender identity. Two, teaching gender equality, and not limiting students based on gender, will allow them to develop their personal identity based on areas of interest, and not social norms or the way they have been socialized. 

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In previous topics discussions, I shared the video The Right to Be Handsome, that highlights clothing options for gender non-conforming individuals. As a CTS and Fashions teacher, this would be something that would be very easy to incorporate into the classroom, specifically regarding influences on clothing choice. 

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The Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services (ISMSS), which is based at the University of Alberta, has a variety of resources for students, parents and professionals. One resource that I found exceptionally useful was a list of recommended resources on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. Most of the resources on this list are books that students could read individually, or be completed as part of a case study. The exposure to these topics normalizes them, and I believe that as topics become normalized they are also easier to identify with. This ease of identification would then promote the development of identity, whether heteronormative or otherwise, because the idea that "it's okay to be different" is being instilled. 

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Finally, I think as an educator in an ever changing world, it is extremely important to stay open-minded and open to change. New ideas about gender, sexuality, and even identity, are constantly being introduced. To be aware of what our students are grappling with we need to stay current to information that is relevant to such topics. ISMSS is an excellent opportunity to do this, but Alberta Education has a variety of resources as well. They can be found under the "Education Supports" tab, and highlight items like inclusions, positive behaviour supports and collaboration to support students.