Anderson's article really openned my eyes to the struggles of homosexual adolescents. Adolescence is a time of development and searching for an identity for everyone. For many it is a time of struggle and emotional turmoil. This article shows how much more complex this times of development is for homosexual adolescents. Because I am not homosexual and did not grow up with anyone close to me going through the process discussed in the article, this is all very new to me. I see that this is the purpose of this course; we will be working with a diverse classroom and may have students going through this discovery process. I find it hard to believe that I could be a good teacher without understanding what these students are going through.
In the article, Anderson indicated the importance of teachers during this difficult time for some students. If teachers ignore the signs and even more important the comments from other students, they can end up doing even more damage. Teachers need to be open and welcoming to all students equally and don't let homosexual students feel left out. In the article Anderson pointed out that some teachers that are homosexual hide it from their students. I think it is important for these teachers to be positive role models and show students that it is acceptable to be homosexual. Teachers that are not homosexual should still feel comfotable supporting groups or organizations within the school that are for homosexual students. Heterosexual teachers need to be role models as well, they can show the heterosexual students that it is important to be supportive to everyone.
The article also mentioned support groups within the community. I think it is very important for students to feel that they have somewhere to go for support out of school as well. Unfortunately the article noted that there are not many options for homosexual adolescents because adult groups do not welcome them and adolescent groups dont really exist. Because the article was written in 2005 I hope that this has changed. I have heard about some groups as well as the Trevor hotline for homosexual adolescents to call for advice. Also many school have created LGBT groups where peers can get together and form friendships and supports. These groups are very important and can help ease the coming out process for many students. I think the overall most important thing to take away from this is that support can make all the difference.
I agree with your view that teachers, hetero-, homo-, and any-kind-of-sexual, need to be role models. I believe that students of the sexual minorities need to feel represented in every facet of society, and further, need to feel like there is someone in the school/society with whom they can identify and confide. Students of the sexual majority also need to see someone that stands up for and next to the "under dog," and then be able to identify and confide with that(those) individual(s). A stronger presence of either in the schools will help shift the perception of "alternative" lifestyles, but a united front from both sides can be the cure to a hateful plague.
ReplyDeleteSupport is the most important thing for an individual struggling with their sexual identity. Many homosexual individuals lack support from peers and revert within themselves emotionally damaging them greatly. In regards to the classroom, such emotional conflict will prevent this student from performing. We as educators need to be supportive of our students and let them know that if anything they have someone who understands. We need to lead by example and what better way then to inform this student that we care. We also have to make sure that we don't present any sexual orientation as better than the other to our students. Such bias presentation can help influence negative perceptions.
ReplyDeleteI liked your post and agree completely. Thinking back to middle school and even high school, it was a very confusing time in my life trying to figure out who I was as a person. I couldn't imagine having to struggle with sexuality issues too. Your post made me realize how tough it would be if I were a person with multiple factors that make me easily discriminated, such as if I was a minority and a homosexual too. This pressure would be so high during teen developmental years, even with parental support. I couldn't fathom what these pressures would be like if the student had parents that did not approve of their lifestyle. I think the most important thing we can do as teachers is to make connections with these students and let them know that they are supported and have someone to go too with problems and always make them feel included.
ReplyDeleteI think this is one of the most important areas where the community needs to support the school. If the community passes laws or through the PTO hamstrings the school's ability to talk about GLBT issues, then it also harms the school's ability to talk about suicide prevention and awareness. And that can lead to a very destructive outcome with an increased suicide rate. As a teacher, I need to put my beliefs aside and be able to make my students feel safe and comfortable no matter their sexual identity. But without the community's support I can't do that.
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