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Reducing fear and anxiety- Harvinder Dhillon

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Reducing fear and anxiety- Harvinder Dhillon

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To reduce fear and anxiety over having trans students, teachers should do research and make sure they are prepared to deal with situations that may arise. If teachers can prep in advance then it will help reduce the fear and anxiety and also help limit and mistakes that may arise.

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I think continuing to learn about and research transgender issues and ways to support transgender students (whether that be through PD, workshops or independent research) would be a good way to limit fear and anxiety. Taking time to reflect on your practice and identify ways you can improve it is also important.

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Teachers' fears and anxiety regarding having transgender students in their classrooms can be reduced by participating in Professional Development workshops on this topic as well as doing personal research. Becoming properly informed about an unfamiliar topic is the best way to limit ignorance and ease discomfort. Teachers should also try to build positive relationships with ALL students, in order to get to know them better and to create a safe and inclusive learning environment for all.

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By getting better informed about the topic, teachers would likely become much less scared or anxious about having transgender students in their classroom. School boards could implement professional development sessions that are mandatory to attend, but individuals could also find resources themselves. For example, reading a variety of books or articles, watching informative films, etc.

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The best way to reduce teachers' fears and anxiety about teaching trans students is mainly to put them in more situations where they talk about, learn about, and engage with people who have been through it themselves whether as the trans student or the teacher. I made a good friend in university who had transitioned and though upon first noticing her in my class, I felt nervous and uncomfortable, I became much less uneasy after getting to know her. I realized she was a person. A good person: kind, funny, an intellectual. She didn't have to be male or female to be my friend and so gender didn't have to come between us. I learned to respect her accomplishments and bravery. As teachers, we likewise need to allow our minds to come to terms with what our hearts do more readily: unconditional care and love.

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We as teachers have a responsibility to our students to be constantly learning and progressing our professional knowledge. I think this seminar is a great way to learn more about some of the issues transgender students go through and how to respond. To build off of this, we should take the initiative to attend workshops and actually listen to stories and experiences transgender people face firsthand.

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Ideas on how teachers can reduce fear & anxiety over having trans students in their classrooms are:

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Ideas on how teachers can reduce fear & anxiety over having trans students in their classrooms are:

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- Research/expand one's own knowledge on the subject
- Put up transgender/LGBTQ friendly posters/artwork up in the classroom
- Ask to talk one on one with the student to find out their preferences on the matter
- Maintain consistent communication with both the student & their guardian
- Discuss and ask for advice from admin on the matter
- Include transgender content/examples in curriculum
- Tackle the microaggressions within the school community
- Make activities for the students that challenge the socially accepted norms and assumptions around the matter
(Kailey Wilkins)

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I think that a good way to reduce fear and anxiety over having trans students in the classroom is to have an educational and open conversation/discussion either in teachers college or as PDs when we are teachers. It would be very beneficial to have a presentation or conversation with someone who is transgender to learn about the proper way to approach certain things without accidentally being offensive. If this is not provided externally for teachers as a PD, I think that the teacher should take it upon themselves to seek out information and learn about transgender on their own. The more education you have on the topic, the less intimidated you will feel about having a transgender student in your classroom.

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The fear and anxiety over having trans students in your classroom can be reduced by educating yourself about the community, as well as being honest and creating open discussions. Communication is key and building relationships with your students to help them and yourself feel comfortable within the classroom.
-Amna Iqbal

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I think having clear board policies that were made in conjunction with members of the trans community would help teachers feel more comfortable because it would give them a starting point for how to handle any issues that might come up with having a trans student in your class. Also education teachers need to be on top of educating themselves about how they can best be an ally to their trans students.

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Having more discussions such as these int eachers college could further prepare teachers to support and address LGBTQ+ topics in their classrooms. By having more practice and open discussion about these topics, teachers can build resources they can implement in their classrooms to make sure all students are accounted for and feel respected in the classroom. By making it clear to students that you confidently support them and their choices, it makes it easier to look past the fear you might have from not knowing something. We have to be prepared to be students forever.

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As teachers, we have control over what we think, what we do, how we react and everything in-between. It is up to us to educate ourselves to reduce any fear or anxiety we have over having transgender students in our classrooms. If we approach new information with an open mind we can learn and improve ourselves. This improvement could come from Professional Development. I think it would be beneficial for teachers, and everyone, to hear the personal stories and experiences from someone who is transgender.

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The more you know, the better equipped you will be to support these students. If we do not educate ourselves then it will be very hard for us to get over our fears. If your school does not offer professional development for helping transgender students then there are various resources available that teachers can explore on their own.

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I believe that a beneficial way to reduce potential fear and anxiety that some teachers may have regarding transgender students would be to implement mandatory professional development days and courses/presentations for staff and administration. I also strongly agree with the point that Alysia had made in her post that "fear often comes from a lack of knowledge". Ignorance and fear come from a lack of education, and in order to reduce any of these fears/concerns that teachers may have, they must educate themselves.

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Fear and anxiety over transgender students could be reduced by having honest and respectful conversations with those students. It can be daunting as a teacher to have those conversations with students but one of the best ways to put the information we learn in PD days, seminars, workshops, and guest speakers, is to actually talk to our students and ask them what they would like to be called and referred to, how can we help them be included in the classroom, is there anything you can do as a teacher to support their mental health, etc..

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I believe that fear often stems from a lack of understanding on a topic. We all feel more comfortable about a situation when we have a firm grasp of the information. I believe that in order to reduce anxiety, teachers need to become better educated so that they can provide a safe and accepting classroom environment for their transgender students. Teachers can take the initiative to do some research, speak to those from the transgender community, and also working with the students themselves.

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As many have already said, information and professional development from a trans perspective are necessary in helping inform teachers of realistic ways to help support transgender students. This comes through proper support of all staff and the school board, making sure that at both the elementary and secondary level, all teachers are being provided with appropriate resources and support to best support students.

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I think that the more educated we are on a topic, the more confident we are to be able to talk about it in the classroom. Fear often comes from lack of knowledge. So if we do PD and courses to help us become more knowledgeable, I think it will reduce fear and anxiety.

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I think that one of the best way to reduce fear and anxiety is through professional development for teachers and school staff. By having the chance to learn more from subject matter experts this gives teachers the chance to learn more and better support all students in their class and also helps them to not fear by answering common and frequent questions. - Ashley Lovnicki

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Professional Development and Collaboration! - Taya Marinic

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Professional Development and Collaboration! - Taya Marinic

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I believe by educators continuing to educate themselves through professional development (whether through workshops, personal research online, or speaking to transgender students themselves) to gain further insight, educators can become more knowledgeable and therefore improve instructional strategies overall to improve the learning environment, and reduce anxieties. Collaboration with other members of the school to work together to implement plans and strategies as well would benefit educators.

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Teachers can educate themselves by reading, researching and most importantly participating in more PD training offered at their school and outside in different programs.

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Having more PD would be helpful for teachers to have less fear and anxiety. Along with clear guidelines for teachers follow, which could be included in the yearly training that happens about policies and procedures.
It may also be helpful for teachers to be able to talk to adult transgender people, that way they can see their views and ideas. What may have worked or did not, how they can improve.

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Providing teachers seminars with transgender speakers and having teachers who have worked with transgender students offer some insight