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Establish classroom norms about accepting gender identity, regardless of the demographics of your class.

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I love all of these ideas-- just creating a safe space for both students AND adults. We talk about day one, creating classroom norms, which I agree is the key for creating a safe environment for this reason.

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Create a classroom - and school - culture and environment that is open to vulnerability. By practicing and reinforcing empathy and understanding, students and staff alike will feel more comfortable being themselves.

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Establish an open, democratic environment that values respect and difference within the classroom at the start. This can go a long way in facilitating open, safe discussion that allows for personal expression of all students. We can also include diversity within the content material as well to communicate that every person and perspective is valued; specifically targeting underrepresented or ostracized populations.

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Provide opportunities for discussions about the LGBTQ community. Students may not bring up subjects of confusion or interest out of the blue, they need to be given explicit opportunities.

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Encouraging being open and honest, with yourself and others, about personal aspects of your identity by example. Creating Identity wheels could be a good introductory activity (or after a few weeks once students are more comfortable with each other) where students can include things about their identifications if they wish to share that part of themselves.

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Keeping up with a broad array of current events could help students to see various representations of themselves and others in the media.  There are tons of stories about LGBTQ activism and it could spark genuine conversation about these issues.  It could be a simple, easy way to integrate this material into social studies classrooms without changing any curriculum (especially if the class doesn't reach contemporary history).

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I think that preparing students to actively listen starts with setting classroom norms. When students know to what standard they'll be holding themselves and others, discussions can run smoothly (hopefully).

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How can we prepare students to actively listen and converse so that the classroom itself is a safe discussion space?

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Ensure it is a safe space for adults to come out as well.  Reach out to parents as well, giving opportunities for parents to help prepare and advise teachers may prove beneficial to strengthening the community as a whole around LGBTQ acceptance and celebration.

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actively listening to students and creating discussion space rather than trying to steer clear of what may be an uncomfortable subject for you

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books in the classroom should not only follow the narrative of mom and dad- they should include LGBTQ characters

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Here we are!