Queering the curriculum

 [Deepening the Discussion] 

Educators can go about addressing the ways in which the systems that we teach our curriculum in are intrinsically homophobic, transphobic, biphobic and oppressive towards queer and trans people in many ways. It is the responsibility for educators to develop further understandings and educate themselves on these topics to have a deeper and complete understanding of these terms and how to support all students who might identify as gender or sexually diverse. It is also important to be aware of their own ideas and how they transmit them within their classrooms. The deepening understanding text mentioned it is important for educators to "reflect on their own privileges and assumptions."(p18).  As educators it is our responsibility to become aware of personal assumptions and how they might influence the classroom or conversations. In doing this, future teachers will provide and make a habit of using inclusive and appropriate resources and language to allow all students to see themselves  represented within the classroom and feel as if they are safe and welcome. 

[Queering Curriculum Studies]

Integrating queerness into curriculum studies means I need to make every student who I encounter feet safe, welcome and accepted. For me, this will look like developing my complete understanding of these terms, speaking with others who might have more experience or knowledge with gender and sexual diversity and working to incorporate this knowledge and understanding into my own life and classroom. I must understand my privileges and recognize the ways I might transmit this unintentionally and work towards not doing this.  I want to be fully knowledgeable in this area so I can provide my future students the opportunity to feel included and represented within my classroom through readings and materials. Having an environment in which every student feels accepted and equally represented and they are able to find themselves reflecting or connecting to images or materials I use is important to me as a future educator.  I want to be knowledgable enough to have these conversations with students so I can provide open discussions within the class as well as one on one conversations allowing everyone to express themselves comfortably. Within these conversations in my classroom, preferred pronouns will be respected and heard. I want to signify the importance of understanding sexually/gender diversity and provide my future students this information so they demonstrate respect towards people who may identify sexually or gender diverse. 

[Queering classrooms, curricula, and care: stories from those who dare]:

Teachers should provide the duty of care for all students. From the reading, it states "care is not only a core value of the profession, it is infused in the teacher's identity."(p. 175). No matter what differences a student may have, it is a teachers responsibility to provide safe, caring and welcoming spaces for them to learn. It is not a place to bring personal attitudes or opinions and try to impose these on their students. In making a classroom a safe place, it is necessary to create a more inclusive classroom for each and every student. From the Queering classrooms, curricula and care reading, it mentions the importance of having a "strong facilitator" to support queer curriculum (p.174). It is important to have a facilitator who is willing to go back to the upsetting or "uncomfortable" moments by responding with knowledge and empathy in order to break through the constructed boundaries. It is the educators job to provide all students with the care and support they need in order to have positive learning experiences.