Resources for Educators

Consider including these questions or some of these about pronouns & name in your first-day of school get-to-know-you surveys.

Inclusivity is everyone’s responsibility, but schools are uniquely positioned to help students feel affirmed in their identities and safe to be themselves, especially because young people spend so much of their time at school

As educators welcome students back to school, youth around the country are counting on schools to welcome and include all their identities and experiences. Educators must cultivate school environments that ensure not only young people’s safety, but also that they have the opportunity to thrive -- especially for the most marginalized students.

This guide is created to help anyone learn how to use people’s correct pronouns. Everyone in your school community should engage in learning, educating, and advocating for the inclusive use of pronouns for all. 

One way that educators can promote safer school environments is by developing lessons that avoid bias and that include positive representations of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people, history, and events. For LGBTQ students, attending a school with an inclusive curriculum is related to less-hostile school experiences and increased feelings of connectedness to the school community. Inclusive curriculum benefits all students by promoting diversity and teaching them about the myriad of identities in their communities. 

This guide presents the feelings and thoughts of thirty lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth and their allies, on the subject of school.

Inclusivity is everyone’s responsibility, but schools are uniquely positioned to help students feel affirmed in their identities and safe to be themselves. Advocacy is important because all students can thrive when they are learning and developing in welcoming environments.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a first grader who might not know what the word “gay” means, a sixth grader trying to sound cool, or a tenth grader “teasing” a friend. All of these have the potential of creating an unsafe classroom or school environment and must be addressed. So, what can caring adults do?

Designed to help you create a safe space for LGBTQ youth in schools, the Safe Space Kit is GLSEN’s Guide to Being an Ally to LGBTQ Students. The guide provides concrete strategies that will help you support LGBTQ students, educate about anti-LGBTQ bias and advocate for changes in your school.

Educators often worry about “saying the right thing” when confronted with conversations that they might not feel entirely comfortable engaging in with their students.  A teacher once described to me how these moments made her feel like she was walking on “squishy ground.” A student “coming out” is one such moment that may create a heightened level of anxiety for you as an educator. While each such conversation is unique, there are some simple pointers that may help the ground feel less “squishy” and will ultimately help the student feel more supported.

How we choose to define and express our identity to ourselves and each other is important. Conversations about gender identity are becoming increasingly common in schools, and school counselors should be prepared to support students who identify as transgender or gender nonconforming. Part of this support includes understanding the language used to describe gender expression and identity so that words are not incorrect or hurtful to a student