Let’s talk about easy ways to incorporate pride into the classroom.
Pride month comes at the end of the school year in many states. Schools are busy with testing and finals and might not remember this ripe opportunity to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community in the classroom. I know, gasp!! Imagine celebrating our children and families to help them feel seen and affirmed.
Easy Ways to Incorporate Pride Into the Classroom
- Morning announcements is an idea that came across one of my parenting groups recently. It is fantastic. At the local school, morning announcements include a quote. Moreover, why not some of the quotes from LGBTQ+ people? Note: some schools start with this in May as they have a late May or early June release.
- Yep, I said it. We should have books in our classrooms from the youngest to the most senior years. To clarify, writer Emily Style says it beautifully, “a mirror book reflects the reader’s own culture and helps to build a positive identity. A window book offers the reader a view into someone else’s culture or experience. Kids who only see themselves in books miss out on seeing things from other viewpoints. And children who rarely see themselves in books miss out on seeing the beauty of their own culture.”
- Subscribe to the Human Rights Campaign, Time to Thrive newsletter. The once-monthly newsletter is geared towards educators. The conference they hold in February each year is my favorite.
- Take continuing education on creating safe and supportive spaces for LGBTQ+ youth. Be they in person or online there are a plethora of opportunities to enhance your understanding of the unique needs of your student population.
- Go out of your way to honor student pronouns. Wear a pronoun pin or reach out to Narwhal Magic Kindness for a Safe Spaces window cling for your classroom. Window clings are free for educators, order yours today.
Creating a Safe Space for your students doesn’t begin or end during Pride month. I am always encouraged when I walk into classrooms and see a supportive flag, sticker, or cling that indicates a teacher sees their LGBTQ+ students. As a parent of four incredible children, one of who is transgender, we want the classrooms our children visit to acknowledge that our child and family are valued members of their classroom community.
So, here are some ideas for easy ways to incorporate Pride into the classroom. What are you doing to celebrate Pride in your classroom?
