My High School Made Me Feel Isolated and Ashamed, Today’s LGBTQ Students and Families Deserve Better Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! My Story “How glorious it is — and also how painful — to be an exception.” In 1988 I chose that quote by […]
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LGBTQ+ Students Need Advocates, Not Tolerance
As pride month comes to a close, we should consider the needs of our students who are members of the LGBTQ+ community. To be sure, these students have needs that go unmet daily. Considering how homogeneous and patriarchal most curricula are, we have a long way to go to equitably represent the LGBTQ+ community. Rather […]
Why We Need LGBTQ+ Inclusive Classrooms
The PBS Kids show “Arthur,” which began in 1996, recently aired an episode in which Arthur’s teacher, Mr. Ratburn, marries his partner who turns out to be a man. Although this isn’t the first children’s program with openly gay characters, it got me thinking: if there are increasing numbers of LGBTQ+ characters in children’s television, […]
Discussing LGBTQIA+ issues in the classroom isn’t pushing a “gay agenda”
Right in the middle of teaching an important and empowering 6th-grade social issues unit, I had an unexpected visit from my principal. I was told that a complaint was received about me through my school’s anonymous tip line. The complaint suggested I shouldn’t be discussing LGBTQIA+ issues in the classroom. As we all know, you’re […]
5 Things to Consider Before Coming out as LGBTQ+ in the Classroom
By: Tory Waggoner I came out to my students as both queer and gender-nonconforming while working in a district just outside of Portland, OR. I was not prepared for the backlash I faced from colleagues, students, and parents. I thought in the liberal mecca of the Portland metro area that I would be relatively safe, but […]
10 Exciting Classroom Activities for the Solar Eclipse in Grades K-12
The total solar eclipse is a fascinating celestial event that captures the imagination of students and teachers alike. Today, April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The total solar eclipse will begin over the South Pacific Ocean. According to NASA, Weather permitting, the […]
How to Navigate Censorship in a High School English Classroom
At a faculty meeting, a colleague once whispered to me, “So, what do you actually do in your English class if everyone already knows how to read and write?” Though it was an innocent enough question from a chemistry teacher, it brought me to the halting realization that the abstract nature of a high school […]
Recap for 2023
This year showcased both the peaks and valleys of our education, from banning books from Black LGBTQIA+ authors to issues of spending federal funds from COVID relief.