Page 100 - EdViewptsSpring2018-web_Neat

interactions with students, parents, in violation of the HIB law, our School parental push-back. As they note,
and teachers alike. It is our moral Climate Teams must proactively foster if it comes from a child, it “gives
imperative to make our schools places inclusive learning environments. Both you license to talk about a subject
in which all students, particularly the HIB and LAD in New Jersey, as well as that might be considered taboo
most vulnerable, can thrive. corresponding Board of Education poli- or unacceptable” (p. 815). Such
Theorists in diverse fields of study ex- cies, create viable legal protections for “teachable moments” include times
plore “Othering” as a means of perpet- educators to explore heteronormativity in which a child says something like
uating the oppression of subordinate and begin to challenge the assump- “Those are boy clothes” and allow
societal groups. In addition to race, tions therein (State New Jersey, 2011; teachers to ask what that really
culture, and gender, heterosexuality is State of New Jersey, 2009). means. In doing so, teachers create
a facet of Othering that reinforces “het- Emerging and Promising spaces for students to question
eronormativity,” or the marginalization their assumptions and ideally, begin
of individuals who do not fit into ste- Practices replacing gendered language with
reotypical gender roles (Cole, 2009, p. As an area of study, challenging het- such statements as “They’re just
563). Regardless of sexual orientation eronormativity at the elementary level pants” or “There are no boy or girl
or even an awareness thereof, chil- is in its relative infancy. Few relevant colors” (pp. 810, 816).
dren who do not express their gender published studies exist, and most of Elementary school leaders can
in a stereotypical fashion are often the them are centered upon practices in also embrace “teachable moments”
target of bullying and harassment. It is relative isolation, focusing upon one to challenge heteronormative
not enough to be reactive in respond- school, one teacher, and one class- assumptions. Once I heightened
ing to such occurrences. Rather, we room in each (Payne & Smith, 2014). my heteronormative awareness, I
must challenge the heteronormative Still, the practices that they describe was struck by how many instances
assumptions that motivate such bul- are extremely promising, and there are throughout my day were unnecessarily
lying, and as Cole (2009) notes, look several commonalities among them. gendered. Although I am a lifelong
for ways of “undoing gender” in our The most prominent common thread athlete, I frequently referred to “the
educational practices (p. 566) (Lad- is the use of “critical literacy” to de- boys” playing football at recess and
son, Billings & Tate, 1995). construct texts and confront normative referred to shorts and a sports jersey
Yet, this stance is not a comfortable assumptions. Martino and Cumming- as “boy clothes.” I used gendered
one for most educators. Those seek- Potvin (2016) highlight the use of words to refer to students congenially.
ing to challenge heteronormativity at critical literacy, asserting that “reading To challenge these assumptions, I
all academic levels, and particularly practices are socially performative” and began using gender-neutral terms,
in elementary schools, share com- question “the impulse to normalize” substituting such common phrases
mon concerns regarding community societal assumptions (pp. 809-810). as “boys and girls” with “my friends.”
push-back and accusations of having They also employ literary resources I also started to discourage gendered
an “LGBTQ agenda” (Payne & Smith, that challenge heteronormativity and delineations among my staff. We have
2014, p. 405). To assuage these con- cisgender assumptions, including such begun to diminish our use of boy/girl
cerns, Payne and Smith (2014) note texts as And Tango Makes Three, by lines at recess, assigning sports or
the importance of district policies and Richardson and Parnell (2005), It’s a colors to a specific gender, and using
protocols as a means of protection George Thing, by Bedford (2008), and gendered terminology with students
from outside forces. My Princess Boy, by Kilodavis (2010). (Martino & Cumming-Potvin, 2016).
Fortunately, New Jersey is quite pro- Through carefully scaffolded lessons Despite the anxiety, fear, and discomfort
with a specific progression, they use
gressive in this realm. We have New these texts to explore gender norms that this work can create, it is essential
Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination and nonconformity. This process allows that we challenge heteronormativity with
(LAD), which prohibits discrimination of students to broaden their perspectives our youngest students so that we do not
any kind based upon, among numer- on varying family structures, love, and inadvertently reinforce narrow gender
ous characteristics, a person’s gender identity. Similar efforts can be seen in norms that exclude nonconforming
identity, gender expression, and sexual the work of Ryan, Patraw, and Bednar students. Children are never too young
orientation. Many school districts have (2013) and Hermann-Wilmarth, Lan- to think critically about the world around
adopted policies regarding transgender nen, and Ryan (2017). them. Yet, they cannot do it alone. We
students based upon this law. In addi- as educators lead the way by providing
tion, the New Jersey State Anti-bullying Additionally, Martino and Cumming- the conditions and support for students
Bill of Rights Act of 2011 (HIB) and the Potvin (2016) note the importance to think in this manner. We must act
corresponding mandated board poli- of educators taking advantage of in ways that challenge oppressive
cies prohibit ostracism of students with “teachable moments,” using what norms, employing critical literacy and
these and other “defining characteris- comes from students in discussions capitalizing on “teachable moments” to
tics.” In addition to enforcing remedia- as a catalyst for deeper explorations. challenge heteronormativity. It is through
tion requirements for students found These moments also provide an this work that we will truly care for the
additional layer of protection from souls of our students.

Educational Viewpoints -98- Spring 2018