Page 99 - EdViewptsSpring2018-web_Neat

Disrupting the Elementary Narrative:

Challenging Heteronormativity in the

Elementary School Classroom

By Necole Jadick, Principal, Wayne Township Public Schools

“To teach in a manner that Hooks quotation exemplifies the needs elementary students. Accordingly, we

respects and cares for the these of students. With consistently must begin our work at this level.
reported higher rates of harassment
souls of our students is and violence, accompanied by a lack With statewide legal supports such as
the Law Against Discrimination (LAD)
essential if we are to provide of confidence that school officials will and the Harassment, Intimidation,
come to their aid, it is our LGBTQ+
the necessary conditions students whose souls we must handle and Bullying (HIB) law, New Jersey
schools are poised to be leaders in
where learning can most with extreme delicacy. According to creating equitable, welcoming learning
a study released by The Williams
deeply and intimately Institute at the UCLA School of Law, environments for all students regard-
less of gender, gender expression,
an estimated 0.7% of youth ages or gender identity. To do so, we must
begin.” (Bell Hooks, Teaching to 13 to 17 identify as transgender in challenge gender norms and assump-
Transgress - 1993) the United States (Blad, 2017). Yet, tions in our classrooms and develop
One needs only to look at the statistics these children do not materialize in a greater awareness of how these
for LGBTQ+ youth to see how this Bell middle and high school - they are our norms and assumptions impact our

Educational Viewpoints -97- Spring 2018