June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Take a look at these resources that help support LGBTQ+ students and educators through activism, research, policy, and curriculum.
Identity Safe Spaces at Home and School
Partnering to Overcome Inequity
Becki Cohn-Vargas and Debbie Zacarian To mitigate the negative impacts of oppression on marginalized identities, this book shows how educators can work with parents and guardians to support all students’ well-being and success. Each chapter covers a core practice of identity safe classrooms, explains how to extend practices schoolwide, and discusses how to share practices with families to implement at home.
Teens Choosing to Read
Fostering Social, Emotional, and Intellectual Growth Through Books
Gay Ivey and Peter Johnston Follow the amazing transformation of adolescents who went from reluctant to enthusiastic readers, reporting that reading not only helped them manage their stress but also helped them negotiate happier, more meaningful lives. Includes research on what students should and should not read and the consequences of censoring books that interest them.
LGBTQ Youth and Education (Second Edition)
Policies and Practices
Cris Mayo Learn how to address exclusionary practices in schools related to gender identity, sexuality, racism, sexism, and other forms of bias that shape student experiences. This extensively revised edition includes updated information on the impact of same-sex marriage legalization and increasing federal recognition of transgender student rights to assist educators and other school community members.
about Gender Identity Justice in Schools and Communities
sj Miller What is gender identity justice, why does it matter, and what are the implications for not doing this work in today’s schools? This book opens up spaces where evolving, indeterminate gender identities will be understood and recognized as asset-based, rich sources for learning literacy and literacy learning.
Acting Out! Combating Homophobia Through Teacher Activism
Edited By: Mollie V. Blackburn, Caroline T. Clark, Lauren M. Kenney, Jill M. Smith To create safe learning environments for all students, the authors address key topics, including seizing teachable moments, organizing faculty, deciding whether to come out in the classroom, using LGBTQ-inclusive texts, running a Gay-Straight Alliance, and preparing preservice teachers to do antihomophobia work.
Reading the Rainbow
LGBTQ-Inclusive Literacy Instruction in the Elementary Classroom
Caitlin L. Ryan and Jill M. Hermann-Wilmarth
Winner of the 2018 LRA Edward B. Fry Book Award
Both authors have received the 2023 NCTE Outstanding Elementary Educator in the English Language Arts Award
Drawing on examples from K–5 classrooms, the authors make clear what LGBTQ-inclusive literacy teaching can look like in practice, including what teachers might say and how students might respond. The text also provides readers with opportunities to consider these new approaches with respect to traditional literacy instruction.
Igniting Social Action in the ELA Classroom
Inquiry as Disruption
Robyn Seglem and Sarah Bonner This practical book shows English language arts and social studies teachers (6–12) how to use literature to help students navigate a shifting world. Learn how to equip students with the skills to advocate for themselves and others, including using digital tools in meaningful ways. Includes examples of discussions that lead to community projects.
Interrupting Hate
Homophobia in Schools and What Literacy Can Do About It
Mollie V. Blackburn The author focuses on the problems of heterosexism and homophobia in schools and explores how these forms of oppression impact LGBTQ youth, as well as all young people. With a unique combination of adolescent literacy and teacher action projects, Blackburn shows how concerned teachers can engage students both in and out of school to develop positive learning environments.
Just Research in Contentious Times
Widening the Methodological Imagination
Michelle Fine In this intensely powerful text, Fine shares her struggles to translate research into policy and practice that can enhance the human condition. She examines a wide array of critical participatory action research (PAR) projects involving school push-outs, Muslim American youth, queer youth of color, women in prison, and children navigating under-resourced schools.
Gender, Bullying, and Harassment
Strategies to End Sexism and Homophobia in Schools
Elizabeth J. Meyer This important book offers readers tangible and flexible suggestions to help them positively transform the culture of their school and reduce the incidences of gendered harassment. The text features sections that speak specifically to administrators, teachers, counselors, student leaders, and community and family members.
Trauma-Sensitive Schools for the Adolescent Years
Promoting Resiliency and Healing, Grades 6–12
Susan E. Craig In this follow-up to her bestseller, Trauma-Sensitive Schools, Susan Craig provides secondary school teachers and administrators with a trauma-sensitive approach to instruction that will improve students’ achievement. The text provides an overview of the effects of three types of trauma on adolescent development: early childhood adversity, community violence, and systemic inequities.
Photo by Alexander Grey