The main thing i have taken away from this class is the importance of the establishment of identity for the adolescent and how the teacher can help assist in this process. The other thing that I think has been extremely important that ive learned in this class is the idea of "other". I think many adolescents think of themselves as the "other", not really fitting in. When you think about the development of homosexual adolscents. identity and the sense of "other" are of extreme relevance. How a child feels about him or herself is of significant importance. If they feel that they have to suppress who they are, then they are not only dibilating their identity formation but their emotional, social, and cognitive development as well. If one does not feel comfortable being who they truly are, or being allowed to express who they are, then all facets of development will be off-set. Self-confidence plays a huge role in development. Feeling like you dont belong can have disatrous effects on your mental well being as well as socially. Its tough enough trying to figure out who we are, but once kids do they typically feel confident enough to express or display this. If being gay or bisexual is not accepted in a school or community, which is often the case even today, then adolescents will hide who they truly are, or sadly try to change whoh they are.
Teachers and schools must find a way to accomodate everyone. They need to be responsible for the well-being of each of their students. I've noticed in sex ed. at the school i student teach that it is heterosexual only there was no mention of anything outside of this realm. Completely ignoring something i feel is ignorant and irresponsible. If things are ever going to be accepted they need to be discussed. The reason why some people are against or fear "homosexuality" is because they have no experience with it or are uneduacted about it. I feel the same can be said for racism, a lot of the time people who display racist attitudes are those who have never had experiences of people outside of thier own race. Schools can be an agent of change by discussing issues that get ignored in society so that future generations are more tolerant through education.
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I remember when I was a kid and used to describe anything I did not like as being "gay." One day my sister challenged me to stop saying that and we got into a big argument. I actually started using the word "gay" even more because I knew it upset her. I'm not sure when or how I realized that my words do carry a lot of weight and consequently can do a lot of damage but somehow I did. And I never called something "gay" again in a hurtful way...
ReplyDeleteAs someone who is practicing being a teacher now I struggle to figure out what it is I can do to stop students from using hateful language. The issue of homosexuality is very difficult as it is impossible to tell who is gay and who is straight by simply looking at someone. This makes it that much more important to emphasize to students the importance of always being respectful. And I think the issue of respect is central here. We need to find a way to teach students to be respectful to others always, even if they do not understand the lifestyle.
I think you really hit it on the head with your statement that most kids probably feel like the "other". I know from my personal experiences dealing with kids from all age levels, most do often feel as though they are the "other". As teachers, just being aware is not enough, and your right when state that as educators we must also accommodate. I think this is very important, recognizing is the first step, but creating a safe environment in the classroom is the second and most important step.
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