GLSEN 1.0 Shelby Nance

On October 2^nd I attended the GLSEN 1.0 Making Elementary Schools LGBTQ Inclusive training. It was through the San Diego County Office of Education, but the facilitator was from the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) of San Diego. It was a three hour training, from 8:30-11:30. I decided to attend this training because my past teaching experience was in elementary and I did receive training on how to make my classroom a safe space, but never anything specifically on how to be LGBTQ inclusive at the elementary level. I feel that there is a strange stigma around not talking about or addressing LGBTQ scenarios or issues at the elementary level because the students are “too young”. I do not believe this to be true, and I actually think the earlier we start talking about and normalizing it, the better. Since I would ideally like to be an elementary counselor, I felt that this training would be a good way for me to start figuring out the best way to do that.

The session started with an overview of terminology and definitions. I feel like this was helpful to get us all on the same page, and there were several terms I had felt like I knew, but I learned even more about. Next, we went over laws and policies. These included Title IX at the federal level, which prohibits gender-based harassment including students who do not conform to stereotypical ideas of femininity and masculinity, and the state law AB 537, which states that all students and staff have a right to a safe learning environment regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. After that, they went over a checklist with specific things educators can do to learn about bullying and homophobia in school as well as strategies to create a safe and supportive environment for all. I felt like the most important one for school counselors is number 3: Create a safe and equitable school.
            

In order to create a safe and equitable school counselors can start with leading by example and demonstrating what acceptance looks like. It is important to make sure that our staff is trained on LGBT youth/family issues. We can also work to create policies at our schools that protect students from harassment and bullying, and we can teach students about diversity and inclusion through classroom lessons. Lastly, counselors are an important link between school staff, students and their families, and the community. We should be working with them through things like the PTA and community based organizations regarding the needs of LGBT students.

Another important strategy that the group shared specifically for elementary aged students is teaching about diversity and inclusivity with the use of books. Children love books and they can be a great way to teach about new topics and even just to start the conversation. This is a great strategy that can be used by counselors at all intervention stages. It would be great to use a book for a whole group classroom lesson, small group, or individual session. The facilitator gave a list of books including grade level, language, and topic to choose from.   

From this session, I learned that making elementary school LGBTQ inclusive is important, and that it is possible. They gave specific information and strategies that I will use as a school counselor, whether I end up at the elementary level or not.

Solana