Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality

Teaching Guide. Edited by Annika Butler-Wall, Kim Cosier, Rachel Harper, Jeff Sapp, Jody Sokolower, and Melissa Bollow Tempel. Rethinking Schools. 2016. 476 pages.
A collection of essays on how to create a nurturing classroom at different grade levels, curriculum, teachers coming out, organizing beyond classroom walls, and integrating LGBTQ+ content into teacher education programs and ongoing teacher education.

Themes: Education, LGBTQ

Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality is a collection by Rethinking Schools of inspiring stories about how to integrate feminist and LGBTQ content into curriculum, make it part of a vision for social justice, and create classrooms and schools that nurture all children and their families.

Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality is filled with insightful, inspiring articles about:

Our Classrooms
Our Curriculum
When Teachers Come Out
Beyond the Classroom
Teacher Education, Continuing Education

Chapter 1 :: Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality: Introduction
What does the new misogyny mean for teachers and schools? What does “queering our schools” look like? Does gay marriage mean equality? What’s next? The articles in this chapter define critical issues and set the context for the rest of the book.

Chapter 2 :: Our Classrooms
How do we create classrooms and schools that nurture all children as they grow and develop? What are the interrelationships between racism, sexism, and homophobia?
How do we help children talk about these issues from preschool on? Parents, teachers, and youth share experiences, strategies, and insights.

Chapter 3 :: Our Curriculum
We can’t rethink sexism, gender, and sexuality without radically transforming curriculum. But what does that mean concretely? This chapter includes articles on sex-positive and inclusive sex education, teaching women’s and LGBTQ history, creating books and plays, re-envisioning the classics, analyzing popular culture, and more.

Chapter 4 :: When Teachers Come Out
“Should I come out to my students? When? How? What can I do to protect myself?” “I’m an ally — how can I be supportive?” The stories in this chapter illuminate approaches, problems, and rewards.

Chapter 5 :: Beyond the Classroom
How do we create healing space for young Black women? What can a school do to support trans children? How do you get a district to change its policies and practice? Parents, teachers, activists, administrators, and a children’s book author share their stories of support, advocacy, literature, and activism.

Chapter 6 :: Teacher Education, Continuing Education
How do we help new — and veteran — teachers feel more confident and competent to bring explorations of sexism, gender, and sexuality into their classrooms? Teacher educators
and parents suggest approaches, curriculum, and resources.

ISBN: 9780942961591 | Rethinking Schools

Praise

One of the most important books I’ve read in a long time. It should be mandatory reading for anyone involved in education. The essays are so thoughtful and passionate—but, more than that, they’re engaging. I found myself eager to get back to this collection, wanting to quote from every writer I read in here. —Jacqueline Woodson, award-winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming

In this moment when forces are rallying to demonize all forms of difference, we must recommit to leveraging feminist, queer, and intersectional politics to trouble education. Rethinking Sexism, Gender, and Sexuality showcases a diverse sampling of possibilities for doing precisely that. Read and act on this book today! —Kevin Kumashiro, author of Against Common Sense: Teaching and Learning toward Social Justice and dean of the University of San Francisco School of Education