All children have unique families and backgrounds that come in every shape and colour. Lisa’s presentation focused on the inclusion of all gender identities, sexualities, and families. Within her presentation she discussed various ways to make your classroom and school a safe place that welcomes all. Her presentation was powerful and her words will continue to stay will me throughout my teaching journey. In addition, to her powerful messages, she provided us with posters, tip sheets, sticker templates, and various strategies for how we can help create an environment that all children feel safe to be themselves.
SOGI resources from Lisa Price’s presentation on SOGI in Bonnie’s 336 inclusion class.
SOGI 123 – British Columbia
https://bc.sogieducation.org/
Practicum 391
With my small class of 9 students one of the first things we did was try to get to know each other. I knew it was important in my teaching pedagogy to embrace students unique differences. We started with a “get-to-know” activity in which students drew their favourite food, colour, and season. They also drew a portrait of themselves. After we completed that activity we did a sharing circle in which students shared one thing that made them unique. I started the sharing circle by talking a bit about how everyone is different and it is these differences that make us so amazing. The students then became excited to share things they felt made them unique and how that uniqueness made them awesome. Celebrating differences among us is part of my teaching pedagogy and I loved bringing it into the classroom.
One lesson we did in school was one called “our families” which we did for education 397 in Catherine Whalens class. This lesson Vicki, Celina and I created was made to embrace all families. Students would read the book “And Thats their Family” which showed families of all cultures, with disabilities, with same-sex parents, transitioning parents and more. Students then made their own paper dolls that opened up and they could either draw or write about their own families. The dolls would then be hung up on a bulletin board in the classroom with all the dolls holding hands showing the connected community in the classroom.
