Teach-Primary-Issue-19.1

28 | www.teachwire.net How to combat PREJUDICE LGBT+ inclusion doesn’t have to take a lot of time, says Mel Lane . In fact, it can fit seamlessly into your classroom, making it a happier place for everyone... F or the past seven years, I’ve been working with thousands of primary-age children, running LGBT+ inclusive assemblies and workshops each year in schools. The difference I’ve observed in pupils is transformational. Year 2s are much more accepting of, for example, boys who like wearing dresses or girls who love playing football. Year 3s tell me that it doesn’t matter if you don’t know someone’s gender – you can still be friends. And Year 6s are articulate and thoughtful when they suggest ideas for how to ensure a trans child would feel welcome in their school. As teachers, taking on anything that adds to our workload can seem too much. So I’m delighted to tell you that taking a little bit of time to talk about LGBT+ lives is much easier than you might think, and will definitely pay back way more than the time you’ve invested. Just drop it in When I first asked my Year 6 class to tell me where the apostrophe goes in ‘ Simons boyfriend ’, I was really nervous that someone would laugh or say something offensive, but no-one made any comment – they just got on and told me where to put the apostrophe. I was amazed that the children didn’t bat an eye at this kind of inclusive language – and that it was me that was needlessly worrying about it. After all, many children have LGBT+ friends and family members and the number of young people coming out is increasing all the time (The Guardian, 2023). When we drop in references to LGBT+ lives, we’re just making sure everyone is represented. Maths is super easy for drop-ins, too. For example, Sam and his two dads went to the cinema. How much did it cost if…? Unnecessary gendering For very good reason, we never ask children to line up separately by their skin colour. So why do so many of us still split them up depending on their gender? A Year 5 child recently told me how horrible this made them feel (and this isn’t the only child to have told me this). “The teachers don’t know I’m non-binary”, they said, “so when they split us up boy/girl it makes me feel…”, and then they rubbed their tummy as if in pain. Instead, try dividing children by asking, for example, “Would you rather be a unicorn or a dragon or neither?”, or “Do you prefer chocolate or ice- cream or neither?” “LGBT+ inclusion doesn’t have to be a separate issue; it can be part of conversations we are already having”