Queering the Curriculum

In the Ministry of Educations document Deepening the Discussion, ways to address homophobic, transphobic, biphobic, and oppressive systems towards queer and transgender people are discussed. Beginning with making sure the school is a safe place for all students, gender-neutral bathrooms and change rooms are necessary, and schools should have them in place before the need is stated. Arts Education Curriculum lends itself to queer curriculum through the study of LGBTQ+ composers and writers. Forum theatre is also a great way to address issues surrounding gender. Science courses also allow discussions about gender and sexual diversity through the human body, biology, and reproduction curriculum. Educators can show that, just like the classification of animals, gender is also humanly constructed. Health Science 20 can also address how the “cultural and social perspectives on gender and sexual diversity, as well as the challenges for the health system to address the concerns of people who do not readily fall into the binary of male or female.” English education curriculum, can bring in queer voices and facilitate discussions. Social studies curriculum also lends itself to a discussion of queer identities through topics such as “human rights, stereotyping, and prejudice.” The Health Education curriculum also contains objectives that would address Queer identities through topics such as identity, self, facing obstacles, and promoting health. Areas of discussion could be on prejudices in the health care system of those who do not identify with the gender binary. In Mathematics, you could use lessons on statistics to confront heterosexism and explore queer perspectives through word problems.

Queering Curriculum Studies by Heather Sykes talks of integrating queerness into the curriculum. To me, incorporating queerness into curriculum studies means hearing and learning more from Queer voices. As an English education major, in a future English classroom, I would bring in Queer voices thought the texts we read. I would find resources outside of the canon, which tends to be “male, pale, and stale” to find new voices. I will facilitate discussions about these readings to avoid a situation like Katerina’s experience in Queering Classrooms, Curricula, and Care: Stories From Those Who Dare. I would be prepared for the conversations ahead of time. I will have signs on my door, letting students know that I am safe to talk to, much like teachers did in my high school. I want my classroom to feel like a safe place for students to be who they are. It will sound like stopping any derogatory language as it comes out of a student’s mouth, and explaining why what they said is wrong. I want students to know I am here to listen, help if they need, and have students confide in me without fear of sharing their stories with others (safety issues excluded).

Queering Classrooms, Curricula, and Care: Stories From Those Who Dare by Karleen Pendleton Jiménez talks of the conflict between the duty of care for all students and maintaining a classroom free from any notion of sexuality. Teachers should not have to choose between either. Duty of care should not mean that you cannot discuss gender identity or sexual orientation in your classroom. By avoiding queering education, you do not provide your duty of care to students or their families in the LGBTQ+ communities. As the article states, “notion of care is a potentially powerful tool for queering elementary education” but only if the educators can “fulfill the role of the caring teacher despite the conflict.” The caring teacher cannot only be for cis-gendered students or those who fit the normative narrative.