Common Read Event

I am thankful that I was able to watch the recording of the talk given by Alex Gino,
the author of George. There are many facets of the talk that stuck out to me, but there
are several things that Alex Gino highlighted that I will keep in mind going forward and
work towards incorporating into my classroom. 

First of all, Alex Gino said that it is important to create a space that is welcoming for trans
students even before you know you have a trans student in your class. In some ways this piece
of advice seems very obvious, but I had never thought about it before. I recognize that it is out
of immense privilege that I can say that I’ve never thought about this. I think this is incredibly
important because students need to have a space they feel supported and comfortable enough
to come out to if/when the time arises. If a student feels like the environment will have to
change solely because they are trans, the learning environment is not truly inclusive or
accepting. This is something that I will prioritize in my future classroom, because I know that
all students deserve an environment to express themselves in a way that feels true to them, and
it is only when all students can achieve that self expression that students can learn in an
effective way. 

The second thing that Alex Gino mentioned that really stood out to me was to have
representation in your classroom itself. Posters, books, and other materials should have a wide
range of identities represented. I think this is key to an inclusive and equitable classroom
because it allows students to see bits of themselves represented in the classroom environment.
If students are able to see themselves represented throughout the classroom, then this will help
in establishing a welcoming and inclusive learning environment for everyone. 

Finally, Alex Gino expressed how important it is to trust the language that students use, and
more importantly to ask what their language use means to them. I think that this is something
really important when considering an inclusive classroom, because there are so many labels
today, but the label is not important - but rather the student’s intent behind that label.
Everything that stuck out to me during Alex Gino’s talk all works toward creating an inclusive
classroom that openly invites and encourages self expression. I believe that this is an incredibly
important piece in the sense that an educator should never make assumptions about the identity
of a student, but rather we should ask and try to understand the perspective of the student. 

My biggest takeaways from Alex Gino’s talk reflect the pillar of the Education Department’s
mission statement that states “our graduates are change agents committed to social justice and
sustainability.” This means that the classroom provides a learning environment that “promotes
cultural responsiveness, critical consciousness, and equity for all.” I think that in this age of
social justice and consciousness, it is incredibly important to have a classroom that promotes
equity among students and allows them to tackle current topics head on. I think the way to do
this is to create a learning environment that allows students to freely express themselves in any
way they like. Alex Gino said many important things throughout their talk that I will consciously
work toward implementing in my own classroom, so to create the most inclusive and welcoming
learning environment for every student.