Call students by their preferred name and make sure you’re pronouncing it correctly to demonstrate your respect.

Goal:
  • Ensure students are called on in ways that respect their identities.
Reason:
  • When students don’t feel safe, it can cause them distress in the classroom. Taking the time to show your students respect can help create a safe environment.
Action:
  • Consider having students record themselves saying their name.
    • This provides a guide on the correct pronunciation you can practice from.
  • You might also consider asking students what their personal gender pronouns are.
    • Gender expression is a really important aspect of your students identity. Asking them and then referring to them by their preferred pronoun (he/she/they/ze etc.) shows a profound level of respect for your students’ identities.
    • Let students know your prefered gender pronoun (PGP) too!

More about this tip

External Source