SocialActionPlan

Myculturallyrelevantlessonplanintroducedthetopicofgenderstereotypestomy

students.Ifeltthatthiswasanimportanttopictoaddressbecausestereotypessurroundusevery

day,especiallywhenconcerninggender.Studentsfacethesestereotypeseverydayinschool,in

themedia,andmaybeevenintheirindividuallives.Studentsmayevenfacethesestereotypesin

theirhomelikeasreferredtobyLinaEspinosa(2015).Manyofthefamiliesinthisteachers

communityhaddifferentexpectationsfortheirchildrenthatweredependentontheirsex.Itis

importantforstudentstorealizethateventhoughthesestereotypesconcerninggenderexistdoes

notmeanthattheyaretrueforeveryone.

Ialsofeltthatthislessontopicwasnecessarybecausebullyingisaprobleminmyfield

placementclassroom.Myfieldpartnertaughtalessonthatfocusedonbullyingthedaybefore,

thereforeIthoughtitwouldbebeneficialtodiscussgenderstereotypesinmylessonbecause

theremaybestudentswhogetbulliedbecausetheyeitherfulfillordonotfulfillthese

stereotypes.Ifeltitwasimportanttonotethatastereotypemaybetrue,butthatiswhyitis

importanttogettoknowsomeoneasanindividualratherthandependingonanystereotypein

generaltoinformusaboutsomeoneelse.

MelissaBollowTempel(2012)wrotethatMyjobisnottojudge,buttoteach,andI

cantteachifthestudentsinmyclassaredistractedoruncomfortable(p.18).Thisisimportant

foreducatorstounderstandbecausetheyneedtoteachstudentshowtoacceptothersdespiteof

anydifferencesthatothersmayhave.Theyneedtolearnthatdifferencesneedtobecelebrated

becausethatiswhatmakeseveryoneuniqueandspecial.Therefore,ifstudentsdefyany

stereotypes,includinggenderstereotypesoreveniftheyconformtothestereotype,thatisokay

becauseeveryaspectofapersoniswhatmakesthemunique.
 ActionSteps:

Myvisionisforteacherstounderstandtheimportanceofteachingstudentsaboutgender

stereotypes.MelissaTempel(2012)wrotethatstudentsneedtobepreparedtoplaywithall

kindsofpeople(p.4).Indoingso,itisimportantforthestudentsinmyschooltorealizethat

stereotypesdoexist,howeverthesestereotypesneverdefineaperson.Iwantmystudentsto

knowthatthestereotypesthatdoexist,morespecificallygenderstereotypes,donotdictatea

personsinterests,hobbies,orgoals.Therefore,ifastudentmayhavethetypicalintereststhat

someonestereotypicallymayhaveiftheyidentifiedasthesamegender.ThroughouttheSocial

ActionPlan,Iwantstudentstoknowthattheycanbeanythingthattheywanttoberegardlessif

itconformsorconfrontsthestereotypesthatexistabouttheirgenderidentityandtheimportance

ofknowingsomeoneasanindividualbeforeimmediatelyjudgingthembyreferringtoanygiven

stereotype.Eventhough,Ifocusmostlyongenderstereotypes,Iplantoreiteratetothestudents

thatthispertainstoallstereotypesingeneral.

ActionSteps:

Ste Day Action

p

1 Aboutone Discusswithcooperatingteachersonhowwecanfosterstudents
monthbefore criticalconsciousnessconcerninggenderstereotypes.
lesson

2 Day1 Teachersbrainstormexamplesofgenderstereotypeswithstudents.
Teachersfacilitateaconversationwithstudentsoniftheyhaveinterests
thatfallunderthestereotypeoftheoppositegenderthattheyidentify
withoraninterestthatfallsundertheirgenderidentitysstereotype.
Studentswriteabouttheseinterestsandhowitmakesthemfeelthatthis
interest,goal,orhobbyisorisnotastereotype.

3 Day4 ReadaloudOliverButtonisaSissyandAmazingGrace.Havestudents
reflecthowthesecharactersconfrontedgendernorms.Relatethisto
 bullying.Itisneverokaytobullysomeonebecauseoftheirinterests.

4 Day5 Havestudentsmakeapagethatisdedicatedtotheirinterest.The
studentsshouldfillintheblanksinthefollowingstatement:Iama
insertgenderidentity,butIliketoinserthobbyorinterest.Students
shoulddrawapicturethatrepresentsthisactivity.Pagescanbeeither
hungupinthehallwaytosharethestudentsprideorputtogetherina
bookthatcanbeusedasaremindertobeproudofwhotheyare.

5 Day6 Fostercriticalconsciousnessbyhavingstudentsbrainstormwaysthat
theschoolcanconfrontgenderstereotypes.

6 Fortherestof Theteachersandstaffoftheschoolavoidreferringtothestudentswith
theschool theirgenderidentity.Studentsavoidusingstereotypestojudgeothers.
yearand Bathroomlabelsareremoved.Linestogotothebathroomarenot
beyond. separatedbygender,butbyinterest.

Implementingthissocialactionplanwouldrequiremetocollaboratewiththeschool

administrationandmycooperatingteachers.Iwouldwanttheadministrationonboardsothis

canbeimplementedschoolwideandwecangetmorestudentstothinkcriticallyonhowwecan

confrontgenderstereotypesinourcommunity.Ifweareteachingstudentsabouthowtoactona

socialissueandiftheyseechangeoccurintheirschool,thentheycanseefirsthandhowtheyare

capableofmakingadifference.Ialsoneedtocollaboratewiththeadministrationtoseewhere

wouldbethebestplacetohangupthestudentspagesortogetpermissiontoremovethe

bathroomlabels.Itwouldbeimportanttocollaboratewithfellowteacherstobounceideasoffof

eachotherandfigureoutthebestwaytoeducateourstudentsonthistopicandhowwecan

fostercriticalconsciousness.Additionally,itwouldbebeneficialforthestudentsinourclassto

beonthesamestepastheotherclassessotheycanbondoverthisandcontinuefurther

discussionwithanyoftheirpeersthatareinadifferentclassoutsideofthelearning

environment.
 Thestudents,teachers,administration,andparentswouldbetheconstituentsthatIwould

needtoengage.Iwouldneedtoengagetheadministrationsotheyaremotivatedtohelpmeput

thisplanintoactionandbysupportingmeinanywaypossible.Thiswouldbeverybeneficialif

therewasanupsetparentbecausethenIwouldknowthattheadministrationwouldbackmeup.

Additionally,itisimportantformycooperatingteacherstobeengagedsotheyaremotivatedto

makethisplanthebestitcanbeandconstantlybebrainstormingwaysthatthisactionplancan

beimproved.Thestudentswillneedtobeengagedsotheyareknowledgeableofthesocialissue

thatexistsaroundgenderstereotypesandtheyaremotivatedtobethinkingcriticallyofwaysthat

theycandotopreventstereotypesfromaffectingourcommunity.Lastly,Ithinkitwouldbe

importanttogettheparentsengagedinthistopicsotheyunderstandtheimportanceofstudents

learningaboutitandactingagainstgenderstereotypes.Iwouldsendaletterhometotheparents

explainingtheimportanceofthistopicandhowittiestobullying.Learningaboutthistopicwill

empowerstudentstobetruetothemselvesandwilleducateothersonwhyitisneverokayto

bullysomeonebecauseoftheirinterests.Itisimportantforalloftheconstituentstobeengaged

soeveryoneismotivatedtodotheirpartintheactionplanandwecanmakeleapsinmakinga

differenceinthecommunity.

Anyoftheconstituentsmayresistsocialchange.Theadministrationmaynotsupportthat

Iwouldbeteachingaboutgenderstereotypesbecausetheymaynotbelievethatitisnot

appropriateforstudentstolearnaboutthis.However,itisimportantforstudentstostartthinking

criticallyaboutthisincasetheydofeelvictimizedbecauseoftheirgenderidentity.Parentsmay

alsofeelthesameandmaynotwanttheirchildtoparticipateintheactionplan.Teachersmay

alsofeeluncomfortabletoteachthisspecificcontenttostudentsbecauseitcloselyalignswith
thetopicofLGBTQandmayfeelthatthisisalsoinappropriateforstudentsinelementary

school.Thestudentsmayresistchangebecausetheymayfindithardtobelievethataboymay

wanttowearmakeuporthatagirlwouldwanttoplayasport.Theymayhaveahardtime

thinkingthroughanotherpersonsperspectiveiftheythinkofthemselvesasmanlyorgirly.

Iwouldhopethatsupportwouldexistinmycommunityandthiswouldbeahuge

resourcetohave,especiallywhenteachingaboutasocialissueingeneral.Iwouldalsoconsider

myschoolcommunitytobearesourcebecauseIwouldhopethattheywouldbewillingtowork

forchangeinourschoolcommunityandwouldwanttocontributeasmuchastheycantohelp

thestudentsfighttomakeadifferenceandconfrontgenderstereotypes.Theschoollibrarywould

mostlikelyhavebooksaboutcharactersthatconfrontgendernorms,suchasOliverButtonisa

SissyorAmazingGrace.However,ifthiswasnotthecaseIwouldmakesuretohavesuchbooks

inmyschoollibraryandwouldbewillingtolendthesebookstootherteacherssotheycanread

themtotheirstudents.Thestudentspersonalexperienceswouldbeahugeresourcetouse

becausestudentsmayfeelcompelledtosharetheirownexperiencesthattheyhadwithgender

stereotypesoranystereotypeingeneral,makingthemandtheirpeersmoreengagedand

motivatedtofightthissocialissue.OtherresourcesthatImayneedwouldincludethesimple

necessities,suchaspaper,crayons,markers,andchartpaper.

Iwouldhopethatthissocialactionplanwouldpromoteempathyandunderstandingfor

others,butalsoempowerment.Iwantstudentstounderstandthatnoteveryonemaybeinterested

inthesamehobbiesorsubjectmatter.However,itisimportanttonotjudgeothersbecauseof

thisanditisimportanttotrytolookthroughsomeoneelsespointofviewbeforeyoumakefun

ofthembecausetheymaynothavethesameinterestasyouorthesameinterestasthe
stereotypicalgirlorboy.Iwantstudentstoalsobeanupstanderiftheydonoticethatanyoneis

beingmadefunofbecausetheymaynotfollowormayfollowastereotypeorisgettingbullied

ingeneral.Lastly,Iwantstudentstofeelempoweredtostaytruetothemselvesdespiteofthe

stereotypesthatexist.

Implementation:

Whenimplementingthisactionplan,Iwasverynervousaboutteachingaboutthetopic

ofgenderstereotypesbecauseIwasaguestintheclassroom.However,Itwentmuchbetterthan

imagined.Iintegratedthefirststepsofmyactionplanintomyculturallyrelevantlesson.Ihad

theclassdoamodifiedversionofsteps24.TheonlydifferencewasthatIdidnothavestudents

writeaboutiftheyhadaninterestorhobbythateitherfellunderanygenderstereotypesor

confrontedthem.Instead,Ihadstudentsshareorallyduringawholegroupdiscussion.

Iusedstep2asanengage/openingactivityformylessonandIrecordedstudents

brainstormedideasofthegenderstereotypesthatexistonaTchart.Iwasreallysurprisedabout

howengagedthestudentswereduringthisactivity.EverytimeIwrotedownanewstereotype,

severalstudentswouldyelloutthatisnottrue!orewboysdonotdothat!Everytime

studentsexclaimedsomethinglikethis,Iwouldfacilitatefurtherdiscussionchallengingthe

studentsonwhythatmaynotbetrueorwhyboyscannotdothatcertainactivity.

Icontinuedonwithstep2,readingaloudOliverButtonisaandSissyAmazingGrace.

Afterreadingaloudbothtexts,studentswereabletoshareouthoweachmaincharacter

confrontedgenderstereotypes.Overall,studentswereabletocomeupwiththethemethat

anyonecanbewhatevertheywanttobe,evenifotherpeoplemaymakefunofyou.Theyalso

relatedthistomyfieldpartnersbullyinglessonthedaybeforeandexclaimedthattheyallhave
tobeupstanderswhensomeoneisgettingbullied.AsIreadthebookaloud,studentswere

gettingconfusedbythinkingthatOliverButtonwantedtobeagirl.However,Iclarifiedthis

confusionbysayingthatOliverwasaboywhojustlikeddoingthingsthatareoftenseenas

girly.

Lastly,theIamaboy/girlactivityreallyengagedstudentsonthistopic.Studentswere

soproudtosharetheiractivitywitheachotherandwereproudthattheywereeitherconfronting

orconformingtothestereotypebecauselikingthisactivityorhobbyiswhatmakesthemspecial.

Onemalestudenttalkedabouthowhelikedtowriteinadiarywhileafemalestudenttalked

abouthowshelovestowatchbasketball.Ithinkthisactivityshowedthemtheimportanceof

stayingtruetothemselveswhilenotconformingtogenderstereotypes.

Mynextstepsinthesocialactionplanwouldbetofostercriticalconsciousnessby

havingstudentsbrainstormideasofwhatwecandoashumanbeingstominimizegender

stereotypinginourschoolandhowwecangoaboutimplementingit.Iwouldalsobrainstorm

ideasofhowIastheirteachercanminimizegenderstereotypingandsharetheseideaswiththem

sothattheyareawareofthechangethatIamtryingtomakehappen.

References:

Espinosa,L.(2015).Anewteacherhelpsherstudentsanalyzestereotypesinthemedia.

Retrievedfromhttp://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/17_03/seve173.shtml

Tempel,M.B.(2012).Itsoktobeneither.InL.Christensen(Ed.),Rethinkingelementary

education(p.1518).Milwaukee,WI:ARethinkingSchoolsPublication.