Affirming & celebrating the identities of all students in Spanish class
Like every other month, it is important the marginalized group recognized in June is also acknowledged for the rest of the year as well. I know many of us are done with our school years, but these are ideas to incorporate in every school to make sure every single student feels welcome and included in your room. It is about more than just one month of Pride in Spanish class.
Diverse Classroom Library
If you want all students to feel accepted in your classroom, make sure your classroom library reflects all types of diversity. This includes the types of relationships. Do not tell me you are “keeping sexuality out of the classroom” by only showing heteronormative couples, as that is making a statement itself. If you are more concerned with not rocking the boat than protecting and affirming all humans in your classroom, I would suggest reflecting and learning. Just because a student is not “out” in your room does not mean that they are not there.
Below are a few diverse books I have in my own classroom library. Also, there are others that have been recommended to be below that you can get for your own library. Here is more information and my review of Los 3 Amigos.
FYI if you purchase with my links I make a small commission.
Correct Pronouns
One of the best ways you can support all students is to ask and use correct pronouns. This year I just had a question in my start of the year student info Google Form as to what pronoun the student wanted me to use. (Did I end up in the admin’s office since a parent complained I asked this? Yes. Was it worth it to respect the identities of all students? Absolutely.)
Another piece of this as a language teacher is to provide the pronoun options of the target language. I know that there are many regional variations and each person picks what works best for them, but the singular non-binary option I have found is most common currently is “elle.” (pronounced in Spanish A-yay)
>> Read this important post from @TheWokeSpanishTeacher who has taught me a lot, for more info about elle.
So last year I decided I needed to be intentional and made a new pronoun poster. I did not do it as a big lesson, but rather just presented the options that students could use. Many students this year thanked me not only for asking for their pronouns but for being inclusive of all people.
From a grammar standpoint, if you were using elle you could match the adjective also with an e. Elle es atractive. Elle es alte. No, I did not make this up. Real humans use it, so I do not care if a textbook or organization has said something is proper before I provide it as an option to students. Read more here.
*Update – Download this Free Elle Poster from Storytime con Sra Jensen
Support Organizations that Support what you believe in
Besides making sure that your classroom is open and accepting, I think it is just as important to support people and organizations who have similar beliefs. If you feel the same I urge you to put your money behind companies that support all humans. So personally, I will no longer be supporting TPRS Books.
If you are wanting to support LGBTQ youth, I suggest The Trevor Project.
Pride in Spanish Class – More resources
More Diverse Resources for Spanish Class
- Asian Pacific Heritage Month Asian-Latinx Resources
- Black History Month in Spanish class
- Indigenous Peoples in Spanish class
What resources and ideas do you have to add regarding Pride in Spanish class?
