Getting Ready for Benjamin

Preparing Teachers for Sexual Diversity in the Classroom

Contributions by Tim Bedford, Deborah P Berrill, Roger Brindley, Kevin P. Colleary, Steve Fifield, Michael Gard, Karen Glasgow, Michelle Hoffner-Brodsky, Denise Hoffner-Brodsky, James R. King, Paula Kluth, Will Letts, Arthur Lipkin, Delores D. Liston, Wayne Martino, Cris Mayo, Michael Middleton, Jane A. Page, Karlenn Pendleton Jiménez, Eric Rofes, Ronni Sanlo, Mara Sapon-Shevin, Syracuse University, Génet Simone, Diana Straut, Howard Lee Swain, Allison J. Young Edited by Rita M. Kissen

Not available to order

Publication date:

23 October 2002

Length of book:

280 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9780742516762

This book argues that issues of sexual diversity are inextricably interwoven into the basic concerns of pre-service teacher education. How do we make our students aware of assumptions regarding masculinity, femininity, and sexuality that arise from what is presented, represented, or omitted from curricula and classroom practice? What do we say about homophobia and heterosexism as we anticipate the administrative hierarchies, school cultures, parent and community politics they will encounter as teachers? What special challenges might face a teacher (straight or gay) who discusses sexual orientation in a high school classroom, or responds to a homophobic remark in the hallway or the cafeteria? How should we prepare a teacher for a parent conference with two moms or two dads? The essays in this volume range from an analysis of gay stereotypes in teacher education textbooks, to a discussion of queer multiculturalism, to personal accounts by lesbian and gay teacher educators and heterosexual allies who are challenging homophobia and heterosexism in their own classrooms and programs. All agree that education for sexual diversity is as important as education about all other forms of difference, and that future teachers need to know how to create safe spaces for lesbian and gay students, along with the children of gay families who are increasingly a part of the classroom landscape.

Part 1 Surveying the Landscape
Chapter 2 The Challenges of Gay Topics in Teacher Education: Politics, Content, and Pedagogy
Chapter 3 "But No One in the Class is Gay": Countering Invisibility and Creating Allies in Teacher Education Programs
Chapter 4 What do we do in Physical Education
Chapter 5 "Pedophiles and Deviants": Exploring Issues of Sexuality, Masculinity and Normalization in the Lives of Male Teacher Candidates
Chapter 6 Homophobia in the Schools: Student Teachers' Perceptions and Preparation to Respond
Chapter 7 Education by Association: The Shortcomings of Discourses of Privacy and Civility in Anti-Homophobia Education
Chapter 8 The Gay Ghetto in the Geography of Education Textbooks
Part 9 "Add LGBT And STIR": Multiculturalism and Sexual Diversity
Chapter 10 "Talking about Inclusion like it's for Everyone": Sexual Diversity and the Inclusive Schooling Movement
Chapter 11 Re-visioning Multiculturalism in Teacher Education: Isn't it Queer?
Chapter 12 Queer Developments in Teacher Education: Addressing Sexual Diversity , Homophobia and Heterosexism
Chapter 13 Getting to the Heart of Teaching for Diversity
Part 14 Telling Our Stories
Chapter 15 How My Teacher Preparation Program Failed
Chapter 16 Visibility, Invisibility, and "The Thickness of Non-Diversity": What I learned from Karen
Chapter 17 Heteronormativity and Common-sense in Science (teacher) Education
Chapter 18 "I was Afraid He Would Label Me Gay If I Stood Up For Gays" The Experience of Lesbian and Gay Elementary Education Credential Candidates at a Rural State University
Chapter 19 Teacher Educators and the Multicultural Closet: The Impact of Gay and Lesbian Content on an Undergraduate Teacher Education Seminar
Chapter 20 Can of Worms: A Queer TA in Teacher Ed
Chapter 21 I'm Every Woman: Multiple Identities as Part of the Diversity Curriculum
Chapter 22 Campus Dyke Meets Teacher Education: A Marriage Made In Social Justice Heaven
Part 23 Afterword

This groundbreaking collection, written by preeminent educational scholars, theorists, and practitioners, will forever redefine how current and future generations of teachers, school administrators, and pre-service teacher educators view issues of sexual and gender diversity in overall teacher training programs and classroom pedagogy. It will help to end the often-deadening silence by setting a higher standard for the promotion of truly democratic schooling within a larger diverse society. Getting Ready for Benjamin will go a long way in helping our schools welcome not only Benjamin, but also Sally and Khyati, Carla and Kalman, Nehal, Dachia, Courtney, Bob, and Kenji, as well as all their many peers.