Teacher made each kid state their pronouns

[Anonymous]

How awful. I hate the forced outings and gender identification that these policies cause. I can’t see how teachers don’t realize that they are hurting the very kids they are supposedly helping by doing this. It’s basically just about the teacher egos, not about truly helping kids.

[Anonymous]

We need to know the age of OP’s kid. If she’s in 2nd grade, it’s a bit much. 9th, she needs to get over it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much research shows that accommodating kid’s anxiety feeds the anxiety disorder. I am sorry your kid felt anxious, but setting a norm that kids don’t need to participate in school if they are anxious is so bad for kids with this disorder. Look for things on anxiety coming out of Yale.

And insisting children come up with pronouns in front of the class isn't anxiety provoking? They should be teaching actual grammar, which includes proper use of pronouns for writing and speaking, not participating in a destructive fad which makes no effing sense.

She wasn’t asked to invent new pronouns, she was asked to share the pronouns she already uses. You need to learn some coping skills.

And she was asked to do that if she wishes, so she didn’t have to.

DP. No, OPs point was that she was NOT asked to do it if she wished, she did NOT get a chance to opt out. OP thinks that her kid should have been given a chance to opt out. I agree that’s destructive and bullying behavior from the teacher to not give an opt out.

[Anonymous]

Tell your child they have a right to freedom of speech in school, and ANYTIME she doesn’t want to answer a question, or wants to answer in a way different than asked or say I don’t want to answer that’s her right and you will support her 100%. I would also write a strongly worded email to the teacher and Cc the principal and superintendent.

[Anonymous]

My kid felt anxious and upset because the icebreaker was to line up alphabetically by middle name and he is embarrassed by his middle (ethnic) name and doesn’t like to share it. I think the subject matter is polarizing and distracting, the issue is that your kid, like mine, needs practice and skills in overcoming anxiety to participate with what’s going on. If you’re a girl, saying you’re a girl shouldn’t be a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child is gender Nonconforming and would feel uncomfortable answering this question in front of a group because they are unsure at this point.

its not just parents of cis gendered kids that would have a concern about this.

Then the answer could be: <shrug> whichever.

Preferred pronouns are on par with sharing your name. How should people address you? Students need to learn how to answer this question. Are some kids anxious and not comfortable sharing this info? Of course. Does that mean no teacher should ever ask? No.

We all have to adjust to progress, children included. Best that they have this opportunity in the safer space of a classroom with other children and an understanding adult than out in the world much later on.

-parent of 3, including a middle schooler with GAD and ASD who is exploring this gender fluid space

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How awful. I hate the forced outings and gender identification that these policies cause. I can’t see how teachers don’t realize that they are hurting the very kids they are supposedly helping by doing this. It’s basically just about the teacher egos, not about truly helping kids.

+1. This is all virtue signaling by the teacher who's being so aggressive about showing how "progressive" and "inclusive" they are that they can't be bothered to actually think for a minute about what it genuinely means to be kind and considerate. The PP who said this approach is harmful to people who are gender questioning is spot on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child is gender Nonconforming and would feel uncomfortable answering this question in front of a group because they are unsure at this point.

its not just parents of cis gendered kids that would have a concern about this.

Yep. My child has anxiety and the whole pronoun thing causes him a lot of worry. (We’re working on it but he seems to think one can suddenly wake up with a changed gender against their will and he thinks it’s scary.) I agree that anxiety shouldn’t in general be accomodated but it’s a bit absurd to cause anxiety by this stuff that is supposedly inclusive. I chalk it up to age inappropriateness. Not sure where teachers got the idea to treat elementary school students like teenagers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How awful. I hate the forced outings and gender identification that these policies cause. I can’t see how teachers don’t realize that they are hurting the very kids they are supposedly helping by doing this. It’s basically just about the teacher egos, not about truly helping kids.

+1. This is all virtue signaling by the teacher who's being so aggressive about showing how "progressive" and "inclusive" they are that they can't be bothered to actually think for a minute about what it genuinely means to be kind and considerate. The PP who said this approach is harmful to people who are gender questioning is spot on.

Yes, it basically forces gender questioning kids to either deny that they are questioning or out themselves. It is cruel and I can’t believe people actually support this as a policy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This sounds like a great teacher. They're so thoughtful. Your kid is lucky.

such a great teacher, rigidly enforcing a gender binary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So much research shows that accommodating kid’s anxiety feeds the anxiety disorder. I am sorry your kid felt anxious, but setting a norm that kids don’t need to participate in school if they are anxious is so bad for kids with this disorder. Look for things on anxiety coming out of Yale.

You have taken what's a fact and misapplied it.

Stating your pronouns is not a part of school. Stating what you ate for breakfast is not a part of school. Stating what color your underwear are is not a part of school.

People are allowed to have private information that they do not need to disclose to a group of strangers, including gender identity.

School needs to get back to teaching critical thinking and not just parroting talking points.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is gender Nonconforming and would feel uncomfortable answering this question in front of a group because they are unsure at this point.

its not just parents of cis gendered kids that would have a concern about this.

Then the answer could be: <shrug> whichever.

Preferred pronouns are on par with sharing your name. How should people address you? Students need to learn how to answer this question. Are some kids anxious and not comfortable sharing this info? Of course. Does that mean no teacher should ever ask? No.

We all have to adjust to progress, children included. Best that they have this opportunity in the safer space of a classroom with other children and an understanding adult than out in the world much later on.

-parent of 3, including a middle schooler with GAD and ASD who is exploring this gender fluid space

There is a difference between asking kids to privately share pronouns with the teacher/offering an opt-out and forcing a kid to disclose pronouns in front of the entire class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sounds like a great teacher. They're so thoughtful. Your kid is lucky.

such a great teacher, rigidly enforcing a gender binary.

And forcing gender-questioning kids to out themselves. Yeah, such a great teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is gender Nonconforming and would feel uncomfortable answering this question in front of a group because they are unsure at this point.

its not just parents of cis gendered kids that would have a concern about this.

Yep. My child has anxiety and the whole pronoun thing causes him a lot of worry. (We’re working on it but he seems to think one can suddenly wake up with a changed gender against their will and he thinks it’s scary.) I agree that anxiety shouldn’t in general be accomodated but it’s a bit absurd to cause anxiety by this stuff that is supposedly inclusive. I chalk it up to age inappropriateness. Not sure where teachers got the idea to treat elementary school students like teenagers.

How old is your child? If your child is much older than about 6, I would be concerned about them because this isn’t rational.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child is gender Nonconforming and would feel uncomfortable answering this question in front of a group because they are unsure at this point.

its not just parents of cis gendered kids that would have a concern about this.

Exactly.