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1. Avold asklng klds Lo llne up as boys or glrls or separaLlng Lhem by gender. lnsLead, use Lhlngs llke
oJJ ooJ eveo blttb Jote, or wblcb woolJ yoo cboose. skotebootJs ot blkes/mllk ot jolce/Joqs ot
cots/sommet ot wlotet/tolkloq ot llsteoloq. lnvlLe sLudenLs Lo come up wlLh cholces Lhemselves.
Conslder uslng Lools llke Lhe appolnLmenL schedule" Lo form palrs or groups. Always ask yourself,
Wlll Lhls conflguraLlon creaLe a gendered space?"
2. uon'L use phrases such as boys & qltls, yoo qoys, loJles ooJ qeotlemeo, and slmllarly gendered
expresslons Lo geL klds' aLLenLlon. lnsLead say Lhlngs llke collloq oll teoJets, or bey compets or
coolJ oll of tbe otbletes come bete. CreaLe classroom names and Lhen ask all of Lhe purple
pengulns" Lo meeL aL Lhe rug.
3. rovlde an opporLunlLy for every sLudenL Lo ldenLlfy a preferred name or pronoun. AL Lhe beglnnlng
of Lhe year or aL 8ack-Lo-School nlghL, lnvlLe sLudenLs and parenLs Lo leL you know lf Lhey have a
preferred name and/or pronoun by whlch Lhey wlsh Lo be referred.
4. Pave vlsual lmages relnforclng gender lncluslon: plcLures of people who don'L flL gender norms, slgns
LhaL sLrlke ouL" saylngs llke All 8oys." or All Clrls." or All Cenders Welcome" door hangers.
3. When you flnd lL necessary Lo reference gender, say 8oy, qltl, botb ot oeltbet. When asked why,
use Lhls as a Leachable momenL. Lmphaslze Lo sLudenLs LhaL your classroom recognlzes and
celebraLes Lhe gender dlverslLy of all sLudenLs.
6. olnL ouL and lnqulre when you hear oLhers referenclng gender ln a blnary manner. Ask Lhlngs llke,
nmmm. 1bot ls lotetestloq. coo yoo soy mote oboot tbot? or wbot mokes yoo soy tbot? l tblok of
lt o llttle Jlffeteotly. rovlde counLer-narraLlves LhaL challenge sLudenLs Lo Lhlnk more expanslvely
abouL Lhelr noLlons of gender.
7. Look for examples ln Lhe medla LhaL relnforce gender sLereoLypes or blnary models of gender (lL
won'L be hard, Lhey're everywhere!). When wlLh oLhers, call lL ouL and lnLerrogaLe lL.
8. 8e lnLoleranL of openly hosLlle aLLlLudes or references Lowards oLhers LvL8? 1lML you hear or
observe Lhem, buL also use Lhese as Leachable momenLs. 1ake Lhe opporLunlLy Lo push Lhe lndlvldual
on Lhelr sLaLemenLs abouL gender. 8elng punlLlve may sLop Lhe behavlor, aL leasL ln your presence.
8elng lnsLrucLlve may sLop lL enLlrely.
9. 1each chlldren speclflc language LhaL empowers Lhem Lo be proud of who Lhey are, or Lo defend
oLhers who are belng mlsLreaLed. lleose tespect my ptlvocy. oo moy tblok tbot, bot l Joot.
oo moy oot llke lt, bot l Jo. ney, tbeyte colleJ ptlvote potts fot o teosoo.
10. Pelp sLudenLs recognlze all or noLhlng" language by helplng Lhem undersLand Lhe dlfference
beLween paLLerns and rules. 1each Lhem phrases llke 1bot moy be ttoe fot some people, bot oot oll
people," or ftepoeotly, bot oot olwoys, or mote commoo ooJ less commoo. Avold uslng normal"
Lo deflne any behavlors.
11. Share personal anecdoLes from your own llfe LhaL reflecL gender lncluslveness. Lven beLLer, share
examples when you were noL gender lncluslve ln your Lhlnklng, words or behavlors, whaL you
learned as a resulL, and whaL you wlll do dlfferenLly nexL Llme.

12. uo Lhe work yourself. WhaL are your own experlences wlLh gender? WhaL mlghL be some of your
own blases? WhaL assumpLlons do you make abouL Lhe gender of oLhers? Share reflecLlons abouL
your own evolvlng undersLandlngs abouL gender.