Transgender Students in Elementary School: Creating an Affirming and Inclusive School Culture

by Melinda Mangin, Gavin Grimm (Foreword)

Transgender Students in Elementary School offers guidance to educators who want to provide a supportive school culture and climate for transgender and gender-expansive students. The book provides recommendations for creating learning environments that facilitate all students’ sense of belonging and reduce the constraints inherent in binary gender norms.

Through this book, teachers and school leaders can deepen their understanding about why they need to make schools gender-inclusive and how to make it happen. Focusing on case studies of five schools, Melinda M. Mangin provides real-life quotes and vignettes that candidly illustrate the learning curve of leaders, staff, and families. These stories demonstrate both the successes and challenges of creating affirming school environments for transgender and gender-expansive students.

Mangin argues that while educators are powerfully motivated by the desire to meet the needs of the transgender children in their care, change should not be limited to one-time efforts to meet one child’s needs. Rather, the focus should be on creating a comprehensive school culture in which children of all gender expressions and identities can thrive.

240 pages, Paperback

Published October 6, 2020

Reviews

[A Pollicino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for teachers, admin, or parents looking for practical best practices this school year. Would be nice to gift for educators in your family, community, or school.

[Michael Macgillivray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book that is both a primer on transgender, genderqueer, gender expansive, and non-binary identities, as well as defining sex, gender, and sexuality. It also makes the case for why an affirming and inclusive school setting is crucial for all kids, and some ways to go about creating that kind of environment.