Paper Example on Creating Inclusive Physical Education Environments for Transgender Students

Transgender is a term that reflects on human beings whose gender expression, behavior, or identity differs from those typically is associated with their assigned sex at birth (WRDSB., 2017). Students of transgender people face a lot of challenges in their physical education in different schools. Such challenges on these students are a population that is often marginalized on the bases of their gender identity or sexual orientation. Transgender students face maltreatment and discrimination challenges during their physical education (Ash, 2018). They experience physical and verbal harassment from other students and neglect in sports something which makes them feel unsafe. They feel discriminated as they are avoided in serving as a leader or team captain in sports due to their sexual orientation. Such practices make them feel less safe to attempt athletics participation.

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From the video and article, transgender students are deprived of the benefits of participating in physical activities, which are sources of positive impacts on their self-esteem, school connectedness, and physical health. Therefore, this implies that physical educators have to be knowledgeable and aware of the negative occurrences of transgender students and understand their experiences. Besides, culture and climate issues draw away youths of the transgender population from physical sports and education (Ash, 2018). Thus, such an impact points out the need to address these issues. Lack of awareness and knowledge, culture, and climate on transgender students affect their learning and participation in physical education negatively (WRDSB., 2017).

As a physical educator, there is a need to create an environment that makes transgender students safe and included in physical education. Therefore, as a future teacher, it will be wise to use practices such as gay-straight alliance clubs and allies and leaders inclusive to the students of transgender. The development of gay-straight alliance clubs will empower the students by educating them on their peers through communication venues (WRDSB., 2017). These clubs are not different from the other students’ clubs and as well are not subjected to additional regulations. Also, allowing the students to participate in allies and leadership will affirm their positive actions and create a culture that will make other staff afraid of being allies of such students. Doing this will bring in the act of awarding different certificates best transgender students, which makes them feel much comfortable and safe. Such practices and strategies will help in making transgender students feel that they are not isolated and discriminated by other students.

References

Ash Whipple. (2018, July 27). Better conversation: Education post. https://educationpost.org/i-came-out-as-transgender-to-my-pe-teacher-and-he-called-me-it/

WRDSB. (2017, April 6). Supporting Our Transgender Students [Video file]. https://youtu.be/k4H13wJGRG4