Acceptance Code

Adolescents who hide their sexual orientation from others expend enormous amounts of energy monitoring and restricting their interactions with others. The process of coming out often has deleterious effects on family life, peer relationships, and development of intimate relationships with others.

Recognizing the complexity of the individual, family, and social dynamics of adolescent development can be invaluable to gay, lesbian, and "straight" students alike. (B&S, p. 343)

Acceptance of others for their differences should be an understood code among students and teachers. How can schools promote an atmosphere of acceptance? While certainly not everyone is entitled to his/her viewpoints on behavioral and culture issues, there should be no variance when it comes to the decision and viewpoint that all people are created equal and have equal rights.

The social setting is crucial to the development of adolescents. Adolescence is such a confusing time for a person because s/he is discovering both a new world and herself/himself all at once. The nurturing that adolescent students deserve is to be loved and accepted for who s/he is. There should be no deviating from that. We as teachers should promote a comfortable atmosphere for students to safely and confidently develop through adolescence and into adulthood.

What are some healthy ways that teachers can encourage students to feel accepted through the difficult adolescent time? What are ways to handle students who have been hurt by others because of their gender or other differences? What are ways for teachers to promote acceptance of social differences in the classroom curriculum?