My heart goes out and I empathize with the challenges that gender-variant children deal with. As educators, we are professionally and morally obligated to help these students by ruling out societal prejudice. Some people may feel that it is inappropriate to address these issues in the classroom, however, my role is not judge but to teach and it is not possible to teach if the students in my class are distracted or uncomfortable.

My role is to not only promote academic achievement but provide physical and emotional safety for my students so that become valuable and contributing members of society, have strong self- esteem, and a positive self concept (Ministry of Education, 2007). Students need to know that people make all kinds of choices and decisions about everything including gender and that sometimes we might not want to pick one or the other and that’s okay because we don’t have to. By tackling these issues I am developing an early intervention curriculum that focuses on building a respectful classroom environment where children are encouraged to think critically about gender stereotypes and enhance their communication, relationship and social skills (Ministry of Education, 2007).

Through this journey I have recognized my willingness to explore how my beliefs and values relate to the New Zealand Curriculum, my professional knowledge and practice so that I can use this positively to promote students' intellectual growth, autonomy and equity in the classroom. More importantly, it creates space for my own growth as I learn to identify and adjust my beliefs that do not serve me or my students.

 I will leave you to formulate your own thoughts on the topic once you have watched this You-tube video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkOvXW3ORno ,(the testimony of a transgender child, 2010).