New website provides teachers with LGBT activity resources
A new website has launched which aims to provide educators with support when teaching about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues.
The Rainbow Teaching website, which launched earlier today, provides teachers with free support, lesson plans and resources to support a balanced, LGBT-inclusive education.
The project, which was founded by teacher Allie George, also aims to help teachers challenge homophobic, biphobic and transphobic language in schools.
All the resources are free to access and are released under a creative commons license, meaning that teaches can use and adapt them into their own lessons and assemblies.
Founder Allie George said: “I know many teachers in schools today who would love to be better equipped to challenge bigoted language, or provide more diverse and inclusive lessons.
“As teachers, we are strapped for time to create our own resources, so Rainbow Teaching materials, which are free to use, will meet that need and provide diverse and inclusive teaching across the curriculum.”
A statement said: “Homophobic, biphobic and transphobic language is still common in schools. Combined with lack of discussion of LGBT issues in the curriculum and the scarcity of role models, this has a detrimental impact on educational outcomes and aspirations of LGBT students.
“Rainbow Teaching will provide a range of materials helping teachers challenge inappropriate language, run inclusive assemblies, and include relevant representation across the curriculum from PSHE to English, history and the sciences.”
Stonewall’s former Head of Education Luke Tryll said of the report: “We really believe that at the heart of tackling homophobic bullying is good quality teacher training.
“Too many teachers are coming out of their teacher training never having talked about issues like homophobic bullying, which, ten years on from the repeal of section 28, is pretty worrying.”
