Very few PreK-12 teachers are adequately trained to address the gender identity and sexual identity of their students in a developmentally-appropriate and pedagogically-sound manner. Yet responsible adults-parents, educators, pre-service teachers, coaches, religious instructors, camp administrators and school counselors- must help children navigate the inherently diverse, increasingly complex world of gender and sexuality in the twenty-first century. 
 
From the Dress-Up Corner to the Senior Prom is a practical, forward thinking resource for anyone involved in educating children and adolescents. Jennifer Bryan takes readers into classrooms, administrative meetings, recess, parent conferences, and the annual pep rally to witness the daily manifestations of Gender and Sexuality Diversity at school. She provides a coherent framework for understanding what readers "see," and invites them to use a contemporary, heart/mind perspective as they consider the true developmental needs of all elementary, middle, and high school students. The book features thoughtful questions, models of dialogue, accessible lesson plans, and many pedagogical strategies.  At the heart of this book, though, are the evocative stories from teachers, students, and parents that Bryan has listened to over the span of her career. These personal anecdotes bring the comprehensive explorations of this seminal work to life.

Foreword
Introduction
Chapter One: Gender and Sexuality Diversity at School: What Educators Need to Know and Then Some
Section I: GSD: Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Section II: (Biological) Sex: Defining the Terms; Learning the Language; Grasping the Concepts
Section III: Gender: Defining the Terms; Learning the Language; Grasping the Concepts
Section IV: Sexuality: Defining the Terms; Learning the Language; Grasping the Concepts
Chapter Two: Heteronormativity at School: Questioning the "Natural Order" of Things
Chapter Three: A Framework for Engaging GSD at School: Educational Mission; Best Pedagogical Practices
Section I: Educational Mission
Section II: Standards of Good Practice
Chapter Four: GSD at School: Understanding What You See; Thinking Critically About What You See
Section I: What We See; How We See
Section II: GSD at School
Chapter Five: GSD Professional Development: "Learnings" that Lead to Best Practices
Section I: Critical Approaches to GSD Professional Development
Section II: Creating the Context for Learning
Section III: Program Evaluation: What Did I Learn? What Should We Do Next?
Chapter Six: GSD in Early Childhood and Elementary Education: Strategies, Application and Curriculum
Section I: Communication Strategies
Section II: Developmental Tasks, Units of Study, GSD Lessons
Chapter Seven: GSD in Middle and High School Education: Development, Safety, and Curriculum
Section I: Developmental Considerations
Section II: "Safety" for GLBTQI Students at School
Section III: Curriculum Integration
Chapter Eight: Comprehensive Sexuality Education: Providing Foundations for GSD Literacy
Chapter Nine: Leadership, Policies and Programs: Supporting GSD Education at Schools (Not for Administrators Only!)
Section I: The Challenge of Effective Leadership
Section II: Policies and Philosophies
Section III: Creating and Implementing Policies
Section IV: Programs that Support Gender and Sexuality Diversity Education
Chapter Ten: Personal and Professional Identity in GSD Education: Teaching as a "Whole Person"
Section I: Teacher Identity Development: Where Professional and Personal Meet
Section II: The Visibility Dilemma
Section III: GLBTQI Educators and Simple Visibility
Section IV: The Role of Not-GLBTQI Educators
References
 
 

Jennifer Bryan, PhD, author of the children's book The Different Dragon, is a psychologist and educational consultant with over twenty-eight years of experience working with administrators, teachers, board members, parents, students, and school communities. She is a specialist in Gender and Sexuality Diversity and a consultant to PreK-12 schools throughout the United States. Bryan lives in Northampton, Massachusetts with her partner and two children.