This blog post was originally published on New America's website on January 23, 2018, and is part of Moving Beyond False Choices for Early Childhood Educators, a series edited by Stacie G. Goffin.
Read the following story and teacher reflections, and use the Reflective Questions on page 12 to deepen your thinking and shape your teaching practices.
This Focus on Ethics column asks you to consider how to respond to Mr. Jackson—the father of 4-year-old Victor—who insists that his son not be permitted to play with clothes or accessories typically associated with girls and women.
Looking critically at gender can allow teachers to have broader perceptions and interpretations of daily classroom events, thereby allowing children more space as they develop their gender identities.
Children—informed by experiences in their homes, communities, and society as a whole—bring their own ideas about gender-appropriate materials and activities to the classroom.
