How do I make my classroom a safe space?
An easy way to make sure your students know your classroom is a safe space is to have allyship materials visible. This could be Allyship posters from our website that are free to download, pride flags that you can get from us for free, or various other pride objects. The most important thing is to be a welcoming and nonjudgmental presence.
What do I do when a student tells me their pronouns?
The first thing you can do is thank them for telling you what their pronouns are. For some students, this takes a lot of courage and trust to reveal this information. If you are comfortable, you can then offer your own pronouns in return. You can also ask the student who else in their life knows about these pronouns, and where and when it is safe to use them.
What do I do if I accidentally misgender or deadname someone?
We all make mistakes! The best thing to do is to correct yourself and move on with the conversation. It’s important for youth to see us make mistakes and correct them in the moment without the need to over apologize. Additionally, if someone corrects you on a name or pronoun, thank them, correct yourself, and keep going. Keep practicing and do your best!
Do you have materials I can use for my classroom?
Yes! We permanent Allyship displays you can set up in your classroom, school library, or hallway, and you can request one at any time. You can also download some of these materials for free here. The Traveling Rainbow can also provide allyship flags and stickers.
Do you provide training for teachers and staff?
Yes, we do! You can request a training for your school by filling out our Traveling Rainbow form or you can email downeastrainbowalliance@gmail.com. If you are an individual looking for a training for just yourself, we provide public Rainbow 101 trainings quarterly at Cobscook Institute. To find out when our next public training is, look at our Upcoming Events page or email us.
How much does your training cost?
All of our services are free!
Downeast Rainbow Alliance 