Call for Essays: Supporting Transgender Students

Jessica Kingsley Publishers (www.jkp.com), a publishing house with offices in London and Philadelphia, and Editor Douglas Ray invite submissions of personal essays of no more than 3,500 words in length from teachers and school professionals for a project with working title Supporting Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students: A Guide for Teachers and Schools.  Essays should be personal and practical rather than academic and theoretical. We hope to share personal experiences to develop some strategies and recommendations for making schools not only safe but also environments for students regardless of gender identity to thrive.

Here are some questions to consider in crafting an essay:

• Describe your experiences working with transgender or gender nonconforming students in schools, with particular focus on your school environment and policies.
• What classroom practices have you rethought or adjusted in order to make your particular classroom an affirming space for all genders? Please illustrate through a narrative.
• What classroom or school policies have proven problematic with regard to including and affirming transgender and gender nonconforming students? Please illustrate through a narrative.
• Have you ever failed as a teacher or school professional to create an affirming, inclusive environment for students who are transgender or gender nonconforming? Please tell us about that.
• What specific recommendations and strategies can you make to teachers and schools for supporting transgender and gender nonconforming students? Please share any specific narratives about how these policies were implemented.

We hope this volume will catalyze further conversations about how our school communities become inclusive and affirming.

Submit your essay of no more than 3,500 words (.doc or .docx) via Submittable (supportingtransgenderstudents.submittable.com) by February 17, 2017. We encourage, especially, nonbinary, trans*, genderqueer, gender fluid, and queer teachers and school professionals from across the globe to share their experiences.  Contributors receive a copy of the published book.

About the Editor

Douglas Ray, editor of The Queer South: LGBTQ Writers on the American South and faculty at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio, serves as editor of this collection. s.douglas.ray@gmail.com

About the Press

Independent Academic, Educational and Professional Publisher of the Year, 2016 – British Book Industry Awards

Jessica Kingsley Publishers is a wholly independent company, committed to publishing books that make a difference.

The company was founded in 1987 in London by Jessica Kingsley and has grown since then to now publish over 250 books a year, which are available throughout the world. In 2004 we opened our US office, in Philadelphia. We are renowned for publishing in areas such as autism, mental health, disability, social work, counseling and adoption and we believe there is a real need for books giving clear and positive advice for professionals working with trans people to help them improve their professional skills and daily practice as well as for trans people themselves who might need support. In January 2017, JKP will be launching a Gender Diversity list and more information about this can be found here.

Tags: Call for submissions