Problems with Students Respecting Pronouns

An issue that I’ve noticed at Uni is the students making fun of certain pronouns, especially in class group chats. I think a main reason why things like that have been normalized is that there aren’t many conversations happening that discourage students from making fun of other genders and using derogatory terms against them. When there are conversations about issues like this, students often don’t take them seriously because it is hard for them to fully understand the negative effect it can have on their peers. For a lot of freshmen, not just as Uni, there is a problem with the level of respect students give to their classmates that don’t fit in with the binary. At least for my class, freshmen year was when a lot of students came out and the idea of different pronouns was introduced for the first time to some students. My freshmen year was online, so that resulted in some people not being aware of others’ pronouns, and some making fun of the students who came out. That contributed to students not respecting their classmates’ pronouns, and making fun of them either in the class group chat or with a smaller group of friends. Uni is definitely a more progressive school, and we already do more than most other high schools to make all students feel welcome. Although, there is always progress to be made. Most students become more aware of how their “jokes” can offend others, and by junior year I’ve noticed that most of the jokes have calmed down. But, underclassmen shouldn’t be excused for homophobic jokes just because they are younger and will “eventually grow out of it.” Uni has always emphasized being respectful to other students, but I think that idea doesn’t resonate with the younger students as much. I think Uni could do a better job of spending more time educating the subbies and freshmen on how even jokes can be harmful. The problem is, though, that many students don’t want to take accountability for their actions. If they feel called out by a speech at an assembly or something, their response is usually to make more jokes about it, and about how people are too sensitive. Many students feel embarrassed about taking accountability. They need to realize on their own how their jokes can be hurtful, and consciously choose to make an effort to be more respectful. Uni does a good job of educating students on how to be respectful of others, but there is only so much that the faculty can do. Part of it is the students' job to be receptive to teachers and their peers.