Back in 2006, 7th and 8th graders at Green Acres, the K-8 independent school where the author taught in suburban Maryland, participated in the Day of Silence. The Day of Silence is a national event: Students across the country take a one-day pledge of silence to show that they want to make schools safe for all students, regardless of their sexual…

In this article, the author shares a story about Chris who publicly transitioned to Courtney during his eighth grade year. Working with a transgender student would require educators as a community to make many decisions for which they had no road map. They need time to educate the community while respecting Chris's need to express himself as…