December is a season of celebrations, where diverse holidays and traditions focus on hope and community. This is the perfect month to reflect on how our language can bring us closer together and make everyone feel valued.  

Careful selection of our words demonstrates respect for the myriad identities, experiences, and backgrounds of the individuals we encounter on a daily basis. Inclusive language is often confused with being politically correct. Politically correct language strives not to offend and often inhibits honest engagement. Inclusive language honors each person’s identity through a desire for connection.

For many professions, teamwork and collaboration are essential elements for a successful project. Inclusive language impacts morale and productivity both in the workplace and the classroom. Here are 5 straightforward ways to incorporate inclusive language into your teaching practice this month:

Focus on the person: 

Instead of saying “an autistic student”, refer to this young person as “a student who has autism”. This centers on the person first and foremost rather than defining them through an attribute. In the original statement the adjective “autistic” modifies the noun, centering the condition rather than the person. The inclusive statement emphasizes the noun and the condition is secondary information. This centers the student’s identity as a multi-faceted human rather than defining the whole person by one characteristic.

Be selective, however, when you identify someone in this way. Ask yourself, is the way I’m describing this person relevant to the context in which it’s being used? If not, it’s preferable to just simply identify them as “a student”.

Use Universal Phrases

Universal phrases are terms that are easily understood by the majority of people. As CTE teachers, we want to teach career specific terms but should balance the need to model their use with providing instruction in a manner understood by all students.

I teach computer programming, a very competitive STEM field known for its lack of diversity. When introducing industry specific terms, I make sure to provide a definition using universal phrases and provide context throughout the introductory course to ensure that students become comfortable with these terms. This promotes confidence, student success, and increases student interest in the upper level programming courses.

Use Gender Neutral Terms

When addressing a group of students, avoid gender specific terms like “guys” or “ladies”. General terms for people like “everyone” or regional terms like “y’all” or “you all” are simple substitutes. I like to use “team” because it’s not only gender neutral but indicates that we are working together toward a common goal, each dependent upon the efforts of one another. 

Mental Health Terms are Real

Medical diagnoses such as OCD are terms that describe patterns of symptoms and behaviors used to identify and treat specific health conditions. When casually used to describe a behavior, the impact of living with a mental illness is diminished. Using these terms correctly can also mitigate the stigma often associated with mental illness and promote the same type of empathy and acceptance individuals with physical illnesses receive. 

Ask and Apologize

One of the wonderful aspects of human language is its nuance. However, when attempting to use inclusive language in any setting, we may make mistakes. A positive, inclusive way to address a situation where you may misgender a student or use exclusive language is to apologize and make an authentic effort to do better in the future. One way to avoid misgendering is to simply ask a person what their preferred pronouns are after sharing your own. This indicates that you recognize the impact of pronouns on a person’s lived experience and models inclusive behavior for other students in your classroom.

Incorporating inclusive language into any community can be difficult but know that the effort is worth it. We all want to be seen and included in any space we inhabit. Take some time this month to try one or more of the suggestions above in your classroom and mirror the feeling of hope and community expressed during this holiday season.