My Shadow is Pink (Amanda Arnst

LEARNING FROM SCOTT STUART’S MY SHADOW IS PINK By Amanda Arnst

Truth be told, I was completely unfamiliar with this book until it was mentioned to me by a colleague. It could not have come at a more perfect time. As a special education teacher with a student exploring gender identity, this book gave me the support I needed at just the right time. My Shadow is Pink by Scott Stuart follows a young child who explores gender identity through the idea of a shadow. Instead of a blue or “male” shadow, this child views his shadow as pink or “feminine”. Although the child is very clear about their preferences, in thinking of their identity as a shadow, they are seemingly hiding who they really are. This is perpetuated by their view of family as either super feminine or masculine based on their outward presentation. It is only when their very “blue” shadowed, ultra-masculine father wears a dress in solidarity that they realize everyone’s shadow does not necessarily reflect what they are showing on the outside. As a teacher and adult exploring and learning about gender identity in a more open society, I took away a number of lessons from this book. Perhaps the most important is the idea that everyone potentially has a “shadow” or identity that they don’t outwardly present to the world. For many reasons, these identities remain hidden, but never should they be kept hidden because a person is scared to show who they really are. Within my classroom, I work hard to recognize and respect each student for who they are, but this book helped me to realize that there is more that I can do to allow everyone’s shadow to become a reality. To name a few, I can work harder to understand what each student likes and encourage them. I can explore gender pronouns with students and respect and utilize what they choose. I can work to present materials that include a variety of people, ideas, perspectives, and ways of life. Most importantly, I can encourage my students to embrace their “shadows” or the parts of themselves that they feel may need to be hidden. Instead of a shadow, I want my students to be able to stand up and say “this is me!”

CALL FOR MANUSCRIPTS!

We are pleased to announce the call for papers for the Fall 2022 edition of The MRA Primer. The theme, Lighting the Way for Inclusive Teaching and Learning, reflects our commitment at MRA to meeting the needs of all learners and provides an introduction to the theme of MRA’s 52nd Annual Conference: Be the Beacon that Lights the Way, to be held April 27 & 28, 2023. The deadlines for all submissions is Monday, August 15th. Author guidelines available upon request.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the co-editors, Elaine Bukowiecki at ebukowiecki@bridgew.edu or Valerie Shinas at vshinasmra@gmail.com.