Tip 1: share your own pronouns during the introduction
A good start for inclusive education is to share your own pronouns during the introduction of your course and invite your students to share theirs too. This immediately shows in an approachable way that you care about the topic. For example, pronouns can be she/her, he/him and they/them. But there are more possibilities. Do you have doubts? It's best not to assume and simply ask.   

What can you do? 

• During the introduction round, mention your name and position, but also your pronouns, for example: 'I am Maria Jansen, I am an economics teacher and I use 'she/her' as pronouns.' Even if you think it is strange or completely clear which pronouns you use, this can still be important to mention, to show that you actively promote inclusion.   
• After your introduction, invite students to introduce themselves and also mention their pronouns, but emphasize that no one is obliged to share pronouns.  
• Add your pronouns to the syllabus, your email signature and on online profiles such as for Zoom, Teams or Canvas in online classes.   

Tip 2: use inclusive language
You might automatically greet your students with 'ladies and gentlemen' or ask 'everyone to write down his or her name' - but this type of language doesn't do justice to students who don't identify as male or female. With a few small changes in your language, you can easily contribute to a more inclusive learning environment. Consider, for example:  

• Addressing people based on their role: 'dear students', 'colleagues' or 'reader'.   
• When it comes to LGBTQIA+ people, don't use their gender designation as a noun or conjunction, but rather as an adjective. That way, you don't reduce someone's identity to that one aspect. For example: transgender person, or bisexual woman.  
• It's best not to let your language reflect assumptions about someone's sexual identity or preferences. For example, don't assume that a male student has a 'girlfriend', but rather use the word 'partner'.   
• Did you make a mistake with gender or pronouns? Correct yourself immediately, apologize, and learn from the experience. Remember: everyone makes mistakes, the important thing is how we learn and grow from them.  

Tip 3: emphasize respectful manners and be an ally
In an inclusive learning environment, there is room for all different perspectives. In doing so, it is important to actively emphasize respectful manners and set an example. Many LGBTQIA+ people have experiences with stigma or discrimination. Think of jokes at their expense, or gay/bi/trans-phobic comments. Anticipate how you want to deal with this. For instance, by addressing students who show bullying behaviour, or by starting a conversation about LGBTQIA+ discrimination. If you do not actively respond to this, it can be interpreted as approval for the behaviour and detracts from the safe learning environment.    

What else can you do?  

• Know what the letters stand for: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual. 
• Let your students know that they are welcome to come to you if they are experiencing difficulties, also mention this in Canvas or in the course description.   
• Make sure you can refer your students to the right resource or person for help. Such as the Social Safety and Confidentiality Hotline or the VU Pride page.
• Pay extra attention to LGBTQIA+ issues on important days like Pride, Coming Out Day (11 October) or Purple Friday (second Friday of December).  

Tip 4: build on differences with the VU MIXED model
Your students bring very varied perspectives to the classroom from their backgrounds. It might be tempting to look for compromise among all that diversity, but with the VU MIXED model (Multi-perspective Inclusive eXchanges for Equity and Diversity), you actually build on the differences. This encourages critical thinking, analytical skills and creative solutions. Read how to apply it on the VU MIXED model homepage.

Tip 5: use variety in case examples, role models and literature
Your case examples or course literature are likely to include mostly white, straight people whose gender identity matches their birth sex. For LGBTQIA+ students, representation is important to feel safe and at home in education, this sense of 'belonging' drives motivation and academic success. There are many ways to apply this in your teaching, for example:

• LGBTQIA+ role models, scientists, researchers to use as examples.
• For field trips, fieldwork or case work, find companies and organisations that are LGBTQIA+ friendly.
• Use literature from LGBTQIA+ scientists (and other intersections).
• Encourage your students to be more inclusive in their own work, for example by using more categories than just male and female in data collection.
• Invite gender-diverse guest speakers.

Tip 6: inform yourself about LGBTQIA+ subjects
When you know more about sexual and gender diversity, you can better support your students and your teaching becomes more inclusive - which benefits everyone. So inform yourself, for example, with the following resources:

• The VU Pride page
• The Guide to gender inclusiveness in higher education by Ecio (only in Dutch) 
• The toolbox Diversity in Education from Universiteit Utrecht 
• The Rainbow Language Tips (pdf) of the City of Amsterdam (only in Dutch)
• The website Iedereenisanders.nl on what LHBTQIA+ stands for (only in Dutch)
• Inclusive language guide by LAKS (only in Dutch)