Check out this selection of teacher responses to possible put-downs or questions about gender. The main rule of thumb is to be affirming and respectful of a preference or viewpoint while maintaining a safe space for emotional and intellectual challenge. Easy, right? /sarcasm
Link: http://www.welcomingschools.org/pages/be-prepared-for-questions-and-put-downs-about-gender/
Excerpt:
Question: “But he’s a boy, why does he dress like a girl?”
Response(s): “There are lots of different ways that boys can dress and lots of different ways that girls can dress. There are lots of ways that people of any gender can dress. All of these things are OK in our school. Those are the kinds of clothes that he likes to wear? What kinds of clothes do you like to wear?”
Question: “You overhear a student call another student who identifies as a boy, a “girl” in an insulting way.
Response(s): “That’s not OK at our school to call someone a “girl” to insult them or make them feel bad. We don’t use gender as a put-down.”