Noah, a third-year PE teacher at a large elementary school with nearly 1,000 students, discusses his experiences teaching. We talk about intense workloads and the all-too-common exhaustion of the profession. We talk about Gen Alpha, class sizes, students' SEL, and so much more. Grab a chair and get comfy in the Gay Teachers Lounge with us.

Books that were mentioned:

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Thank You for Calling the Lesbian Line by Elizabeth Lovatt

Iris Kelly Doesn't Date by Ashley Herring Blake

If you'd like to support the Gay Teachers Lounge, you can here:

https://buymeacoffee.com/thegayteacherslounge

• Recorded when the show was previously titled The Lesbian Class Podcast

Content note: This episode includes a story about transphobic language used by a colleague while discussing a transgender character on television. The language is censored. Triggering content timestamps: 14:52–16:36

Bex, a non-binary, transmasc kindergarten teacher, shares their journey of realizing the importance of being out as a non-binary educator, particularly after a meaningful interaction with a child in a rural area who later thanked them for their visibility.

They discuss the impact of queerness in education, including a humorous yet educational moment in class where their students incorrectly used the term "gay," but that moment provided an opportunity to teach about inclusivity.

Bex also highlights the importance of safe and supportive environments for such conversations.

We discuss the challenges of them often being misgendered by colleagues, particularly focusing on the role that peer pressure and social signaling play in social settings.

Here are some links to what we discussed!

Alison Bechdel’s "Fun Home": The Coming-Out Memoir That Became a Hit Broadway Musical: an Interview with Alison Bechdel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gputc-vy_zg

And Tango Makes Three read aloud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJkYykP3qqA&t=17s

Julián is a Mermaid Read Aloud: https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ll117-julian-mermaid-video/lets-learn/

What are Your Words read aloud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGqi1Q2x8PY&t=219s

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• Recorded when the show was previously titled The Lesbian Class Podcast.

Gabi is a kindergarten teacher with 7 years of experience in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) community.

Gabi and I discussed her identity as a proud, out, queer educator and her commitment to creating an inclusive learning space for her students and their families. Our conversation explored how Gabi navigates cultural conflicts and misconceptions while being visibly queer in her field. We discussed the importance of representation of diverse people in children's literature and how Gabi's identity shapes the emotional world of her classroom. Gabi shared the struggles she still experiences as a queer educator, still wondering if she will be respected by parents, especially those from different cultural and religious backgrounds, in certain situations. Gabi's efforts to help young students understand that diverse people exist deserves a round of applause!

Gabi runs a TpT, too! Here is the link to her resources she has made for teachers of the Deaf and hard of hearing. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/kiss-fist-prints

If you're interested in learning American Sign Language, check out Gabi's recommended sites/apps:

https://www.lifeprint.com/

https://www.aslbloom.com/

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Instagram: The.Gay.Teachers.Lounge

If you enjoy the podcast, you can support it here: https://buymeacoffee.com/thegayteacherslounge