Being a school teacher and being gay.
08-07-2011, 11:18 PM
Hi mrk2010, whatever we say here, this is going to be your decision. However noble your intentions, I think you are right to be cautious.
While for the past thirteen years I have been earning my living as a freelance musician, I do still spend a lot of time running workshops in schools and before that was a local authority adviser, OFSTED inspector and worked as a class teacher in a few schools in three authorities in England. My work takes me into all sorts of schools from nursery/Foundation Stage through to KS4 and into sixth form and FE, so, having worked in hundreds of educational institutions over the years I feel some sympathy with the issues you are facing.
Thankfully, we are no longer gagged by Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988, which prevented many professionals in schools from talking about being gay, even though the wording did not specifically outlaw it. However, you have some tough priorities to deal with over the next few years. Not only are you going to have to get through initial teacher training, but you have to survive your first year to gain qualified teacher status. I would suggest that you direct all your energy to reaching your goal of becoming a teacher and of learning the ropes of your chosen profession. Allowing anything to distract you from that can have devastating consequences on your career path.
My partner, princealbertofb, is a teacher in the French equivalent of sixth form and his approach is that his relationships and life outside school are private, but while he does not discuss his personal life, I am not exactly a secret! I have met most of his colleagues, I have talked to his students in his classes and I have been to the USA on an educational visit with many students from his school and we intend to take another group next year. In many of the schools I have worked in I have had occasion to share news about my partner (using maculine pronouns, of course) with adults in the school. I have often taken the opportunity to tackle homophobic comments head on among pupils, but I am in a privileged situation. I flit in and out of schools and do not have to face the same pupils day in and day out. I agree that we have a responsibility to stand up and be counted. Unless we offer those positive and real images of gay adults who is going to do it? Sometimes though, it pays to bide your time. My suggestion is to establish your credentials as a bona fide teacher. There are plenty of mistakes to be made learning the pedagogical ropes without "queering" your pitch by misjudging interventions in more personal situations. After your probationary year there will be plenty of opportunity to take on extra responsibilities including being prepared to contribute to developing the school's policy on dealing with homophobic incidents if you so wish. None of this need prevent you from being seen among pupils as approachable when they have questions, but make sure you know what the school's policies and practices are concerning counselling pupils. Every school is different; that is one of the joys of the work I do.
Best wishes to you and I wish you every success in pursuing such a tough and rewarding career. Feel free to contact me if you want to discuss anything off list and you think I might be able to help.
While for the past thirteen years I have been earning my living as a freelance musician, I do still spend a lot of time running workshops in schools and before that was a local authority adviser, OFSTED inspector and worked as a class teacher in a few schools in three authorities in England. My work takes me into all sorts of schools from nursery/Foundation Stage through to KS4 and into sixth form and FE, so, having worked in hundreds of educational institutions over the years I feel some sympathy with the issues you are facing.
Thankfully, we are no longer gagged by Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988, which prevented many professionals in schools from talking about being gay, even though the wording did not specifically outlaw it. However, you have some tough priorities to deal with over the next few years. Not only are you going to have to get through initial teacher training, but you have to survive your first year to gain qualified teacher status. I would suggest that you direct all your energy to reaching your goal of becoming a teacher and of learning the ropes of your chosen profession. Allowing anything to distract you from that can have devastating consequences on your career path.
My partner, princealbertofb, is a teacher in the French equivalent of sixth form and his approach is that his relationships and life outside school are private, but while he does not discuss his personal life, I am not exactly a secret! I have met most of his colleagues, I have talked to his students in his classes and I have been to the USA on an educational visit with many students from his school and we intend to take another group next year. In many of the schools I have worked in I have had occasion to share news about my partner (using maculine pronouns, of course) with adults in the school. I have often taken the opportunity to tackle homophobic comments head on among pupils, but I am in a privileged situation. I flit in and out of schools and do not have to face the same pupils day in and day out. I agree that we have a responsibility to stand up and be counted. Unless we offer those positive and real images of gay adults who is going to do it? Sometimes though, it pays to bide your time. My suggestion is to establish your credentials as a bona fide teacher. There are plenty of mistakes to be made learning the pedagogical ropes without "queering" your pitch by misjudging interventions in more personal situations. After your probationary year there will be plenty of opportunity to take on extra responsibilities including being prepared to contribute to developing the school's policy on dealing with homophobic incidents if you so wish. None of this need prevent you from being seen among pupils as approachable when they have questions, but make sure you know what the school's policies and practices are concerning counselling pupils. Every school is different; that is one of the joys of the work I do.
Best wishes to you and I wish you every success in pursuing such a tough and rewarding career. Feel free to contact me if you want to discuss anything off list and you think I might be able to help.
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Aries
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