Teaching While Queer, Season 2, Episode 39 Mini-sode Host, Bryan Stanton (he/they) takes us on a trip down memory lane as we revisit some of your favorite episodes from Season One of Teaching While Queer.
Our fan favorites from Season One include:
Ben Wilkinson, Season 1, Episode 8
Romain Galati, Season 1, Episode 1
Sharon Tang, Season 1, Episode 19
Abe Ramirez, Season 1, Episode 6
Susannah Crowell, Season 1, Episode 7
This look back on the first season includes everything from the political climate for Queer people in France to RuPaul's Drag Race.
Support the podcast by becoming a subscriber. For information click here.
The podcast explores the challenges and successes of LGBTQ representation in education, addressing issues such as burnout, tokenism, doxing, and the importance of advocacy in creating inclusive classrooms, safe spaces, and anti-bullying strategies, with a focus on supporting non-binary teachers and gender identity in schools to combat the feeling of isolation and lack of community.
Teaching While Queer, Season 2, Episode 39 Mini-sode Host, Bryan Stanton (he/they) takes us on a trip down memory lane as we revisit some of your favorite episodes from Season One of Teaching While Queer.
Our fan favorites from Season One include:
Ben Wilkinson, Season 1, Episode 8
Romain Galati, Season 1, Episode 1
Sharon Tang, Season 1, Episode 19
Abe Ramirez, Season 1, Episode 6
Susannah Crowell, Season 1, Episode 7
This look back on the first season includes everything from the political climate for Queer people in France to RuPaul's Drag Race.
Support the podcast by becoming a subscriber. For information click here.
The podcast explores the challenges and successes of LGBTQ representation in education, addressing issues such as burnout, tokenism, doxing, and the importance of advocacy in creating inclusive classrooms, safe spaces, and anti-bullying strategies, with a focus on supporting non-binary teachers and gender identity in schools to combat the feeling of isolation and lack of community.
Speaker 1:
Teaching While Queer is a podcast for 2SLGBTQ plus educational professionals to share their experiences in academia. Hi, I'm your host, brian Stanton, a theater pedagogue and educator in New York City, and my goal is to share stories from around the world from 2SLGBTQ plus educators. I hope you enjoy Teaching While Queer. Hello everyone and welcome to a mini-sode of Teaching While Queer. I am your host, brian Stanton. My pronouns are he they. In today's mini-sode, I'm going to be taking a look back at your favorite episodes from season one of Teaching While Queer and highlighting the voices of your favorite queer educators. So, without further ado, let's take a trip down memory lane. Our first episode is from November 2022, and this is from season one, episode eight, and features Ben Wilkinson. At the time, ben was in his final years of undergraduate work, preparing to be a teacher. Ben shares his experience of coming to terms with his identity as a gay male in a small conservative and slightly mixed liberal town. He reflects on being a gay student and his hesitation of being an out gay educator when he's coming into the field. It's a pretty tough situation, especially for student teachers, to figure out what is that balance of identity. As a music educator and color guard coach. Ben explains the role of music as a tool for unity and self-expression and how he creates an environment in his classroom that allows students to truly express themselves. Ben highlights the importance of supportive mentors, recounting his kindergarten teacher and his high school band director, and the impact that they had on his life. Take a listen to Ben's episode on season one, episode eight. Next up is season one, episode one.
Speaker 1:
My conversation with Romain Galati was so fun and really eye-opening. As the first episode of the podcast, I was privileged to be able to go international. Romain is a German teacher living in France. He teaches the German language and German culture while also combining that with a little bit of queer culture and French culture to kind of be well-rounded for his students. Growing up in a small town with a little exposure to the LGBTQ community, roman discusses the challenges that he faced and how he helps to foster an open dialogue and a safe environment for his students. Romain dives into the wider context and hurdles faced by the LGBTQ community in France. Our conversation turns to the comparison between the rhetoric in American politics and that in the French politics. We discuss the impact of discriminatory laws, the unsettling rise of attacks on LGBTQ community, as well as the need for unity and solidarity during these harsh times. Roman is truly knowledgeable about many cultures and dives into the balance of teaching German culture, french culture and keeping into mind questions of queer culture for his classroom. Take a listen to Roman in Season 1, episode 1.
Speaker 1:
Our third fan favorite of Season 1 goes to Sharon Tang. Season one, episode 19. Sharon closed out our first season and I was so lucky to have her on the show, especially after she had just finished being on RuPaul's Drag Race season 15. Sharon is an art teacher from Los Angeles and was selected for a drag makeover on RuPaul's Drag Race and her partner in crime for that was Mistress Isabel Brooks. Sharon and I talk about what it's like to live in a relatively liberal space that feels like it is constantly being attacked. Los Angeles Unified School District has had a rise in conservative tax on queer educators and children over the past several years, which has made work a little unsettling for Sharon at times. Sharon dives into her Asian and Latinx heritage and how they play into her queer identity. She brings an authentic perspective on the journey of self-discovery and the importance of feeling represented and safe in educational spaces. We also dive into her experience on RuPaul's Drag Race and she shares the wisdom that she's received from the different queens that she was able to interact with on the show and the importance of visibility in a time of great turmoil To all the educators who were selected to be on RuPaul's Drag Race for that episode, representing the education community. I just want to say how much I appreciate you and how much I appreciate Sharon for sharing her story with me. You can check out Sharon's episode on season one, episode 19.
Speaker 1:
My dear friend Abe Ramirez is your next fan favorite from season one, episode six. Abe talks about his experience growing up in a military family and navigating, moving around, while also figuring out his identity. He found a home for himself in a high school in San Antonio where he truly discovered who he was through dance and theater. Abe reveals his past struggles with identity, stifled expression and the courage it took to finally own his sexuality during his junior year of high school. He highlights the impact of teachers on their students and recounts the moment he realized that his teachers genuinely cared about him and he takes that same love and care into his classroom every single day. Abe talks about being adaptable and maintaining your queer identity in uncomfortable environments. His journey serves as a beacon of hope for many LGBTQ educators, underscoring the importance of being brave, edifying for oneself and maintaining authenticity. Take a listen to Abe's story on Season 1, episode 6.
Speaker 1:
Finally, your number one fan favorite of season one is season one, episode seven. Susanna Crowell has a dynamic personality, which makes sense because they are a performer and teaching artist. They talk about their journey of being a Southern Bell turned teacher and the importance of non-binary experiences in everyday life experiences in everyday life. Our conversation focuses on the development of language and how that can give you insight into your own identity, for instance, the creation of the terms gender, queer and non-binary. Susanna talks about creating an open and inclusive environment for their students and balancing working in a more conservative environment in Texas as well as a more liberal environment in New York City. Working in the arts means that Susanna has experience working with kids and parents in various environments and encourages exploration of identity through creative activities. Susanna shares their understanding of finding balance between authenticity and societal expectations and the importance of self-awareness. Hear Susanna's story on season one, episode seven.
Speaker 1:
That's a wrap for today. Thank you so much for listening to our mini-sode of Teaching While Queer. Be sure to check out our online community at wwwteachingwhilequeerorg to connect with fellow queer educators. Have a great day everyone. Thank you for joining us on this episode of Teaching While Queer. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, make sure to subscribe. Wherever you listen to your favorite podcast, leave a review, and that would help out tremendously. You can also support the podcast by going to wwwteachingwhilequeercom and hit support the show. Thanks so much and have a great day.