'Embrace it as your superpower' | LGBTQIA+ educators leading in the classroom

Finding courage in new classrooms

Brianna and Ronan were in similar positions when they started their teaching journeys: both were young graduates, both were placed outside of cities... And both were part of the LGBTQIA+ community and slightly nervous about how their identities were going to be perceived in a new environment.

‘I had never had any teachers that I personally knew as being … part of the community,’ said Brianna, who was placed in the Northern Territory. ‘So, I struggled to imagine what that would look like in a classroom.’

‘Students are very inquisitive … I was like, how am I going to answer this question of “Are you married?”’

Ronan, who was placed on the northwest coast of Tasmania, echoed that uncertainty: ‘I remember feeling nervous about what school I might be placed into and how I might be seen in like the school context – by the students and by the staff.’

‘The first thing that I did when I showed up at school is I had some Minus18 posters.’

‘I put them all up around my classroom and office, which was a way for me to walk in and make this very inclusive and safe space very quickly.’

Classroom conversations

Their fears were quickly relieved. Both arrived at schools with supportive and considerate leadership; and while their students asked clunky questions at times, they always asked with genuine curiosity or earnestness.

Further, both educators came to realise that their presence was causing ripple effects in the classroom, opening space for deeper conversations about LGBTQIA+ issues.

Brianna recalled a moment in a Year 7 classroom when a student casually said, ‘That’s so gay.’

Instead of brushing it off, she paused the lesson and engaged the class in a conversation about language, impact and respect.

‘I was like no – that's just that's not something that I'm willing to accept in my classroom,’ she said.

‘That is something I'm going to pull apart in a way that hopefully could be a teaching opportunity.’

And it worked. Not only did this student realise that what they had said was offensive, it opened a discussion with other young people in the class, with some sharing that their parents were gay, or that they themselves had been called names in the past.

‘It actually ended up being just a really respectful conversation.’

‘It reminded me of just how important it is to have these conversations and … how meaningful it can be to other kids in the class.’

Advice for future LGBTQIA+ educators

When asked what advice they’d give to LGBTQIA+ people feeling nervous about entering the profession, both Alumni offered encouragement and realism.

Ronan said to acknowledging those fears was a good place to start.

‘There’s so much change happening as you're applying and going through those first initial steps.'.

‘And there are extra concerns [for LGBTQIA+ people] on top.’

‘Yet know that a lot of schools are quite safe and supportive, particularly from the from the leadership and staff.’

On being out at school, Brianna encouraged respecting your own boundaries, while understanding the power of modelling for your students.

‘You’re not alone in feeling intimidated,’ said Brianna. ‘But it can be something that is a really empowering part of being a teacher; being able to potentially provide a perspective and safe space for some students that are often not always given that.’

Ronan added, ‘You're not necessarily expected to be a font of knowledge just because you happen to be queer or part of the community.’

‘There's a time and place to have conversations. There's a time and place to advocate for yourself and your students.’

Brianna closed out her advice with: 'Embrace [your identity] as your superpower and think about the ways you could be out there, changing people's lives.'

Want to hear more about what Brianna and Ronan had to say about their experiences? You can watch and listen to their full conversation in webinar above.