I was mentioned in a field in the course of nowhere. I went to a rural secondary school in Leicestershire, Market Bosworth Highschool. Nobody ever observed lesbians, in truth i don’t believe I’d ever even heard the word. After I was growing up I had relationships with girls and truly always had a girlfriend but they were never classed as such. Once we got to about 14 and my friends starting having closer relationships with boys and comparing notes about ‘how far’ they got. i assumed, okay I’m imagined to do that stuff with boys. So I had boyfriends too, but I always had girlfriends at the side. We did not have the web or mobiles, and there has been nothing on TV about this, so we needed to know about every issue by word of mouth. There has been no awareness of LGBT issues and there gave the impression to be no lesbians around in any respect – apart from Martina Navratilova.
I did my degree in music specialising in opera at Birmingham Conservatoire. While i used to be doing my degree I taught singing and piano to members of the general public of every age from children needing to pass their grade exams to a dad who desired to learn Love Changes Everything to sing at his daughter’s wedding, so i used to be already teaching before I did my PGCE.
After my degree I did an element-time MA in music and philosophy. While i used to be doing that I got a role with Sculpture Theatre Company in Birmingham which specialised in theatre in education. We did hilarious plays with ridiculous costumes. I remember playing an immense nose with pink bogeys snorting out of it. It was at the back of that I got used to being with the youngsters and noticed how receptive children were, so it was a natural progression for me to do my PGCE at Birmingham. Also my girlfriend on the time was a touch younger than me and still doing her degree so i needed to remain within the city for one more year.
I did my NQT year on the Barclay School in Stevenage. Then, after a year as a peripatetic music teacher, I got a role at Stoke Newington School in London. I became increasingly more excited by education beyond music and in regards to the needs of kids so once I got the job as head of year in 2005, i used to be really excited for you to make a difference.
I’d seen the limits to learning and that i was really excited by the youngsters that stayed behind for a talk after lessons who needed help. I worked with a stupendous learning mentor Jo Smyth who really set me at the right path and taught me such a lot about incredible easy methods to get a kid learning and particularly tips on how to work with families.
I was out to the workers in school and if anyone ever asked me I’d tell them straight that i used to be a lesbian. After I became head of year we decided to celebrate LGBT history month at school for the 1st time. My mission was to eradicate homophobic language and challenge young people’s perceptions of LGBT people. This was in February 2005 and LGBT history month had only been born the year before. Do not forget that section 28 which banned teachers from talking about gay issues or same sex parenting was only repealed in 2003.
My tutor team were exceptionally supportive. The IT teacher did a lesson on Alan Turing, the mathematics teacher did an LGBT powerpoint gazing the numbers focused on LGBT bullying, and naturally we checked out LGBT issues in music, my subject. All of the teachers got involved and that was the beginning of an excellent LGBT journey.
I’ve seen the large benefits of LGBT awareness and that i actually enjoy those ever so difficult conversations that people will attempt to avoid. I’ve seen how the work really is changing lives. Only one example is an ex-pupil of mine at Stoke Newington. Scott is an adult now but at college he was homophobically bullied. He wasn’t out, but being bullied because he was looked as if it would be gay. My experience is once a teenager has pop out things get much better. He decided to out himself in front of one thousand kids, singing A less complicated Affair by George Michael and got a status ovation. He took the facility back with that move and that is what bullying is so often about. Eight kids came out in my year and never one was bullied over it. All of them stay in contact with me now they tell me how homophobic their colleges are.
I learnt everything I now advise other teachers to do through trial and blunder. I’ve sat through enough Inset days to grasp this has to come back from grass roots level. I ask teachers to consider the lesson they’re teaching tomorrow and the way they are able to expand it to incorporate an LGBT element, and to do this for each lesson. You cannot suddenly make your school LGBT friendly. Sex and relationship education policies and equal education policies may need a tweak but it’s within the classroom and thru the whole curriculum that faculties really make an impact. If LGBT individuals are invisible within the classroom, then it’s never going to work. What teenagers say needs to be constantly challenged. After some time you locate youth start correcting one another in the event that they make homophobic comments, because they understand why it’s wrong.
I always compare the placement now to racism 40 years ago. We had Love thy Neighbour on TV and folk said incredibly racist things on a regular basis. LGBT awareness is the brand new kid at the block.
I stopped teaching music just two months ago to spotlight my teacher training programme Educate and Celebrate and because September 2012 i have been the LGBT schools advisor for Birmingham City council.
LGBT awareness issues really are kicking ass now, but there’s still far to head. i am getting emails each day from teachers who’re unable to return out at their schools, where kids speak to one another in a derogatory fashion. This drive in me to vary things won’t leave until we’ve happy out teachers, students and oldsters and that is the reason not the case now in 2013. That LGBT project in 2005 has changed my life within the most positive way you could imagine, it’s like I’ve trained myself to do the job I’m doing now.
Elly’s top resources
Elements of disco PowerPoint
Elements of disco lesson plan
These resources use a track from the film Priscilla Queen of the Desert to explore the various elements of disco music, allowing learners to locate a definition of trans.
All London schools are invited to give their LGBT work and take part the joys on the London Schools LGBT Showcase on 28 February 2013 at Arsenal’s Emirates Ground. Discover more details here.
Elly is the LGBT schools advisor for Birmingham City Council and heads up the programme Educate and Celebrate. She is the equality and variety Lead at Stoke Newington School and a contract diversity trainer. She also volunteers because the National Schools rep for LGBT History month and SchoolsOUT. Discover more about Elly’s work here. Elly is doing an MA at school based explorations at Goldsmiths University where she have been a teacher trainer for the last four years.
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