#for fucks sake they barely have a handle on their own autonomy by 16

[disast3rtransp0rt]

I have gotten the opportunity to be the Safe Queer Adult for several teens while substituting at a high school and it has been the most incredible experience. I am beyond thankful for each and every exhausting moment and I need to vent some positivity.

I am so grateful for the two closeted-ish trans kiddos who anxiously shared their information in whispers after hearing me say "You can call me Miss or Mister, I don't care." and now regularly swing by my room just to hear their actual names/pronouns used with joy. And I'm grateful for the 14 year old lesbian (who will absolutely build her future wife a she-shed from scratch someday) who heard me say "my girlfriend" and immediately stopped fucking around in class and started turning in assignments/chatting with me at my desk/asking her more studious friends for help focusing. I'm even grateful for the conservative boy who started thinking about how his words impact other people after I said one of his offhanded homophobic comments really hurt my feelings - cause he spends every morning before school in my room chatting even though I'm not his teacher. He hadn't known I was queer until that moment, but other students did, and the awkward silence must have made him think.

Cause I'm the Cool Substitute. The one who will work with you about extensions and let you have test corrections without jumping through extra hoops. I know from living through both sides of the relationship that respecting kids and showing them patience is the best and fastest way to ensure empathetic, confident adults.

They know how dearly I treasure each nervously extended phone screen covered with prom dress pinterest ideas and transitional haircut options. They can rely on how hype I will get over their 3-second "new haircut glamour pose" when they walk into class. It costs me nothing to give an exhausted athlete a 1 day extension on his project after 2 consecutive basketball games. Kindness goes so far, but especially with kids, and I hope this little rant can reach some people who need to see it.

To quote Dr. Chuck Tingle, "The inertia of all things is toward love."

#teaching #teacher rant #the kids are alright #the kids will be alright #if we help and support them #and stop ridiculing them for the mistakes of the adults in charge of their lives #for fucks sake they barely have a handle on their own autonomy by 16 #teenagers #respect goes both ways #american education system