Leading Classroom Conversations on Sensitive Topics: Monsieur Steve's Approach
Host, Bryan Stanton (he/they), sits down with Toronto-based French Immersion teacher Monseiur Steve (he/him). They talk everything from the difference in educational standards between the US and Canada to similar experiences growing up in the 90s.
Have you ever wondered about the profound impact a teacher's personal journey can have on their approach to teaching? Well, prepare to be moved as we share an intimate conversation with Monsieur Steve, an inspiring grade two, three French immersion teacher from Toronto. He candidly unfolds his life story, detailing a journey of self-discovery, his struggle with acceptance within a religious and stifling environment, and how his experiences of bullying and denial of transfer to a more accepting school have molded his teaching philosophy.
Our discussion broadens to tackle the challenges of addressing sensitive topics in an elementary classroom. Monsieur Steve shares insights into his approach of creating a secure environment for his students, heavily influenced by his own experiences. He reflects on the societal pressures in Canada and the US, and the indelible impact his students have made on his life. As our conversation progresses, we turn our attention to the pressing challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community and the critical importance of voting.
In the latter part of our dialogue, we focus on the potential outcomes of suppressing LGBTQ+ conversations in classrooms and the ripple effect on students and their families. We critically analyze the three anti-LGBTQ+ bills in Texas and the current voting challenges in the US. We also stress the importance of visibility in media in raising awareness and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community. Wrapping up our chat, Monsieur Steve gives us an insight into his unique teaching method for authentic French, and the effect of his educational videos. Join us for an episode that is as enlightening as it is heartfelt.
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You can find host, Bryan Stanton, on Instagram.
Follow us on Instagram at @TeachingWhileQueer
To be a guest or to hear more episodes visit www.teachingwhilequeer.com.
00:05 - Teaching While Queer
08:04 - Teaching Sensitive Topics in Elementary Classroom
20:36 - LGBTQ+ Challenges and Importance of Voting
31:03 - Teaching Authentic French in the Classroom
Teaching While Queer is a podcast for LGBTQIA plus teachers, administrators and anyone who works in academia to share their stories. Hi, my name is Brian Stanton, a queer theater educator in San Antonio, Texas. Each week, I bring you stories from around the world centered on the experiences of LGBTQIA folks in academia. Thank you for joining me on this journey and enjoy teaching while queer. Hello everyone and welcome back to Teaching While Queer. We hope that you enjoyed your winter break. We are back with new episodes and today I have the pleasure to speak with Toronto based teacher, Monsieur Steve. Hello.
Steve (he/him):Yes, same one, monsieur Steve. Thank you so much for having me.
Bryan (he/they):It is my pleasure Tell me a little bit about you. What do you teach?
Steve (he/him):I am a grade two, three French immersion teacher here in Toronto. For those who don't know what French immersion is, it means that I am a classroom home room teacher. I teach everything Just so happens to be it's all in French.
Bryan (he/they):That's super cool we do have. My daughter is in a Spanish immersion program here in San Antonio. She gets the joy of getting the same curriculum done in Spanish.
Steve (he/him):I guess that makes sense that it would be Spanish. Closer to the border? Yeah, exactly.
Bryan (he/they):Fair.
Steve (he/him):All right, in addition to being a classroom teacher, I am also a teacher on the World Wide Web, as I have a YouTube channel, aptly named Monsieur Steve, where I do my shtick, but in a video format.
Bryan (he/they):I love that. I've actually seen quite a few of your videos. That's actually how we connected on social media.
Steve (he/him):It's for it.
Bryan (he/they):Yeah, and so you've got a lot of great stuff there and I would love to be able to spotlight that later on in our episode. But let's take a journey kind of back in time, if you will. Can you tell me a little bit about what life was like for you as you were coming to terms with who you are as a young person?
Steve (he/him):Do we have to?
Bryan (he/they):I know, that's the rough stuff. Hard-hitting questions here.
Steve (he/him):I would go with the word traumatic on that one. My upbringing was anything but normal. I knew I was different from a very young age. I think I realized that difference was pretty pronounced around five years old. I didn't really come to terms with it and fully embraced and accept it until I was about 16. But I knew I was different and I struggled very much so with that. I grew up in a fairly religious household and I know that's not an uncommon sort of roadblock for a clearer youth to overcome, but it's one that I had to endure. In addition to that, I was forced to go to Catholic school. It was not easy when you have very opposing viewpoints from your own, sort of being force-fed which clouded my ability to sort of see myself for who I was and to love myself consequently. So it was quite a tumultuous upbringing and journey to self-discovery, but I really fell in love and embraced who I was with the help of friends that I made in the rave scene back in the 90s. I'm dating myself.
Bryan (he/they):Oh gosh, I could just see the colorful bracelets and necklaces and pants right now.
Steve (he/him):Yeah, I mean I kind of still dress with that sort of color scheme in mind, but it wasn't an easy road. But I mean that journey brought me to where I am today and it's one of the biggest sort of proponents for my being an educator today was to get in there and help youth who need that guidance, who need that role model, because definitely didn't get that in my upbringing it's certainly not in my education. In fact, I got the opposite. I would get told that being gay is a sin and that's the kind of thing you should suppress. It's definitely not the kind of stuff that we tell our students these days, right?
Bryan (he/they):Agreed. I had the similar upbringing in the sense of the timeframe. I am lucky in that my parents, while they may have had religion in their heart, did not have religion in our household. My mom still says that she is Catholic and bides by beliefs that happen within the Catholic Church, but we never had it. As children, my brothers and I were never really exposed to the church, so I think that made my journey much easier than those at the time, because it's also doubly hard when we're coming off for the back of the AIDS pandemic, yep.
Steve (he/him):You're going to die or burn in hell or.
Bryan (he/they):Both.
Steve (he/him):Listen, I have absolutely no issue with religion so long as it doesn't impact anybody negatively and makes someone else feel like who they are as a person is unacceptable. That's where I draw my line and say, okay, well, that's not cool. I actually tried to get out of being in that Catholic school because I was bullied, I was picked on. It was absolute torture going to that school. I was actually a bass player and there's a school next door to me that was called ESA, aptly named by my fellow students at the Catholic school I went to as ES Gay, because anybody who was an art student was obviously gay, obviously.
Bryan (he/they):Right, I mean, it's just logical.
Steve (he/him):I filled the application out and I did my in-person like need to perform and I got accepted. I signed the documents on behalf of my parents and I got into the school, which was a big deal because they don't accept a lot of people. My plans were foiled when they called home and parents were like what? Absolutely not, he is not going to that school. I was forced to continue my torture at that other school where kids would say things such sweet, sweet things like I hope you die, I hope you kill yourself. It was really nice going to school and having that kind of experience really makes you feel welcomed.
Bryan (he/they):Yep, I think it's so interesting too, because now those things are like actual crimes, like if a child says that to another child. Right now it's an actual crime. In some ways, we've come a very long way in a good direction, at least as far as working towards keeping people safe in educational environments.
Steve (he/him):Sure, that's great. That's kind of why we're here right. We're doing this, we're sharing our stories so that kids go and death where we were.
Bryan (he/they):Yep, absolutely. How do you think that your experience has informed you as a teacher? What do you take from your past that you kind of hold dear to Bring to your students?
Steve (he/him):Wow, that's a loaded question because there's so many things that sort of I bring with me. Number one is listening, listening to my kids, listening to them when they speak, because people just didn't listen to me like no one really cared. It was like my way or the highway sort of situation. No one was like, oh, why do you feel this way? Or why do you think you feel this way, like there was no one, those kinds of questions. So number one is being there for the kids and listening, and I Create the safest space I possibly can by reminding the kids that it's okay to not know who you are yet, to just Roll with it, just learning to love yourself, being comfortable enough to make mistakes, take risks, challenge yourself in a way that's like positive. You know we were, I mean, it still happens but like the pressure to do well and without ridicule was so hard back then like I, you know you succumb to it and even teachers would pressure you to the point where I had teachers who you know if you made a mistake they'd call you out in front of the entire class. So like every negative experience I had in a classroom has, you know, shaped who I am as a teacher, because I think back to all those things that Happened and I'm like all right, well, I know how to do this, just don't do any of the things my former teachers did. And that's sort of in what I do, right Like, and I use those awful experiences as teachable moments. So if the kid has Something happens in the classroom, they feel ashamed or they feel sad about it, I will dig deep into that sack of mine and pull out a memory and share it with them and an age-appropriate way, obviously, depending what the story is, and then that sort of normalizes a what they're feeling and it be it gives them sort of a Transparency into my life that helps us connect and I feel like, honestly, my 12 years of teaching, again dating myself, I have had 12 Phenomenal groups of students who I bonded with in a way that I still feel connected to them. Like I'll run into students here and there and it's brilliant to see that they still care and reach out, even on Instagram. I'll have you know, students like, oh my god, it's Steve, I'm an adult now, which is terrifying, but it's cool.
Bryan (he/they):Really is. I've had that experience recently. I have a have a former student who is looking for jobs as a teacher for next school year and I was like, wait, you're done. You're done with college.
Steve (he/him):What.
Bryan (he/they):When did that happen? So trippy right, you're an adult now it's wild, so I wanted to talk a little bit about your age group. Like you're working with Second third grade immersion, and that is. it's a hot topic age group because, especially in America I know your laws aren't Well I'm not seeing international headlines that indicate that people on the conservative side are being as radical in in Canada as they are in America and we're dealing with issues of like When's it even appropriate to say the word gay? And for some reason, like, second, third grade has become that kind of Battleground of appropriateness. So I was wondering because you're one of the few elementary teachers I've had on this program Like how do you handle sensitive topics in your classroom if they come up?
Steve (he/him):but like for us here it's just a, it's a normal vocabulary word. Like it's in the curriculum for us to teach about different kinds of families and we're encouraged to do so. Like my school board has posters that say positive space for our shared areas in the primary and kindergarten area. So we're actually mandated to discuss those topics. Do we have people who push back absolutely? But when they push back it comes from a place of I Don't want to say I say ignorance, but not in a judgmental way. Just they lack the knowledge to understand what it is we're actually doing in our classes when we talk about these different kinds of families and we use the word gay, because you'll have pushback from parents and say I don't want you teaching my kids about sex. Listen, that is a fair thing to request and I, as a teacher, do not want to talk to your grade two three students about sex. I am talking to your grade two three student, your child, about love and families and caring and loving yourself. That's the difference. We're presenting facts. It is a fact that you can have two men and a kitty cat as a family. It's mine, it's real, it exists, it's empirical evidence I'm sharing with my students. It is a fact that you can have a blended family, that a child can have two moms and two dads. It has a mom and two dads. There are so many varieties of families and those kids are in our classrooms. So if you neglect to show them a window into their lives via the books, posters and the girls stories, then you're denying that access to their own lives. They reflected back at them. So I Think here, at least In Canada. I can't speak for everybody, but I do feel like we are more at liberty to do the right thing, which is to teach the truth. And I know I see headlines from the states and then I, you know I get really upset because some of the things that are proposed are just outlandish, like books that are being banned and the attacks on the queer community, like Drag queens reading storybooks, like I Think it's great, I love it, but you know there's definitely pushback on that and it becomes a dangerous thing to be doing, like how is that more dangerous than taking kids to on a hunting trip? Or like I just I have a hard time wrapping my head around how, how some people can accept some things that are truly dangerous and others that you could actually broaden and, you know, make, you know, have a child to open up and become more accepting and loving. But that's the danger. So I mean, again to boil down to us being very lucky and very blessed that in Canada we do have support in legislation and rules that allow me to teach About those topics without having to worry about. You know, oh gosh, is this parent to be needed to come after me? I mean, it's always there in the back of my head because you never know how a family will perceive what their child from the home comes home and says kids can also take what you say out of contact or miss kids through or Full on lie about what you said if they want to. I mean I've never had that experience, but I know other people who have, so I don't know. I I feel supported and able to talk about those things. I've never had issues. I've never even had pushback from a student, let alone family. So I mean, actually I had to push back once from a student and they were in grade one. It's my second year teaching and I was doing one of my lessons as we get bucked by talk, or I think it was like Having two dads and the students face was like what he's like? But you can't think. What do you mean? You can't have two men together. It's always a better than a woman. Well, I forget that. It's faced with so like I don't understand, does not compute. What are you telling me? And he got upset. But later on he understood that I wasn't Doing anything, but explaining that that doesn't exist. I wasn't trying to tell him that it just in your family Is other families. So again, very lucky, very bless. But I feel I feel for every teacher who is torn between doing what they know and feel is right in their heart and Having to choose silence For safety and security reasons. It's a situation I hope I would ever have it.
Bryan (he/they):In that situation I Think it's crazy that we're neighboring and yet there's such a huge disconnect between, I guess, values. Yeah, because I think about Right now where there are folks that are trying to mandate that we cannot speak about in LGBTQ inclusive education like does not exist really in the states. And I'm assuming, as a 12-year veteran teacher, that you were kind of around when that legislation, when the mandates started coming in, or was it before you began teaching? I feel like before I began teaching so your whole teaching experience you've been able to be a, being able to have an inclusive curriculum that allows you to talk about everyone. That's wild.
Steve (he/him):Wild. Yeah, we like. At my school, I organized a flag-raising ceremony, and my first year teaching, I was part of what we called a power of words week, which was an anti-bullying, anti-homophobia assembly that we had for the kids. It was an entire week of celebrating our differences and celebrating love of all forms. So, yeah, no, this has been part of my life since I became a teacher. I do recall when I first started I was still like I don't know what can I share, like what's safe, what's considered like appropriate. So I did ease into it, like when I think ease into it just lessons on those topics, and it's still, yes, it was something people were really able to discuss with their students. I just didn't know what was appropriate for every grade level. So I and I kept certain parts of my personal life private, like I never shared about my partner, and I just kept that stuff to myself. Now she's out and she's proud, but I have. I have there's no secrets where the parents can be. Everyone knows who I am. I mean, I guess now because of my YouTube channel and Beagle and you stuff, they know who I am. But yeah, I don't have to hide any parts of my life and it feels so wonderful to just be really unabashedly 100% me, mrs D, that's awesome.
Bryan (he/they):I feel like that is a huge battle, especially for those in the LGBTQ community, because there's such the stigma in the US right now about even just being a part of the community you're problematic. I was just listening to a podcast of a gentleman in Kentucky who was like I can't even identify, like if I would have identified, I would have been excommunicated from the church or banish or whatever the situation is. And that's such a reality even now, in 2022 or 2023. Oh my God, that's the first time I've done that, but it's a reality here in 2023, of things that I heard horror stories about in the 90s.
Steve (he/him):Oh yeah, oh gosh, the 90s were terrible, and even teachers here, you'd be ridiculed and made fun of for speaking your truth, which is, you know, ridiculous. So we have come a long way, at least here in Canada. But I mean, don't get me wrong, we still have our fair share of those who would love to see any mention of you know, the LGBTQ to spirit bus community sort of wiped out from the curriculum, right, Like so we have our. We have those people here too. Right, it's not just a US problem, it's a worldwide problem. Sure, we just happened to have the right people who have been in power, who have made decisions to protect our ability to share our truths and the reality of, you know, queer people living amongst us. It's not. You can't just under rug, swept everything, Like I don't understand what all these bannings, and like banning the word gay what do you? What are you achieving by holding that word from you know the years of grade two, grade three kids? Because in doing that you might have students in your school who are saying, oh, my family isn't okay Because we're not allowed to talk about my family. But you know Joe's family, his mom and dad, they can talk about that kind of family, no problem. They're sending the wrong message to these kids. Like you're saying that their families are like real right. By saying that we don't want you talking about gay, that you're sort of trying to wipe out an entire existence. Like that's what I hear when you say that Don't say gay. Like I don't say gay, though, maybe so upset because, no, we're going to say gay because gay people exist, Gay parents exist and they have kids and those kids go to school. And if you're saying that that's a word that has to be stricken from the records at school, you're sending a horrible message to those kids.
Bryan (he/they):I agree, that's actually one of my concerns, and so it's currently, I think, three anti LGBTQ plus bills in the Texas legislature. So that's where I'm from, or where I am hailing at now, and that's one of my concerns is that my children, my personal children, will be silenced because they're not allowed to speak their truth, because their truth is connected to my truth. And I think that it's wild to think that people believe that their opinions are more powerful than the truth that's out there. You mentioned. I'm just teaching facts. I'm teaching that you can have a relationship between two men. You can have a relationship between a man and a woman. You can have a relationship this way than that, and it's just a fact. And so many people are trying to contest facts due to their opinions.
Steve (he/him):Yeah, that's 100%. The root cause of the problem is that people's opinions are trying to push through as facts, but our facts are trying to be pushed out completely. Make it make sense.
Bryan (he/they):I can't. It is something that I find mind-boggling. Every day, every day, I see a new headline that I'm like are you serious right now?
Steve (he/him):Yeah, I try and support you guys down there by making reels about it and spreading the word. Ultimately, it's in the hands of the politicians down there and it boils down to voting for the right politician. Correct me if I'm wrong. I know your political system. Down there is an enigma wrapped in an enigma. I don't understand it at all. Your voting process is so complicated, but I still do believe that it boils down to voting for the right person, right Yep, and getting out for and voting.
Bryan (he/they):Getting out there and voting is the most important part. I mean, the turnout for elections is ridiculous, but there's also quite a bit of political gerrymandering and voter suppression that is happening in areas. That's making it incredibly difficult, and so it's hard. The system honestly needs to be redone. We're relying on something that's not even 300 years old, like the city of San Antonio, is older than the United States, as well as several other cities in this country, and are steeped in traditions that are beyond the traditions of this country, even and we're relying on some guys who didn't have the technology we have, that didn't have the access that we have, that didn't have a way of communicating in the mass like we have, and we're saying that you know what they said is fine. They had a synagogue and a horse to a bunch of cities to communicate that a war was happening. And we're supposed to equate it to living life with the internet.
Steve (he/him):Yeah, I think they've changed. So I mean, I don't see them as harm and updating systems that seem to be on the outdated side, right, but I mean, if you can't get out and vote and you can't make change, then I understand. But if you're able to vote, go and vote. I hate hearing people say, well, my vote's not going to make a difference. You don't actually know that. Like what if in the results, the person you voted for lost out by 100. And there was 100 people out there who go oh man, it's only I voted Right. Your vote can actually make a difference. We can make change. The system exists for a reason. Yeah, it's set up in a way that makes failure very easy. But I think we can and we should insight change, and that change really isn't going to happen until people get out and voice their opinions through voting.
Bryan (he/they):I agree I'm looking at things like I don't know. This week in the headlines in France, there were protests all over the country because all they were doing was trying to change the year of retirement, push it back two years, and the whole country was in an uproar and I was like that's how people make their voice heard.
Steve (he/him):Yeah.
Bryan (he/they):Like we need that kind of energy right now in lots of areas to help make some progress happen here.
Steve (he/him):But we also got to focus on things that are helping make change. One of the things that I love so much in the US is the TV show we Are here, and I don't know if you've watched it.
Bryan (he/they):It's an HBO masterpiece, okay.
Steve (he/him):And just seeing that window into those small towns in the south is so eye-opening. It's terrifying because you see how difficult it must be being a queer person or any one who doesn't fit the norm down there, and how brave you must be to fight for those rights, like to fight for visibility. And I just love that show because it's opening the eyes of so many to what it means to be a part of our community. And there's so much misinformation that equates our lives as a lifestyle quote unquote as being pretty sex fueled, and it's just that that's not who we are. It's not what our community is. It's so much more than that. It is a loving, fun-loving community that embraces those on the fringes, on the outskirts, and it's all about love and peace and unity. And it's so hard when you hear and see people just hate on us in drag queens and they just don't get it. I'm like, how can you have a problem with love? How is our love for someone of the same sex or someone who's different from the norm? How does that impact you negatively? Like, what's it doing that's got you so upset? I don't get it.
Bryan (he/they):I don't get it either. I think it's hard also because many of the folks who are in an outrage will also preach love, and so the contradictory behavior, the hypocrisy of it, kind drives me crazy.
Steve (he/him):Yeah, I feel you what we have to just hold on for hope. I see these kids every day and I see the love in their hearts and that light hasn't gone out yet. They still show affection. The boys show affection to each other, the girls show affection to each other and hasn't been hammered out yet. I know, you know what I'm talking about, because all little kids just love unabashedly, no judgment. They're not. Oh, he's a boy, oh she's a girl. But when they get to a certain age it gets hammered out by what they see in the media, all the critiques and the criticisms and the judgments they get from the world around them. And then they're taught well, I'm a boy. Well, I can't show affection to my other friends. Who's a boy? I can't wear nail polish. I hate it. But I know we're moving away from that, which is great. But you see, longer and longer the kids are sticking to it or even deciding that that's who I am. But you still see those who revert and completely push away from that. And if that's what they want and that's what makes them happy, totally cool. But if it's someone who wants to embrace that side of themselves but is afraid to because society says they can't, breaks my heart.
Bryan (he/they):I agree I watch my kids kind of change right. I have three teenagers and I have an eight year old and she is at the stage where, pretty soon you're going to start, I'm going to start seeing the societal impacts.
Steve (he/him):Yeah, it's inevitable.
Bryan (he/they):It really is. So I wanted to shift gears a little bit in the last few minutes to talk a little bit about your kind of global education, your YouTube channel, what's happening on your YouTube channel?
Steve (he/him):Uh well, I'll give you a little quick write-in on how it started. Uh, so it was. It was birthed out of the pandemic. Uh I, I knew I had to do something to sort of help out and I decided to come up with uh videos. I didn't know what I was doing. Like I literally filmed in poor shirt mode and not landscape. Like I didn't know how to make YouTube videos. I've been laughing for a while, but, uh, after a whole bunch of time, uh, I took, you know, I did tutorials and spent my whole summer figuring it out. Uh, yeah. I. I decided to put a lot of time and effort into it and because of the pandemic, a lot of you know, kids were being taught at home and resources were scarce, so these videos were a way for teachers to access things that they couldn't do on their own. Like it's hard to teach topics, it's hard to teach without all the tools that we had at school, if we were stuck at home. Uh, but I also saw a gap in terms of quality videos that engage kids on a fun level, because learning French can be a little bit dry depending on the teacher, and that's fine. Everyone has a different teaching style, but no doubt in it. But, uh, I want to just spice things up and spice things up. I did, and uh, my. YouTube channel did pretty well. Uh, you know, it ended up being used across classrooms in Canada, all over, from coast to coast. And even places in the States. I'd have like teachers reaching out, like I had one in Texas actually, uh, who uses my videos and she was using them with her grade seven and eight, which was totally shocking to me. I'm like to see the picture of a group of kids in Texas three eights watching me with a puppet teaching French. But it's wild, but super cool, and I've used my platform as a way to absolutely teach, you know, curriculum based content, but I've made it fun and I've also made a few videos, uh, you know, ensuring that there's, you know, inclusivity there, that there's visibility, that they're not just seeing one type of family or one type of skin color, but everybody feels represented. And see all my examples and I'll have, you know, a video where I'll say a word and then I'll show a picture of someone doing that thing. So I make sure that I find lots of different types of examples so that everyone feels seen and represented.
Bryan (he/they):Awesome, and where can people find you on YouTube.
Steve (he/him):Uh, it's very easy. It is Mr Steve. Just type it in, mr Steve, into the search engine, and I'm the first seen that pops up.
Bryan (he/they):Awesome, and that's your social media handle as well. Instagram.
Steve (he/him):Yeah, instagram and TikTok, mr Steve, all the way.
Bryan (he/they):Awesome Teachers. If you are teaching French, go out and check it out. I know that all of our, like our students start learning their second languages during secondary school. So middle school, high school, so that's probably where you're seeing the grade seven, eights watching the video because we don't actually start language education unless you're an immersive program at an earlier age. So kudos to that teacher in Texas using the resources. Yes, I think that's fantastic. I've got one last question for you before we wrap up. All right, say you were talking with a brand new educator. They are queer but unsure how to be their authentic self in the classroom. What advice would you give them on, you know, living their best life while at work?
Steve (he/him):Well, first of all you have to be comfortable. So I would tell them to only share what they're comfortable sharing. There's no reason to be afraid of talking to your kids about your life If you're professional and smart about it, like you're not going to be divulging things that are inappropriate we never will. We're teachers, we don't matter from that. But sharing a bit about your life if you're a queer person is giving a kid in your class who might identify and doesn't know it quite yet a chance to be themselves in the future. They might think back and go oh, mr So-in-so. I remember him. He made me feel comfortable. You know what? It's okay to be gay, it's okay to be trans. It's those leaps that we take as educators and sharing a bit of ourself that will truly impact and make a difference in the kids' lives down the road. But if you yourself are not comfortable, you feel afraid or you feel unsafe, then of course do not push yourself. But if you know there's no actual reason for you to be afraid, to be who you are, then take that leap. Do it because you never know who's going to benefit from it.
Bryan (he/they):That is a great advice. Thank you so much for your time today, Mr Steve.
Steve (he/him):Well, Mr Bryan, thank you so much for having me here. It was a pleasure.
Bryan (he/they):Awesome.
Steve (he/him):I wish you would bring some of your warmer Texas weather not your weather up today as I know, not today.
Bryan (he/they):It is very freezing here.
Steve (he/him):But we need it up here. We've only seen this for 30 minutes in the past 30 days. My kids want to move to colder spaces.
Bryan (he/they):And then they remember this one week out of the year where we get freezing weather and they're like never mind.
Steve (he/him):Tell them they're always welcome to swap with me. I have no problem.
Bryan (he/they):You might regret that after 45 days of constant 100-degree weather.
Steve (he/him):You know what? You don't help me well enough to know that as long as there's a body of water nearby, I'm good Good.
Bryan (he/they):Fair enough, and thank you all for joining us on this episode of Teaching While Queer. Thank you for joining me for this week's episode of Teaching While Queer. If you haven't done so already, please consider subscribing on your favorite RSS feed and sharing the podcast with your friends and family. New episodes will come out every other week during the school year. If you're interested in joining us on this Teaching While Queer podcast, please email us at teachingwhilequeerpodcastatchannelcom. Have a great day.