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Breaking the cycle of inequality: making space for LGBTQ+ issues on the ECF programme

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Elaine LongÌý
Welcome to The ECF Staffroom. I'm Elaine Long.Ìý
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Mark QuinnÌý
And I am Mark Quinn.Ìý
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Elaine LongÌý
We are programme leaders for the UCL Early Career Teacher Development Programme. Why are we in the staffroom? We are here because this is where the best professional learning conversations always take place. This is where problems can be aired bluntly and where solutions can be explored.Ìý
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Mark QuinnÌý
Over the course of this series, we will hear the voices of different colleagues as they come in the ECF Staffroom. We will hear from early career teachers themselves and from the mentors and induction tutors who support them. We will talk about all things ECF, the challenges and the joys. So why don't you enjoy a coffee with us, perhaps even grab a biscuit and sit down to half an hour of ECF Staffroom, chat.

Mark Quinn
Emanuele, welcome to the ECF Staffroom. You’ve had a busy day, I've. I've no doubt. Please put your feet up. Take a seat. Got a nice soft chair there for you. What's been your day like so far?

Emanuele FrascadoreÌý
Just another day in a secondary school, you know, Mark. Screaming kids, screaming teachers, no, I’m joking, all good. I just finished teaching my Year 8. It's. In fact, we were doing the speaking test, they were alright. I told them decently, hopefully.

Mark Quinn
Very, very good, and you must be parched. So, you want a coffee of some kind, what would you like?

Emanuele FrascadoreÌý
Well, being Italian, you know, I must have a properly made coffee. So, I have a Nescafé machine at home, but not in the school unfortunately, No instant coffee for me. I'm just going to have my water. Thank you, though.

Mark Quinn
Well, but don't underestimate us. So, we've got a special Italian coffee machine installed, especially for you. So, I'll get one going on. It might not arrive before the end of the chat but we'll get it ready.

Emanuele FrascadoreÌý
Thank you. Thank you.

Elaine Long
Welcome to the staffroom Emanuele. I noticed that you have very high standards when it comes to coffee, and I'm sure you have equally high standards when it comes to the learning of your students, and I'm interested, why did you decide to become a teacher and what route took you to this point?

Emanuele FrascadoreÌý
Well, I decided to join the Teach First training programme because I think too many young people are not fulfilling their potential in school. And this cycle continues from generation to generation, which widens social inequality. It's a cycle I was determined to outbreak because we cannot deprive a child of the opportunity to learn, develop and make their aspirations flourish.

So as one of the 10,000 teach first ambassadors, what I aim to do is I aim to strive to make education and other sectors fairer through teaching and living in challenging areas because I deem inequality to be the new social question that we're all called to deal with responsibly.

Elaine Long
I can see that there's a lot of moral purpose behind what you do, which is really inspiring to hear. I know you a participant on one of our UCL ECT programme, what have been the highs and lows of your year so far?

Emanuele FrascadoreÌý
I've developed a lot of resilience and positive professional relationship with the staff, I have also been a form tutor which allowed me to establish positive relationships with the young people I work with based on trust as well. I've also utilised and shared my love of languages and I have been able to achieve unexpected milestones.Ìý

For example, receiving positive feedback for when I applied for the assistant head of department position, I've also been offered the place in the UCL Educational Leadership master's course and the National Professional Qualification for Leading Teaching.Ìý

So, it's been a great year and I'm really, really proud of it. Of course, there's also been the challenges such as general stress and pressures of the job, which, you know, I'm going to have to say also led to physical changes as well, a bit, like losing my hair.

Elaine Long
You certainly had quite a dizzying year. So, I'm not surprised you drink so much high quality coffee to get all those things in.Ìý

Can I delve a bit more into the highs of your year now? Because I know you probably sounds like one of the things you enjoy most is being in the classroom with the students and I know from your biography that you're a modern foreign languages teacher, which I think is some of the best lessons to observe in school, actually.

Can you tell me a bit more about how the programme has helped you to be a better modern foreign languages teacher?

Emanuele FrascadoreÌý
Well, obviously, looking very specifically at the teaching standards I have managed to develop more effective lessons, like how to plan them, and I feel quite confident in that, but also behaviour management, which is a very integral part of, of being a teacher,

As you said, the languages, I mean it's my biggest passion. I've learnt English, French, Spanish. So, I do know the challenges that the students go through, and my hope is that what I aim to do is I try to model how to overcome those challenges because I myself first have, you know, have faced them. So, that has allowed me to be more relatable to the students, not just to sort of like dictating top to bottom, but, you know, bottom, up.

I do believe they are also good leaders should look into that as well. So, I've learnt how to develop this type of like assertiveness, self-confidence and the programme has been very supportive on that.

Elaine Long
Oh great. So, it's great to hear that the programme has really helped your confidence to flourish. You mentioned some physical changes. You mentioned you'd lost a bit of hair. I sympathise with that because I dye my hair but underneath, after 20 years of teaching it is quite grey. Don't tell anybody that.Ìý

Mark Quinn
One of the joys of podcasts, of course, is that everyone doesn’t have to know.

Elaine Long
Indeed, that's why we're doing a podcast and not a video. So, what's been tricky about the ECT year so far?

Emanuele FrascadoreÌý
Of course, juggling everything is very challenging. I'm sure that everyone, you know, says this one because teachers are ready themselves, have a busy lifestyle and obviously with a training programme on top, it seems like it becomes more unbearable. I like to think that, you know, this programme was and is, you know, a supportive place for us to all to tackle this workload issues that we might have.

So, bearing in mind that obviously I was doing also like a second year of my Teach First training programme, that made me again look a little bit more unreachable but we're almost, there, almost at the end of year 1 ECT and year 2, Teach First.Ìý

As I said, it is challenging, but it's definitely worth it and I’d really, really recommend it.Ìý

Elaine Long
Some of our Teach First participants say that they can find the programme a repeat of their ITE years. Is that something you found? How have you sort of dealt with that?

Emanuele FrascadoreÌý
Yeah, but I mean, I think that, you know, it's not a bad thing because that allows us to all to Ìýembed it even further, the learning that we went through the first year because bearing in mind that the first year is the first time that we are thrown into a classroom and we have almost a full timetable, perhaps we do miss certain things.

So, going through the ECT to be a way to refresh and go through the things that perhaps we, you know, we had missed out in the previous year.

Elaine Long
That’s great. That's the way you've approached it.

Mark Quinn (8mins 45 secs)
So Emanuele, you contacted us because you wanted to talk in the ECF Staffroom about how you collaboratively with other ECTs and new teachers in your current school have been attempting to raise LGBTQ plus inclusivity in the classroom and in the extended culture, perhapsÌý

So, maybe you can start by saying to us what you mean by inclusivity with LGBTQ plus and why it matters so much?

Emanuele FrascadoreÌý
I think that, it's a primary role for educators to actively embody and promote the values of mutual respect and tolerance, as well as denounce any type of discrimination, notwithstanding faiths and beliefs. And it’s not even circumscribed to a share pronoun for personal preference, I think it entails legal and cultural expectations as well, and modelling nowadays, society in a safe environment and contributing to an inclusive pedagogy.

This is set out on some parts of the teaching standards, and schools should be an inclusive environment for all. You know, we have, for example, a notable acceptance in care targeting students with SENDEAL, but tolerance towards gender and sexual orientation, diversity is equally important.Ìý

For example, what we could do is initiate classroom talks regarding gender inclusive language, and I think that in the context of modern foreign languages, we have a privileged stance because what we aim to do in in all in our subject is we try to value diversity, and this is a very prominent aspect of our subject.

Elaine Long
That's really interesting about what you say about modern foreign languages. If I can just ask you to think about schools in general. What do you think they could do to improve the experience of LGBTQ plus students in their schools?

Emanuele FrascadoreÌý
I believe we should be able to promote more representation, which then tends to lead to a normalisation in the curriculum. I think representation is just an easy way to promote it because you're trying to normalise the something that is out there in the society, but you're doing it in a subtle way by integrating into the subjects and in the context, in the topics that we're trying to teach that.

Elaine Long
That’s really interesting and I've often thought about that as an English teacher, in terms of the books we choose and the characters that students relate to, you know, I’ve spoken to friends in the past that said, for example, if there was a gay character in a book I read when I was a child, that would have made me feel like the culture was much more inclusive.

So, I think it is about the choices we make at curriculum level. So, thinking about ECTs as well, I guess when they're planning their curriculums. Is there anything you'd say to them in terms of representation?

Emanuele FrascadoreÌý
I would obviously do my research like I have and or even talk to other experienced teacher or newly sort of qualified, ECTs, because we have, I'm sure that, you know, in every school there is someone that is passionate about this, and I think it is important to represent these individuals in the in the curriculum, because it raises issues and it raises questions and that's fine.Ìý

I mean, for example, it's easy to fix. I can obviously talk about French because that was the language, that is the language I've been teaching. The subject is modern foreign languages. I mean, even reading comprehension tasks. If you think about, it's my parents. What about if we change it to my 2 mums or my dad’s?

Then the students will ask, because this has happened to me actually. Oh sir, it says my two mums. Yeah, it says my 2 mums. That's it. That's the answer, For example, like, you know, who are Sophie's parents? You know, as I said, and then they say, okay, and then we move on. Again, it's about that normalisation of the diversity.
Yeah. So it's really integrated in the curriculum. Yeah.

Elaine Long
That's a great example. It's really interesting, how those small tweaks that you're describing that you use in your modern foreign languages classroom can really make a big difference.Ìý

It's interesting that you said within any school, this is the case for all schools, really, there are a number of people that are passionate about inclusivity, but that number isn't enough, and I think what I'm hearing is that that every teacher should be passionate about that, and that should be at the forefront of every ECTs mind when they're planning their curriculum, whether there are modern foreign languages teacher thinking about that or an English teacher thinking about the texts they're choosing, or a maths teacher thinking about the examples that they write.

It's almost quite empowering to think as teachers we have the capacity to make a big difference in students lives through the language we use, in the examples we give in terms of making them feel more included, and I think that's a really empowering message that you're bringing today.

Emanuele FrascadoreÌý
It's all about the language and it's about the awareness of the language that we use. That's how I see it. Yeah.

Elaine Long
Do you think teachers in school need more training on that?

Emanuele FrascadoreÌý
I generally don. Yeah. I think that we should focus on some of our CPDs, for example, after half term, in talking about gender inclusive language or sort of like tackling homophobic and transphobic comments. I do think that schools require that. Yeah, it should be more pushed because it's at the end of the day as part of the Equality Act 2010, it's part of the Inspections Act 2006.

So, we have a lot of legal documents that promote it, So, we as schools should really, you know, should really like empower these teachers to represent LGBT pupils inclusivity.

Mark Quinn
It's interesting you refer to other legal documents like the Equalities Act, Emanuele, because you'd be aware, I'm sure, that LGBTQ plus inclusivity is not explicitly referenced in the Early Career Framework, which is the programme that you're engaged in with us. There's no mention about how to do that well in schools, how to raise those issues with young people.

Does that matter or do you feel that, actually are there other important things which are excluded from the early career framework which or that ECTs should know about or should know how to do, and that therefore this programme is somehow a missed opportunity. Would you say something about that?

Emanuele FrascadoreÌý
Yeah, that's a really good question. You know what? You're right. I do think it matters. Yes, you should definitely be an integral part of ECF because it also falls in the teachers standards anyway. I mean, especially if you look at standard one, set out expectations, it states creating a culture of respect and trust in the classroom, supports all pupils to succeed.

Or if you think about standard seven, managing behaviour effectively, according to which in order to develop a positive, predictable and safe environment for pupils, we must work alongside colleagues as part of a wider system of behaviour management and respond quickly to any behaviour of bullying that threatens emotional safety. Then finally standard 8, which is fulfilled by the professional responsibilities. Standard 8 empowers teachers to contribute positively to the wider school culture and develop a feeling of shared responsibility for improving the lives of all pupils within the school. So, it's all there. It is in ECF, but I just think it should be made more explicit, that's all.

Mark Quinn
Yeah, I think that's a, thank you for that, actually, because you can imagine that putting a programme such as this together as we did, there are many gaps. I'm absolutely certain of it, there are many opportunities.

Emanuele FrascadoreÌý
It's a new and it's a new programme, but it's great that the way it is now, but of course there's always room for improvement. We teachers teach this to our students, we make mistakes, we learn from them. You know, and of course, there's always going to be gaps but that's what it's all about. It's all about change. Change is never ending.

Mark Quinn
Yeah, and Elaine and I and everybody else at »Ê¼Ò»ªÈË is completely passionate about the idea that we can improve our programme by being responsive to the participants on it, which underpins the whole point of this whole podcast, why we want what people like you on to share your voice with us and I'm sure we'll be in touch again to talk about, you know, actually to draw upon your expertise, I suppose, and other colleagues that you'd be working with at your school.

Emanuele FrascadoreÌý
Thank you.Ìý

Mark Quinn
I think what we might be able to do to make the programme that significantly better actually, not just a little bit better, but significantly better. So, watch out for a call from us Emanuele.

Emanuele FrascadoreÌý
I'm looking forward to it.

Elaine Long
Just before you go and leave the staffroom, we ask everybody to write something on a Post-it note. I'm going to hand your Post-it note now virtually, and it's up to you what you write on that Post-it note and who you want to show it to and where you put the Post-it note.

Can you tell me what you'd like to do?

Emanuele FrascadoreÌý
Let's see. I used to think that being brave meant that you're not scared of anything, but all of this has actually helped me realise that being brave means you aren't afraid to be scared. It means that you embrace the scary because a lot of the times the scariest things are also the most important, like admitting who you are or who you love.

So, this Post-it note goes to all the teachers, all the teachers out there who are doing this already and fighting every day for an inclusive and safe environment for all students. I just hope I only get braver from here.

Elaine Long
Thank you. That's a very inspiring thing to put on a Post-it note. I'm sure your students feel very lucky to have you as their teacher. I think I would have really liked a modern foreign languages teacher like you, might have improved my command of French.

Mark Quinn
We can just hear the bell ringing there. Otherwise, I think we'd be very happy just to sit for a good half hour longer in staffroom and chat to Emanuele, but we have to go. I think your coffee's just about ready, so you might have to put it in a lidded cup and take it with you.

I don't know if you want a biscuit, but there's a tray there waiting for you to pick one up on your way out.Ìý

It’s a pleasure talking to you and good luck with the rest of the programme and your various other professional development endeavours that you were telling us about at the beginning.Ìý

Thanks very much.

Mark Quinn
Our thanks go to Emanuele Frascadore for sharing an Italian coffee with us this week in the ECF staffroom. Emanuele is an MFL teacher in Hayes.

Elaine Long
Please to get in touch with us, if you'd like to chat with us about your ECF experience, we especially want to hear from a range of different voices. In the meantime, join us next time for a biscuit and a chat with another colleague in the ECF Staffroom.Ìý

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