Teaching While Trans: “I Just Decided to Be Myself” | Ep. 189 (with Rosaline Keane Kelly)

When physics and math teacher Rosaline Keane Kelly (she/her) began her teaching journey in Ireland, she didn’t yet know she was trans. Education became the mirror that helped her understand herself—and the space where she learned to lead with authenticity.In this episode, Rosaline shares what it was like to come out and transition while teaching in a religiously influenced school system, how she now builds inclusive science classrooms, and why belonging and laughter matter as much as lesson plans.Listeners will learn:How teaching placement stress and self-discovery intertwined in Rosaline’s transitionStrategies for modeling inclusivity in science classroomsWays to handle misgendering and the “apology spiral”How to build belonging and restorative practice with studentsWhat trans joy and authenticity look like in daily teaching lifeIf this conversation supports your work or your heart, subscribe, review, and share Teaching While Queer so others can find us too. Support the podcast and spread the message with merch from Equalitees.Me!This podcast explores the challenges and successes of queer representation in education, tackling topics like burnout, tokenism, doxing, and the role of advocacy in building inclusive classrooms, safe spaces, and anti-bullying strategies. It centers support for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, asexual, aromantic, agender, two-spirit, and non-binary teachers, and addresses how gender identity in schools can be honored to combat isolation and foster community.Teaching While Queer is a podcast for LGBTQ+ educators navigating teaching, leadership, and survival in today’s schools. The show explores queer and trans representation in education, educator burnout, book bans, workplace discrimination, tokenism, doxing, and advocacy—while sharing practical strategies for building inclusive classrooms, affirming school cultures, and safer learning environments. Episodes center gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary, asexual, aromantic, agender, and Two-Spirit educators, with conversations on gender identity in schools, anti-bullying practices, mental health, and community care. This podcast supports educators who feel isolated and offers solidarity, tools, and hope for LGBTQ+ teachers working across K–12 and higher education. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.Support the showQueering Education is a Teaching While Queer podcast centering LGBTQ+ educators and the real-world realities of teaching while queer. We explore queer representation in education, including burnout, tokenism, doxing, visibility, boundaries, and advocacy for inclusive classrooms, safe schools, and anti-bullying practices.This podcast supports gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, asexual, aromantic, agender, and two-spirit teachers, and addresses how gender identity in schools can be honored to reduce isolation, protect educators, and build community.Support the podcast and spread the message with merch from Equalitees.Me.Follow Teaching While Queer on Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen.Keywords: Teaching While Queer, queer educators, LGBTQ teachers, inclusive education, gender identity in schools, safe classrooms, anti-bullying strategies, educator burnout, LGBTQ advocacy, queer visibility in education