ONE TEACHER IN TEN: LGBT educators share their stories (second edition). Edited by Kevin Jennings. Turnaround pound;10.99. www.turnaround-uk.com
In case you didn’t know, LBGT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, so the book is a collection of the real-life stories of teachers who share that multi-faceted label.
In the opening story, “Conversations with Jesus”, Steve Trujillo, a California high school teacher and a Catholic, is asked about his sexuality by a Hispanic boy called Jesus. His account nicely picks up on the accident of the boy’s name when he replies, “Jesus, I know that you have many questions about the way I am.” The story ends well - with a round of applause - and launches us into the second, equally engaging account by Joel Freedman of how what he takes to be a parental vendetta against him turns out to be something entirely different.
These are all good stories in their own right, heartening (if sometimes rather pointedly “feel-good” in that transatlantic way) and will encourage individuals who have shared the experience as well as providing material for discussion.