Echo Magazine September 17 2009 : Page 33
NEWS youth should be exposed. Despite this, Spong learned that the students’ lives “are enriched by these women, and this experi- ence has made a profound impact on my life, and that of many others.” T is for Teacher is being screened world- wide at venues such as the International Film Festival of Ireland, the Bayside Film Festival in Australia, and the Kansas International Film Festival. The film will be screened alongside Oscar contenders and other popu- lar films from renowned filmmakers such as Michael Moore. The film has garnered rave reviews and is in high demand to be broad- cast on cable channels as well. It is an especially poignant film for one of its main subjects, Michelle, a high school art teacher at Desert Hills High School in Gilbert. Speaking with students and fellow staff members, a clear picture was painted of how much she means to the campus and community. One student stated, “She is my favorite teacher; this is really no big deal. She is the same teacher I had before the transition.” One student at the school even felt more comfortable coming out as bisexual, being inspired by Michelle’s courage and honesty with herself. Speaking of Michelle’s transi- tion three years ago and how it has affected the school at large, Principal Art Madden says, “Desert Hills High School has become better, the staff and students richer, and we all have become better human beings because of this experience.” Gilbert is fairly conservative, which made Michelle very apprehensive about transitioning. “I was terrified of losing my job, and not being accepted by the students and fellow teachers. Upon coming out as a transwoman, I had already lost my family, and that was hard enough.” Despite this, the experience at work was actually quite simple for Michelle. “I was accepted right off the bat; it was so touching, I was glowing.” To date, Michelle still teaches at Desert Hills and is one of the most popular teach- ers with class sizes over their limit and waiting lists to get into the four art classes she teaches. “Overall, I want to show students that there is a safe and supportive environment in my classroom,” she said. -E www.echomag.com Echo magazinE September 17, 2009 | 33
