Let’s try something for a minute: Think back to elementary school, think back to third or fourth grade. Who were your teachers? For myself, in third grade I was in Mrs. Barlak’s class and in fourth grade I was in Mrs. Byrne’s class. Similarly most of the titles of my teachers from Kindergarten to 7th grade were either Mrs or Ms. Smith, or something like that. The prospect of having a Mr. Smith was rather improbable: essentially, you had a better chance of seeing a lion (and I grew up in North Jersey, so let’s be honest, that never happened).
So, where are all the men in the field of education?
According to statistics, of all primary school teachers, only 16% are male; leaving a stunning 84% of all primary teachers to be female. As someone who is embarking on the journey to become an elementary school teacher, I have to wonder, where are the other guys like me?
There are a few major factors that are keeping males away from this field, where, I might add, their experiences and presence is in high demand. According to ABC’s Lauren Cox, in her article “The Mistrusted Male”, a myriad of factors keep males out of the elementary teaching force. For example, Cox, states “low status and low pay” keep men out of the classroom. Additionally, Cox explains that being an elementary school teacher falls outside of the traditional male stereotype. This stems from the need for elementary teachers to be nurturing and sensitive, which men are perceived to not be. But worst of all, one of the “primary” issues is the high stakes and assumptions of the male teacher in an elementary setting. Men are assumed to be “too rough” and even worse, they are assumed to be sexual predators.
Alright, so now it’s time for my two cents! I’m currently at Ramapo studying American Studies and Elementary Education, and this article really burns my grill. So I’d like to point out a few things: Starting with pay; low pay shouldn’t matter: happiness in a career should matter, (but that’s a conversation for another day). Also, men can be just as nurturing as females; have we not seen the phenomenal single dad, or the dads in the park playing with their kids, who are the picture perfect example of a good dad? A nurturing personality doesn’t know gender. Another factor here is that some students don’t have a stable father figure at home, so having a male teacher, (especially in the primary level, when a lot of personality development occurs), is actually beneficial. But finally, I find it insulting that men who go into the elementary education field are likened to predators. Personally, I’ve chosen the teaching field because I want to make a difference and I want to ensure that my future students have the same or better opportunities that I had. The same is true for many other teachers, we have altruistic intentions at heart, so don’t be so quick to judge us.
Overall, the fact that its 2013 and this type of stigma still persists is frustrating, haven’t we moved forward in terms of breaking down gender stereotypes? Either way, I plan to follow my career path and along the way I plan to make a difference for my students, and maybe break some stereotypes. So chime in, let me know what you think, and check out the article and know the facts!
~Namaste~
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=5670187&page=1#.UXVOfit34m8
Great post, DJ. You're right. While I know we have a long way to go in terms of breaking down gender stereotypes, I would have thought that something so seemingly simple/non-controversial as this would have been adressed already. That being said, I think this makes your choice of career path all the more admirable: Not only will you be doing great work, but you'll be actively breaking a stereotype at the same time!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, DJ. You're right. While I know we have a long way to go in terms of breaking down gender stereotypes, I would have thought that something so seemingly simple/non-controversial as this would have been adressed already. That being said, I think this makes your choice of career path all the more admirable: Not only will you be doing great work, but you'll be actively breaking a stereotype at the same time!
ReplyDelete