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Not that I have a problem with that, but it struck me as curious.
We attended the highly entertaining end-of-year performance at our daughter’s preschool last week, and after the parade of super-cute children, each teacher was given a bouquet of flowers. As I hooted loudly, cheering the teacher’s excellence, each teacher came across the stage, hugged the director of the school, and walked off…and then it occurred to me that all of the teachers are women.
Then I started to think back to all of my teachers in school - they were almost ALL women.
Then I searched for an answer.
But I am not convinced.
When I reflect on my full schooling of kindergarten through college, I hate to admit it, but most of my teachers have been women, but most of my favorite and best teachers have been men.
Wow.
That is kind of sobering.
Is it just me?
And, of course, the most memorable teachers were college professors, and men are far more prominent on university campuses, but this issue begins to beg many questions.
Preschool teachers: are we men just not caring or patient enough? What makes a great preschool teacher anyway? They say that these early years are so vital, so why is one gender represented as the educator and authority figure?
And my favorite: is it really a money thing?
My theory is that women really are more patient, compassionate, and have the “mom” element, and therefore make much better preschool teachers. Us men tend to be more cerebral and egomaniacal, we like to hear ourselves talk a lot, so we dominate the college domain. But I do think money is a factor as well. And I can prove it.
Because I wanted to be a TEACHER.
I wanted to be THAT teacher, the one that the kids would always remember and tell their parents how I inspired them. And then my wonderful wife convinced me that I would not make money as a teacher. And she was right: I look back and know that I would have regretted chasing some pipedream - my life would not have been like “Dead Poets Society” (even though that last scene always makes me cry). I have no regrets.
But this gender divide still interests me, and worries me, too, because I would prefer if our daughter had a few male teachers, just to balance things out. Or is that just a pipedream too?
Do your kids have any male teachers?
This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 25th, 2008 at 12:58 am and is filed under General.
June 25th, 2008 at 2:22 am
My daughter has a man and she’s in pre-school and he’s great. As this is often the refrain in “Boys Crisis” articles, I have to say that I think that women have always been tuned to teaching as it was always seen one of the few things women could do besides nursing & being a secretary. Thus historically (althou I haven’t been able to find the stats) I think it’s safe to say that women far out number men in PK-6 classrooms. Once classes get sorted out into science, math, history, etc…men get into the picture. At least that’s how my education went. Maybe women are just better at teaching a wide range of topics? I dunno…but I do have to say that I do wish more men were teachers.
BTW - My best teachers were equally men and women.
June 26th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
My preschool daughter has a male teacher, and he is just fantastic. The kids (and toddlers — it’s a preschool and a daycare) respond so well to him, my toddler son recognizes his car in the school parking lot and runs to him as soon as we get in the building. …
I think men can be good teachers (yes, even at the preschool stage) for they same reason they can be good parents — many of the qualities you look for in a teacher are similar, after all, aren’t they?
June 26th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
I teach, and I’ve been able to work with several male teachers. I’ve always enjoyed them, and I see how kids benefit from having both male and female role models. Pay is one issue, certainly in preschool more than any other level. As our society gets more comfortable with pay equity, perhaps the gender inequity in this field will even out.
June 27th, 2008 at 8:34 am
A lot of it is to do with the fact that teaching is a low-paid profession. The careers with the lowest salaries are disproportionately seen as “women’s work” (teacher, cleaner, secretary, receptionist).
June 27th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Thank you for these comments - it’s great to know that there are some male teachers out there. And so I guess the question comes back to pay - why are women willing to accept these lower-paying jobs while most men will not?
June 29th, 2008 at 7:29 am
My daughters have male and female teachers at their school (although still predominantly female) - I think their individual abilities are more dependent on the person than the gender.
I have a number of (female) friends who are teachers and they are all mothers as well, they say teaching works well for them in terms of having similar working hours to their children’s school hours and getting the same holidays as their own children.
Interestingly in my university faculty the majority of professors were female - what was my faculty? Education.
June 30th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Teachers don’t make enough. The only reason my husband can teach is that I have a very high paying job - high enough to afford child care - which is astronomical. And, unfortunately, women making that much money are the exception rather than the rule. I have to admit that I very proud that I am able to help keep a male teacher in the classroom. My husband teaches a lot of teen boys that don’t have a father figure and is also a coach, and I can’t count the number of families we have run into at the grocery store that have just gone on and on about how he changed their lives. I’m glad that in my small way I can help make that happen.