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Male Call: Recruiting More Men to Teach Elementary School
Stereotypes and low pay keep men away from teaching. But that Y chromosome can make a huge difference in the classroom.
by Tamar Snyder
Public schools are searching for a few good men -- male teachers, that is. Men accounted for less than one-fourth of all teachers in 2006, according to statistics released recently by the National Education Association (NEA), and there is little indication of that figure changing anytime soon.
Although education has historically been a predominantly female field, the number of male public school teachers in the United States hit a forty-year low that year. Kansas and Oregon boast the largest percentages of male teachers, at 33 percent and 31 percent, respectively. Mississippi and Arkansas have the lowest percentage, with males making up just under 18 percent of the teachers in those states.
"We're experiencing a significant male-teacher shortage," confirms Reg Weaver, president of the NEA. The shortage is particularly acute in early-childhood and lower grades, and the reason is partly pay related. "Teachers in elementary school typically don't make as much money as teachers in high school do," Weaver says. "More than 50 percent of male teachers are at the high school level."
Research conducted by MenTeach, a nonprofit organization that promotes the recruitment of male teachers, suggests that low status and pay deter males from entering education. "If you started paying teachers $150,000 per year, you'd see a lot of guys going into the field," admits Bryan Nelson, founder of MenTeach. Other key reasons behind the male-teacher shortage, according to MenTeach, is the stereotype that teaching is "women's work," as well as possible fears of lawsuits around accusations of sexual abuse of children.
To attract more male teachers, heavy recruiting at the university level is necessary, says Steve Peha, president of Teaching That Makes Sense, an education-consulting company. "We won't see more male teachers if we don't see more young men pursuing teaching degrees," he notes.
One of the more prominent recruitment programs is Call Me MISTER (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models), which provides tuition assistance and leadership training to male African American students pursuing education degrees. When the 150 participants in the program, which originated at South Carolina's Clemson University, finally start working, they will double the number of black men teaching in the state's elementary schools. The program has ten participating colleges throughout the state, and two other colleges in Pennsylvania and Virginia are replicating it.
Still, according to Peha, a coordinated effort to recruit male teachers is lacking, in part because some education experts remain unconvinced about the added value male teachers bring to the classroom. "If we want more men in the classroom, we'll need to see some data about the benefits of a gender-balanced corps," he notes.
Research studies focusing on whether male teachers help boys learn better have provided contradictory results. But a majority of male teachers interviewed confessed to serving a dual role in the classroom as both educator and role model, especially in low-income districts with single-parent homes that typically lack a male influence. "Some kids connect better with male teachers," says teacher Dan Brown, who chronicled his year at the Bronx's PS 85 as a NYC Teaching Fellow in his book The Great Expectations School: A Rookie Year in the New Blackboard Jungle.
In some cases, others at the school ask male teachers to play disciplinarian. "A lot of female teachers would come to me if they had a disciplinary problem -- mainly with boys -- and ask me to handle it," says Alan Flory, a retired special education teacher with twenty-eight years of experience. "I didn't particularly appreciate it, but I did it."
Flory believes that though males tend to be structured in what they do, they are more willing to use creative means to engage students. He now trains female teachers to use music in teaching as he did; for example, he brought a guitar into class on Fridays as a reward for good behavior. "I'd make up rhymes for vowel sounds and to help the kids learn math," he explains. "The kids really enjoyed that."
Brian Hendrickson, a sixth-grade social studies teacher at Hillcrest Middle School, in Trumbull, Connecticut, polled his students to find out how they feel their male teachers differed from their female teachers. The results: Male teachers tend to use sports analogies, such as "Standardized tests are the Super Bowl of knowledge." They are more tolerant of chitchat and are more likely to integrate active learning methods, including competitions and games, into the curriculum. They also tend to be funnier, the informal poll suggested.
"Men tend to give more direction in their approach to sharing knowledge," says Stephen Jones, a longtime educator and the author of Seven Secrets of How to Study. "They want to appear to be the expert." Women, on the other hand, are more likely to collaborate with students and incorporate their ideas, Jones says. "Therefore, men who are teaching mixed classes must incorporate collaborative and direct instruction to meet the needs of all students." Meeting the needs of all students? That sounds like a great educational environment.
An aspiring male kindergarten teacher
Submitted by JPG III (not verified) on May 5, 2008 - 05:57.
I'm a student,training to be a preschool/kindergarten teacher. As an aspiring male teacher, I know I'll be rare, but even though I'll be different from most other teachers in the country. I hope to be able to break the gender boundary and convince some of my students male and female to become teachers.
We need more GOOD teachers not necessarly just MALE teachers.
Male or Female???
Submitted by Paul P. (not verified) on May 3, 2008 - 23:34.
There are advantages (how significant depends on your POV)for either sex employed as teachers. However, first and formeost as a profession it is about being an effective teacher, which does not hinge on gender.
A bit like saying a mother is better than father (overall) at raising children. Look up the statistics for the number of women that are currently incarcerated and you would be shocked. Neither is better because of gender but better because they care and are mindful of the responsibility and commitment it takes.
The simple fact is that kids should be exposed to a more equitable balance in gender of their teachers and if men provide a positive role model then that is a bonus.
A more important question is should we be looking at single sex classes with gender specific teachers. Now there is something worth more research.
Male teachers
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on May 3, 2008 - 21:15.
As as a female teacher that has been teaching for 10 years, I agree and disagree that male teachers are the answers. I believe that if the teacher is a great teacher then they will have a profound affect on any student, whether male of female. I worked at the elementary level for six years before moving up to middle school. The male teachers at the elementary level were superb. However, now that I have taught middle school for three years, I have to say that many of the male teachers are horrible. They have no classroom management and are unable to relate to the students (male and female). Many of my male students hate going to the male teachers classroom and prefer to stay in mine. What I found interesting is that the article mentioned that men are creative and tend to use sports as an analogy. I felt that he described my classroom to a tee and I am not male or butch. I grew up a tom boy because of three older brothers and am able to relate to boys. We talk about sports, and I even introduce my girls to sports (if they are not already interested). I do believe that we need good male teachers at our schools, but don't underestimate female teachers and the impact we can have on male students.
Male teacher's image - a Catch-22
Submitted by ChiGuy (not verified) on May 1, 2008 - 21:47.
In response to Teacherman:
I am a male teacher also. I also thought that it would help in meeting women. However, it is a double-edged sword. Some women do appreciate that, they see that you can be sensitive, good with kids, etc.
However, others look at it the other way. They think you must not be very "masculine." Worse, they know that they will probably always outearn you. That is not a problem for me, but apparently it is for many women, teachers or not!
However, I stick with what I know is right, that is being true to myself and what I want to do, and that is to teach! I knew from the beginning that I was not going into this field to make much money, much less to be macho!
So I'm happy teaching. Ten years, not even close to burnout!
Male teacher role models
Submitted by Rose (not verified) on May 1, 2008 - 14:17.
I feel lucky to have had male teachers my 4th, 5th and 6th grade year. I remember those teachers fondly and felt like I was taught well. It sounds like this experience is not the norm. I think it is just as important for girls to have male teacher role models as it is for boys.
Now my family lives in a small rural town where the K-3 school has no males in it at all--the principal is female too. I wish my five sons could see a man teacher in their primary years. I'm sure more males don't go into teaching because they don't see other men in those positions.
Male teachers
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on May 1, 2008 - 10:41.
If you want to find more gifted men and women in the taching force, the answer is simple...MORE MONEY HONEY!!!!!
Perspective of a current Male middle school teacher
Submitted by teacherman (not verified) on May 1, 2008 - 07:43.
Hi,
I am the technology teacher for a small private nursery-8th school in NJ. I work with the 7th-8th grade daily during lunch/gym and have created a mentoring program for boys.
To me, there is a tremendous need for more MEN in ALL schools. This is specifically in response to the poster above titled "Teacher gender is the wrong question". I completely disagree, IT is ONE of the right questions.
Students need to be taught in an environment that reflects the world they will be entering. Males in a school environment help the students learn to relate with adult men, which they will need to do throughout their lives.
I think this is ESPECIALLY true for the young man in his 11-14th years when strong male role models are very important. Where does a man learn how to be his best? Hopefully at home, but these days many fathers are either too busy or not there at all to nurture their sons. Hence the creation of my male student mentoring program at my school, show them a different choice of what kind of man they could become then what they see on the media.
My Reasons Males don't want to teach:
1. Low Pay BIGGEST thing (I want a house, and family, and yes, I want to be a capable breadwinner. My wife can be too, thats no problem for me, but don't ask me NOT to pull my own weight)
2. Overwhelmingly female "style" working environment, see the poster above who talks about having to bring food etc....(although I don't mind the $ collections, I like to contribute to my community), Not to mention staff meetings that become huge group counseling sessions (yeah, I said it).
3. Feeling on occasion that I have to defend myself for being *GASP* a GUY! Men have a different style in general, which is not always respected or accepted by female peers.
4. Threat of charges of sexual inappropriateness. Thats real, in all school levels, I would NEVER teach in a high school
Also, just wanted to say about the "image" issue of being a male teacher: Women love hearing that you teach children, good god, it must be one of the best pick up lines ever (not that I have ever used it ;) ). All the male teachers I know are VERY aware of this :)
Anyway, I think the first poster summed up what kind of individuals make the best teachers, I just think we can't neglect the role men play in the world, and that they definitely need a greater presence in all learning environments.
Give ALL teachers Better PAY AND Better benefits! TAKE AWAY NCLB! IT's ruining our schools! Return to TRUE teaching! Teach to the individual, make classrooms acceessible for ALL! RESPECT OUR CHILDREN!
Peace.
All dressed up with no place to go
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on May 1, 2008 - 07:12.
I'm a male teacher who finally went into administration after fifteen years in elementary classrooms. I began teaching Kindergarten, and then moved on to 3rd and then 4th grade as I kept seeking new challenges.
I finally went into administration because no matter how hard I worked or how much I outperformed my teaching colleagues, male and female, there was no reward for my superior performance. The only way for me to increase my earning power significantly was to leave the classroom. I went the whole coaching, refereeing, tutoring, and working odd jobs on weekends route, as most male teachers do to make ends meet, and in the end I just got sick of it.
That's messed up. I would much rather have stayed in the classroom. I know it's fiscally impossible to pay all teachers high salaries because there are just too many of us out there. But after fifteeen years of distinguished performance--including performance feedback instruments from parents, peers, and supervisors, and with stellar results from standardized tests , I was getting paid the same as someone who was mediocre - or worse - for the same fifteen years, and that was just too discouraging.
In my long experience being a male in a heavily female world, very few of my female colleagues seemed bothered by this. Whether men are more innately competitive than women, I don't know. But I do know that I would still be in the classroom if may performance determined my pay.
Male elementary teachers
Submitted by John Day (not verified) on May 1, 2008 - 06:41.
As a 4th grade teacher for the last 35 years I do know how lucky I've been. I was hired during a time when men were being accepted as elementary level teachers. We even had a male Kdg. teacher. Our principal and BOE knew the value of having male role models. There was no stigma. I am the last remaining male of that good old days staff. My only hope is that when I retire next year I am replaced with another male teacher. I have loved every minute of teaching at this level.
Public School Jobs for Men and Women
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on May 1, 2008 - 06:00.
I KNOW this from experience. You can only get a job in Elementary Ed if you are: not a stellar student, &/or have mediocre grades, &/or are no older than 22, are female, are black/hispanic/or of obviously mixed race, no leadership potential, no experience, no backbone... Experienced people are not welcome. Smart people are not welcome. Successful people are not welcome. 50 year old people are not welcome. People with 4.0 GPA in a MAT in Elementary are NOT WELCOME! They want young, weak, desperate, controllable subordinates who may be able to "demonstrate growth" on the job and who will never have an independent thought or innovate change of any sort. Educate children? Nah... Our goal is to keep the status quo and never admit that parents in low socio-economic situations are ruining their children's lives - not teachers/schools. ADMIT IT! Parents are THE one single factor in a child's success or failure - and you only want expendable sheep "teaching" them...
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