It’s been odd to hear so much concern at the news that the proportion of male teachers has fallen to its lowest-ever level. 
When I first started working with infants and toddlers the last thing I was thinking about was being a role model as a male teacher. All I was trying to do was just to survive every day without making too many unintentional mistakes. I did not like making mistakes and tended to avoid situations that displayed my incompetence at a particular teaching skill. 
I work at The Early School on the island of Oahu in Hawaii as a toddler teacher in the Young Children's Program. When we moved into the Spring Break of 2020 I was very concerned about the Corona virus. So was everyone else in Hawaii. It was the weirdest start to a Spring Break I have ever experienced. I closed that last Friday. 
The video of George Floyd taking his last breath was difficult for me to process. I experienced anger, sadness, fear, frustration, disgust, outrage, and betrayal. I can't express what I felt when Floyd begged the officer to remove his knee from his neck and called out to his deceased mother. Watching him being restrained in that moment, I imagined Floyd as a young child—no different from a child I teach—crying out for help. 
I teach because of the relationships formed with my students. I enjoy the curriculum and the data part of the job, but the relationships formed with the students is why I do it. I like kids. Distance learning has changed my daily routine and that's frustrating. But overall, day by day we'll get through this and we'll be back face to face strengthening those relationships again.
I had never taught Tatiana before. Yet, after a Latinx student meeting in Oakland, the 12th grader unexpectedly embraced me, sobbing: “You’re the first Mexican teacher I’ve seen at this school; I just wanted to say thank you.”
A few years ago, I met with two program directors. One worked for a well-respected education nonprofit, the other for a local public-school district. They had each recently released employees for poor job performance. Both of the released employees were people of color. When I asked the directors what they had covered in the job interviews with these employees, the directors told me they had asked the job seekers for their story. 
My name is Andrew Gilles and I am majoring in Early Childhood Education. In November of 2018, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend and present at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) conference in Washington D.C. 
Last month I had the privilege of presenting at the NAEYC conference in Washington D. C. What was even more of an honor and thrill was that I took two of our male students, Dylan and Andrew, to the conference. Together we presented our research about the dispositions men use to engage children in learning. 
After finishing up my student teaching placement and having time to reflect on all the challenges, accomplishments, peaks and valleys, I realized never to judge something before you get the chance to experience it. When I found out that I would be doing one of my student teaching placements in a four-year-old kindergarten classroom, I immediately had mixed emotions. 
Who are you to others? This question has often crossed my mind when I think about how I fit into this world.
Much like the chaos of a zombie apocalypse, a new teacher's first year in the classroom can be stressful and overwhelming. There are swarms of elementary students asking to go to the bathroom, help with homework, and continuous requests to borrow a pencil. Luckily, I survived.
I have always loved playing with young children, especially infants and toddlers. However, when I was younger I never envisioned myself as a teacher. Many years ago, my good friends unexpectedly had colicky twins and they really needed help. That changed my life. That experience unintentionally lead me into teaching. Now it is one of my biggest passions. It is a huge part of my family life. 
The frequent reports of gun shootings in communities and especially in schools, leave us in disbelief. The media’s portrayal of the scenes impacts our perceptions and attitudes about teaching. As a professor of early childhood education, this horrific news makes it challenging to teach an Introduction to Early Childhood course that is intended to welcome and convince students about the joys that come with teaching. 
My name is Caleb Schulz and I am currently an Early Childhood Education Major at UW-Stout. I chose this major to potentially make a difference in young lives and inspire future generations. I have been involved in the Men in Education group since my freshman year and have grown closer to my classmates doing so. Everything we do as an organization we do together, that is what makes the group of guys so special. 
I come from a family of 5, that includes my parents and a younger brother and sister, each of us 4 to 5 years apart. Growing up, I helped my siblings gain skills and knowledge that I acquired from my own experiences. These included riding a bike, reading a book, training for a sport and aspects of becoming a leader. 
I am a junior at UW-Stout and I am from Plum City, Wisconsin. Plum City is a small town southwest of Menomonie and has less than 600 residents. I have two siblings; an older brother who is a Physical Education teacher and a sister who is in her senior year at UW-La Crosse. 
In my 27 years in the field of education, there is one responsibility for all teachers that has remained somewhat consistent throughout my career. It is the open acknowledgment that, in addition to ensuring that students learn the curricular content for any given grade level, there is also the role of creating a positive relationship with students. 
It began with humor and the connection with every student and colleague. Mr. Greg Lenn is an amazing teacher, father, husband, colleague, friend, and mentor. For over 20 years, Greg has given back to many people in his role as second grade teacher at Malone Elementary School in Prescott, Wisconsin. 
Every day, teachers connect with students, their families, administration, and the community at large. We know all too well that a lack of connection will impact the building of relationships and the learning that occurs. The reality of college teaching is that connections with students vacillate and dissipate as students earn their degree and move into the teaching profession. 
What's this?
