Letters

I am a few weeks away from my initial thesis submission titled, Understanding the role of male elementary school teachers in the social development of children raised by single-mothers in the Jewish community of Montreal, Canada.

It is a topic that has not received much attention. Sure, there is a concern for why men leave the teaching profession, and why there are so few, but what impact do they have on children in today's contemporary society? This is the area I chose to study as a male elementary school teacher myself.

Here is the abstract:

I am a teacher (12 years) who has taken some time away to complete my PhD.

I am looking at teaching and men and was wondering if you would consider including a link to my website and on-line survey on your site. Please check the site out at : www.teachingmen.com.au

Thanks, I look forward to hearing from you.

Ian Davis
Griffith Institute for Educational Research

One of our readers, Ricky Lobo, had some more film suggestions.

What do you think? Do you have some favorites?

"Coach Carter" starring Samuel L. Jackson
"Dangerous Minds" starring Michelle pfeiffer
"The Substitute" starring Tom Berenger
"Freedom Writers" starring Hillary Swank
"An Officer and A Gentleman" starring Richard Gere

[MenTeach: We've been asked to remove any identifying information from this article because the teacher - two and a half years later - is having a difficult time securing a job and our article comes up in the search. The hopeful part is that so many parents value and appreciate him. The important part is reading how a single administrator can welcome or reject having men teaching our children.]

I am a teacher that is in this story.

"Goodnight Mister Tom" is a 'masterpiece theatre' production originally aired, I believe, on public television (circa 2005). Based on Michelle Margorian's novel (winner of the 1982 IRA Children's Book Award), by the same name, this story centers on a somewhat bedraggled, single, and sour-aged man.

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Hello!

I'm a male going into Elementary Education! I had begun my student teaching last fall and had a very bad experience with a college evaluator who was very critical and unsupportive of my work. My evaluator treated me unfairly it seemed compared to the rest of the female student teachers whom she was in charge of as well.
 
Going into the field of elementary education which is dominated by females wasn't an issue for me at first because of my passion for teaching and the joy I believed that would come from being a successful teacher.
 

I would like to add "Good Will Hunting" (1998) and "Finding Forrester" (2001) to your list of films portraying male teachers as role models.

I am a male teacher and I just want to thank you for your web site. It is nice to see.

I do have my administrators license and the last interview I went on, it seemed like I had the job but the last comment made to me... (in a "off the record" kind of way) was, "I am not sure I want to be the one to hire a male as an administrator."

So there you have it and that is a sad statement about how women are viewing men in elementary schools. I guess the pendulum has swung?

All the best,

Jon

[MenTeach: There has been a discussion about the article below on the ECEMen's List about whether the research about father's applies to male teachers? What do you think?]

Just finished the most wonderful gathering of the MECE group ever held by me in Canada. Thanks to the huge draw that Frances Carlson was, we had a group of over 25 people come to a meeting at my centre tonight.

[MenTeach.org: We receive many replies to the monthly E-News and this month someone wanted to point something out that could be misleading.]

The Department of Labor Statistics are misleading for men, particularly Black men.

Did you know Black men make up 1% of elementary school teachers in America.

The statistics lump men and women together. Time to be real on this fact!

MenTeach replies:

My name is Richard Patterson. I am currently a Graduate Student of The University of North Dakota.

To fulfill the requirements of my course work I am conducting a research study to identify perceptions and barriers that male educators working in early childhood education face. You are being invited to participate in a research study because you are a pre-service or in service educator, parent or guardian.

I spoke with you a little over a year ago regarding a legal matter I was facing in Illinois. To briefly recap, it was a case involving allegations when I was a substitute/interim teacher in which some students alleged I had touched or rubbed their back (Read his previous published letter).

I recently read your article on MSN News. I am a late middle aged male middle school teacher (2nd career) with tenure in a large Urban district; 7 years experience; husband of a veteran teacher; I lead my middle school in TVASS test gains for subjects taught; also a Union member. Impeccable employment record and without any blemishes or criminal history.