Articles
The End of the Male Teacher: Seniority Rules
More lucrative occupations, cutbacks in salaries, fear of harassment charges, and possible parent bias against them are driving men from the K-12 teaching field. But the unseen culprit in this demise could be seniority. As men retire or leave the profession their replacements may well be female elementary school teachers who have maintained their secondary […]
Read MoreMore male elementary school teachers
It’s story time in Christopher Becker’s kindergarten classroom. Becker says having a man teach kindergarten is no tall tale. “They usually assume they’re going to get a female teacher until fourth or fifth grade. Whether it’s kindergarten or fifth grade, I think males in that role are extremely important. You don’t see a whole lot […]
Read MoreMen in the classroom: Back to the basics of primary
When Henry Yahn originally wanted to go into teaching, he wanted to teach high school physical education. That’s a long way from where he is today – where he’s having not only lots of fun, but also where he’s finding lots of satisfaction. Yahn teaches Grade 1. “It’s neat to take them through (the transition),” […]
Read MoreMale teachers serving as role models at Rockford daycare centers
In a career field dominated by women, male daycare teachers are making a difference in the lives of Rockford children. Women make up 94.7 percent of all childcare workers, according to the January 2011 Household Data Annual Averages report by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. This disparity creates unique challenges for those […]
Read MoreMister Rogers viral image: The story of the boy
The boy’s name was Tommy Paulhamus. The “was” should tell you that his story does not have a happy ending. But on the day my father captured the now-iconic image of him with Mister Rogers in 1978, which was widely shared after the Newtown shootings — when he was not yet five years old, living […]
Read MoreNisswa resident one of few men in early childhood education
Bill Cruz is not your average student. In fact, he’s the exact opposite of the 19-year-old white woman that typically sits in the desk of Jeanette Rydberg’s early childhood classes. At 47, Cruz is the second man in two decades to graduate from Central Lakes College’s Early Childhood AAS program at the Brainerd campus. That’s […]
Read More