Editorials
Manning up for men: Recruitment and retention in the early childhood field
The early childhood care and education field tends to be no man’s land. Nationwide, a meager 3.2 percent of ECE and kindergarten teachers are men, and 44 percent of them leave the field within five years.1 Roadblocks to men teaching young children include rigid ideas about gender roles, perceptions of ECE as a low-prestige job, […]
Read MoreEditorial: Why You Shouldn’t Overlook Hiring a Male Babysitter
If you haven’t yet tried a “mitter,” a.k.a. a male babysitter, you might be missing out on valuable childcare and a refreshing change of pace for your kids. Although babysitting has come to be viewed as a female-dominated domain, there’s no reason to think that women will take better care of your kids than men. […]
Read MoreEditorial: Irish Teacher – We’ll change nothing if we don’t start working on our ordinary men
It was International Women’s Day this week. I wish we’d spent more of it talking about men. If you want more light in a room, you don’t discuss the light, you consider extending your windows. The same applies to gender equality. To create a better world for women we need to talk about men. The […]
Read MoreBlack Boys Need Black Men in the Classroom
The experiences we have in childhood often impact the lives we live. I know that one such experience altered the trajectory of mine, fueling two passions – my love of teaching and my love for animals. It happened decades ago at Kester Avenue Elementary School while I was a student. More than twenty years have […]
Read MoreEight-year-old author takes other children on an adventure of a lifetime
While the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged our world in 2021, Praise B. Nelson gained a new appreciation for animal companionships and deepened the relationship with her German Shepherd Dog friend (Aslan). Lockdowns also gave her new appreciation for friendships because she missed going on adventures with friends. Having lost two beloved aunts that year (non-Covid related), Praise had […]
Read MoreEditorial: “Time Flies When You Are Having Fun.”
“Time flies when you are having fun.” My teaching career began in a kindergarten classroom in 1980 in a small rural town. I remember loving everything about teaching: the children, the families, my colleagues, and the sense of accomplishment. The years passed quickly providing opportunities that I never had imagined and embracing them all without […]
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