MenTeach E-News
August 2019
1) Men in primary schools put up with unfair comments about their health, appearance and career progress, says this teacher.
2) Inequality in day-care centres: Male educators are more likely to work temporary
3) Letter: Invitation to Participate in a Study
4) Men’s Stories: Peter Tabichi – The 2019 Global Teacher Prize winner
5) Scholarships for Minority Males in California
6) Oh Boy! Strategies for Teaching Boys in Early Childhood
7) Do boys need more male teachers?
8) Whether Charter or Public, Schools Need More Black Male Teachers
9) I’m a Black Teacher Who Works for a Black Principal. It’s Been a Game Changer
10) Encouraging More Men to Teach Elementary Education
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1) Men in primary schools put up with unfair comments about their health, appearance and career progress, says this teacher.
Being a male primary teacher can sometimes be lonely. Around one in 10 primary teachers are male and at times you can find yourself as the only man in the staff room, perhaps even the first male teacher in that school, ever. That being the case, I’m pleased to say that most of the time gender is not ultimately a factor and you don’t think about it – you just crack on, doing your job the best you can.
There have been, however, the odd occasions when either myself or other men I know have experienced what I suppose could be described as sexism, or at the very least inappropriate behaviour or comments. Before I begin, please believe me when I say that I’m not having a sense-of-humour bypass or being easily offended – I’m just reflecting on almost 10 years at the chalkface. Read the article: /node/3458
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2) Inequality in day-care centres: Male educators are more likely to work temporary
Many parents and educators want more male professionals in day-care centres and kindergartens – however, men have greater difficulty to get into daycare centers in permanent employment. This is the result of a new study of the Delta-Institute for Social – ecological research.
Accordingly, more than 90 percent of professionals are of the opinion that male educators for the development of children are important. 62 percent of all parents interviewed found that the policy should seek to attract more male educators in Kitas in Berlin. Nevertheless, only 77 percent of the respondents, male skilled workers had a permanent contract in the case of women, it was 91 percent. Read the article: /node/3459
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3) Invitation to Participate in a Study
My name is Eliza McWilliams and I am an Ed.D. candidate at Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. As part of my doctoral research, I am conducting a study on male teachers working in early childhood education (prekindergarten) in public schools. The study will focus on the problem posed by the lack of male teachers in ECE in conjunction with the need for more male teachers to serve as positive role models for young children, particularly those from fatherless households.
The study will consist of 45-minute individual interviews with male teachers currently working in prekindergarten in a public school. The interview will consist of open-ended questions that will allow me to explore your views and experiences as a male teacher working in early childhood education. I am seeking your permission to accomplish this interview at a time and location that are most convenient for you.
Read her letter: /node/3460
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4) Men’s Stories: Peter Tabichi – The 2019 Global Teacher Prize winner
Peter Tabichi is a science teacher and Franciscan Brother who gives away 80% of his monthly income to help the poor. His dedication, hard work and passionate belief in his student’s talent has led his poorly-resourced school in remote rural Kenya to emerge victorious after taking on the country’s best schools in national science competitions.
His win was announced at the Global Education and Skills Forum on 23th March 2019
Peter teaches at Keriko Mixed Day Secondary School in Pwani Village, situated in a remote, semi-arid part of Kenya’s Rift Valley. Here, students from a host of diverse cultures and religions learn in poorly equipped classrooms.
Their lives can be tough in a region where drought and famine are frequent. 95% of pupils hail from poor families, almost a third are orphans or have only one parent, and many go without food at home. Drug abuse, teenage pregnancies, dropping out early from school, young marriages and suicide are common.
Read the story and find out about award: /node/3462
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5) Scholarships for Minority Males in California – Future Minority Male Teachers of California
What is F2MTC?
The goal of the F2MTC project is to improve the pipeline for male teachers of color throughout the California State University system so that elementary age students of color will have increased numbers of males of color serving as teachers, mentors and role models, thereby helping to close the persistent achievement gap between white students and students of color. Read the article to find out about scholarships: /node/3288
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6) Oh Boy! Strategies for Teaching Boys in Early Childhood
Oh Boy! suggests that many of the struggles young boys have in our early childhood programs and schools are not simply a result of bad behavior. Rather, boys struggle because of a much more fundamental problem: a mismatch between how most young boys develop, grow, and learn, and the kinds of expectations, outcomes, activities, and discipline approaches used in programs during the early years. Buy the book: /node/3464
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7) Do boys need more male teachers?
Children may have a hard time finding a male role model to look up to in the classroom.
Statistics show women greatly outnumber men as educators, a trend that is seen in classrooms across Greater Victoria.
Dave Eberwein, superintendent of the Saanich School District, recognises that students need to be able to relate to their teachers but does not think biological sex is much of a factor. “The most important thing is having at least one adult a child can relate to, that they trust and that believes in them.”
Regarding gender, he says, “our goal is to hire the best, male or female, we are moving away from binary identity.”
In 2011, Statistics Canada published some surprising numbers regarding male and female teachers. Only 41 per cent of high school teachers, 16 per cent of all elementary teachers and three per cent of early childhood educators were men. That’s a 20 per cent average and the gap appears to be growing. Read the article: /node/3465
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8) Whether Charter or Public, Schools Need More Black Male Teachers
Throughout my career as a Black male teacher, I’ve taught in district and charter schools. While many remain determined to highlight their differences, they’re one and the same when it comes to their failure to serve Black children and their inability to attract and retain quality teachers who look like them.
Despite the fact that 6% of California’s students are African American and 54% are Latino, only 1% of teachers in the state are African American males and 20% are Latino.
While State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has noted California’s teacher shortage as a priority, he would do well to include the lack of male minority educators as both a challenge and a value-add to improving the quality of teaching and learning here.
As a Black male teacher in Oakland, I’ve experienced plenty of traumatic experiences. I’ve been through strikes, superintendent and principal transitions, the birth of a charter teacher’s union, non reelect letters, colleagues leaving their respective schools, and numerous other challenging events. All of this has lead to an increased level of despondency around our current educational model for children and teachers. Read the story: /node/3466
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9) I’m a Black Teacher Who Works for a Black Principal. It’s Been a Game Changer
I’m a black male elementary teacher, and I’ve just finished my first year working for a black principal. It’s been incredible. I’m fortunate to have worked with school leaders of all races and genders. But perhaps because of his life experiences, my current principal has a certain mix of rare qualities that have created a powerfully positive working environment for me.
It hasn’t always been that way in my teaching career. I’ve felt sidelined, misunderstood, and disrespected at some of the other schools where I’ve taught. It’s just the opposite in my new job.
The first day of our planning week last August was eye-opening. I was immediately struck by the diversity of the school faculty and staff. Each department and grade level had people from various backgrounds. People of color are a huge part of the leadership and resource teams. I had never witnessed anything close to this kind of staff makeup in my 12 years teaching. I could see that staff diversity is a key pillar for my principal in creating a healthy, equitable school culture.
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10) Encouraging More Men to Teach Elementary Education
Stephen McKinney comes from a long line of educators and advocates in North Carolina. His mother and grandmother were elementary and middle school teachers, and his sister began her first year in the classroom last fall. His father was a prominent figure in the fight for LGBTQ equality in the state and still advocates for underrepresented communities today.
After graduating with a Spanish degree from Appalachian State University, he found himself working for a medical recruitment company. That did not fulfill him. He wanted to make a difference in the lives of others, especially those in the most need. So he enrolled in the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program at the NC State College of Education with plans to teach elementary school.
When he returned to school, he found a passion for research that propels education forward. Opportunities to work as a graduate assistant with the college’s literacy initiative Wolfpack WORKS and its nationally-recognized principal preparation program The Northeast Leadership Academy inspired him to reflect on what he could contribute to the field. Read the article: /node/3471
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