Lack of male teachers.

[AeneasBK]

Pastoral care is a major component,

As a teacher do you feel this is "what you signed up for" or part of what attracted you in the first place? Out of interest...

[Deleted]

As a teacher do you feel this is "what you signed up for" or part of what attracted you in the first place? Out of interest...

Both. I quite enjoy helping people learn (or learn to learn) and I want my students to feel safe and happy in my class. That is hampered by my necessity to keep a paper trail of discussions with students and having to immediately hand off most discussions to the counselor. Realistically this handing off results in students never discussing the issue with an adult.

I also think that if you're going to be a teacher you should be aware of the pastoral role. Teachers who do claim they didn't sign up for it didn't really understand the profession.

[AeneasBK]

Both. I quite enjoy helping people learn (or learn to learn) and I want my students to feel safe and happy in my class. That is hampered by my necessity to keep a paper trail of discussions with students and having to immediately hand off most discussions to the counselor. Realistically this handing off results in students never discussing the issue with an adult.

I also think that if you're going to be a teacher you should be aware of the pastoral role. Teachers who do claim they didn't sign up for it didn't really understand the profession.

That I think is the *real* problem, not so much that theres an extra-curricular, mentor/role model/influence aspect, but that you're not given the freedom to carry that out and there are too many people involved. I don't know. I hear all the shit my friends who are teachers have to deal with outsie the classroom and it puts me off. 1 on 1 tuition might suit me better but I lack qualifications for that :P

[Deleted]

The ratio is even worse the younger you go, at pre-school level where I've been working mostly, last 2 places have had over 20 employees, with me being the only male.

[FathomFear]

I'm curious to hear opinions on the dramatic lack of male teachers in Western nations.

I think gender stereotypes do a lot here. Teaching is seen as a caring/nurturing kind of profession. I think that pushes away guys. And on top of that, it's not really a high-paying job either.

You do tend to see a much more even split at the university level though.

[Deleted]

I feel like every newly qualified teacher here in Denmark is male.

But it's so lame that they have to be stigmatized. Some new kindergartens here are made in a way so that there are no rooms for the teachers to be alone with a child in. Everybody needs to be able to see everybody all the time. Some have made the rule that men can't help children to the toilet. Really?

[Deleted]

Dutchie here... In my elementary and middle school I'd say it was a very even distribution of male and female teachers, and I think there's even a bit more men than women teaching at the university (for my study at least). Ofcourse, that's just anecdotal evidence!

[Underverse]

College has tons of male teachers....but I guess that's a lil different

I would say that the male teachers I had in high school, middle school etc were much more influential on my education. And there does seem to be way more female than male teachers, and I think that's kind of sad. And you're right to say that there is that underlying fear/suspicion that exists only on the basis of being male.

Although I do think FathomFear is right to say that teaching is a more nurturing profession, and would tend to tip the scales

[Steamfrog]

Why there's a lack of male teachers is hard to answer. But I'll mention a few factors that I think could be a part of the reason. First of all it's the salary. For both men and women making a lot of money seem to be the deciding factor in making a career choice. In my experience men seem to prioritize this more then women. Second I think the fact that there's a lack of male teachers in most schools makes it a less attractive choice for men. When there's a clear difference in men to women ratio at a school it will colour the environment at that particular school. And trying to establish yourself in a female dominated environment might be more difficult for a new male teacher then a woman. And the stigma of being a male teacher might scare of a few as well. This is of course just speculations from my part and something I've observed as a future teacher! Oh and btw, teaching is awesome!

[Deleted]

College has tons of male teachers....but I guess that's a lil different

I would say that the male teachers I had in high school, middle school etc were much more influential on my education. And there does seem to be way more female than male teachers, and I think that's kind of sad. And you're right to say that there is that underlying fear/suspicion that exists only on the basis of being male.

Although I do think FathomFear is right to say that teaching is a more nurturing profession, and would tend to tip the scales

One of the major downsides of so few male teachers is in relation to role models. Many cursory studies look at how a lack of male role models affect students coming from single mother families. The reality is that most single parent families are headed by a female parent, due again to our presumptions on gender roles.

For many of my students I might be the only adult male that takes any interest in how they are doing. That's a pretty big responsibility to be honest, one I feel at odds with getting involved with considering how it might appear to outside observation.

[Deleted]

For one thing, extremely low job security. All it takes is one over dramatic teenage girl spreading rumors because she doesn't like the grade she got or w/e and the administration will kick the teacher to the curb rather than even entertain the NOTION of a lawsuit.

Actually it's extremely hard to fire a permanent teacher from their position. Also most nations have a 3 year contract policy, after three years they must either hire you on full time or let you go. Most teacher refuse to work for schools that do the latter.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

I'm actually going to be a teacher assist not full time teacher. Not sure that's what I want to do.

[starlord]

probably because its low pay and considered a "low status" job. those are typically female dominated areas (except for heavy manual labor) afaik.

[Deleted]

I'm actually going to be a teacher assist not full time teacher. Not sure that's what I want to do.

Are you a qualified teacher? Many male teachers I know have had to go into S&A work just to get a job.

---------- Post added 2013-03-31 at 10:57 PM ----------

probably because its low pay and considered a "low status" job. those are typically female dominated areas (except for heavy manual labor) afaik.

Female dominated sectors are not characterized by low pay and status. They're characterized by flexibility and family orientated values, which coincide nicely with teaching. Male dominated sectors are typically more demanding on time and have higher economic benefits as a direct result.

[Sharde]

don't know stats for germany but i had allmost exclusively male teachers.

elementary school 2 years male 2 years female

after that allmost every subject was tought by men. besides some years german classes, latin, religion and some years sports an history.

and it were not only my schools. my sisters had mostly male teachers too. the same for my cousins. male teachers seem to be far in the majority in germany it seems. don't know why it is so different compared to other countries. i never heard anything involving indecent behavior on the teachers side in my schools. they were pretty much all really cool guys who would pass a round for everyone when we were sitting in a bar on fieldtrips.

the american paranoia about everything is allmost hillarious if it weren't so sad ...

[yetgdhfgh]

You would have to be insane to be a male teacher

All it would take is some smart assed kid to point the finger of molestation and your fucked!

Which is a travesty cause young males need strong positive male role models and they just aint getting them

[NewOrleansTrolley]

<-- male elementary school teacher in the US.

Being male or female rarely has an effect on the quality of teaching. There are going to be differences, of course. Female teachers typically (as in: likely) like writing more and male teachers typically like science and math more. Kids often pick up their teachers' interests and dislikes as well. Funnily enough (not a word), I didn't even know I liked math and science. It just gravitated towards me.

The way I see it, don't pressure it. If it happens, it happens. We should just go with whoever is more qualified. Incidentally, the whole maternal argument, I won't lie. For every maternal female teacher I've seen, there were three with no maternal character traits at well. (Not unless you consider texting or following someone on twitter maternal). While males also are supposed to have better classroom control, I've seen a few male teachers with none of it.

This is one of those things where you should just let it ride and see.

[Deleted]

I know, I have experienced it first had.

Working to be a teacher.

[Deleted]

I know, I have experienced it first had.

Working to be a teacher.

What's the makeup of your peer group in training? Mine was about 90% female for high school teaching.

[Deleted]

What's the makeup of your peer group in training? Mine was about 90% female for high school teaching.

In training our ratio was at kindergarten level about that 90% female. In actual work environment it's even higher.