I had male teachers in 2nd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, 6th grade, and in math, science, TAG, and wood shop in middle school. I had some others in high school, including two English teachers, computer science, and most other phys. ed. or math and science classes.Missing Male Teachers
Listen to this 'Talk of the Nation' topic
When you were in elementary school, did you see many male teachers? I could've counted the Mr.'s at my elementary school before I even started kindergarten -- 1, 2 (hi, Mr. Barnett and Mr. Heck*!). Turns out, according to the National Education Association, merely 9 percent of elementary school teachers are men. Boston Globe columnist Derrick Z. Jackson sees those few male faces, and sees a problem. He had male teachers in the 3rd and 5th grades, and saw in them some differences in instruction style that he'd hate to have grown up without. Did you have any male teachers in elementary school? Did you learn differently from them?*Note to Mr. Heck: You'd be so proud of me. Remember how you used to always dump my messy desk? I can't say I learned anything from that weekly routine -- you should see my desk now!
I guess my experience is unusual.
One in particular left a lasting influence, Mr. Carter, my 4th grade teacher. He saw that three of us were way ahead of the other kids and generally bored, so he got us 5th grade work, then 6th grade (for which he had to drive 15 miles) and so on, until the year was over. He was fired after that year for mentioning in class that it's a crime that his 22 year old son, who worked in a wood mill, made more money than any of the teachers in that small school.
Too bad, he was one of the good ones.
I can't say that my life would have been different if those teachers had been women, but they represented to me the idea that men could be interested in education and learning, and that in itself helped shape my life.
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