Males in Early Childhood Education
Why I chose this topic...
As a male ECE major, I sometimes feel I have to defend my major and career choice.
Why this topic is important to you...
I want to be sure that you can all be informed and not stereotype your future colleagues.
Male Teachers Are Role Models
- All teachers are role models
- However, many children don't have active fathers in their lives (24 million children, or 34% - thefatherlessgeneration.wordpress.com) This is even worse for children living in poverty.
- Male teachers also show male children that the teaching profession is something that they could go into
"Some of [the kids] don't even have male role models in their lives or they don't have positive ones. . . [Teachers] are meeting their needs, their social emotional and cognitive needs, that they might not get met in any other place." (Bullough, R., 2015)
Why Men Don't Want to Teach ECE
- Not a "masculine" job
- Doesn't pay well compared to other jobs
- The "look"
The Value of Male Teachers in Elementary Schools
Start 0:55 End 1:25
References
- Bucks, J. The Value of Male Teachers in Elementary Schools. Video. 28 January 2008. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y_EABLHHUc.
- Cohen, D. (1992). Why there are so few male teachers in early grades. Education Digest, 57(6), 11. Retrieved from http://www.ebscohost.com.
- Author not listed. (2010). Statistics. The Fatherless Generation. Retrieved from https://thefatherlessgeneration.wordpress.com/statistics/
- Bullough, R. (2015). Differences? Similarities? Male teacher, female teacher: An instrumental case study of teaching in a Head Start classroom. Teaching and Teacher Education. 47. Retrieved from http://www.ebscohost.com.
- Cooney, H., Bittner, M. (2001). Men in early childhood education: Their emergent issues. Early Childhood Education Journal. 29(02). Retrieved from http://www.ebscohost.com.
- Robinson, B., Skeen, P., Coleman, T. (1984). Professionals' attitudes towards men in early childhood education: A national study. Children and Youth Services Review. 06(02). Retrieved from http://www.ebscohost.com.