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Another first year male teacher's struggles

[MenTeach: We wanted to share this letter with everyone. Some of these challenges are faced by all first year teachers AND some are unique challenges for male teachers.]

I did not realize how political the public school game is! I just want to learn how to be a great teacher. I have people here that I feel are not really out for my best interest.

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Male instructors rare

Cathy Hayden

Jim Smallwood and Bill Hardin are rarities.

The two men, both social studies teachers at Byram Middle School, are the only male instructors many of their students have ever had.

They're in short supply nationwide, but even more so in Mississippi. New 2005 data compiled by the National Education Association show Mississippi has the lowest percentage of male teachers in the country.

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Schools see shortage of male teachers

Sarah Hinckley - Herald Staff

After 20 years of working with cows, Rick Beal decided to take on a different animal: kindergarten students.

In his second year at Northeast Elementary School, Beal is one of seven full-time elementary male teachers out of 61 total — 11.5 percent — within the Rutland City public schools.

Statewide, men fill 13 percent of the full-time kindergarten to sixth-grade teaching positions.

Read more.

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Determined to succeed - #8

[MenTeach Note: We've asked a man who just finished his teaching program to write about his teaching job. This was the last post we received of The New Kids e-mails. He said that he was leaving the school and was going to look for another teaching job in another state. We hope we'll hear from him again to find out what happened.]

South Carolina Teacher accused of having classmates stomp on another child's foot

[MenTeach is often contacted about false allegations. This is one's man's story. He asked that his name remain confidential.]

I didn't get a lawyer but if I had it to do over again, at first hint of an allegation, I would have gotten the best lawyer in the city to hunt down the two mothers who had personal vendettas against me and decided to concoct this (almost) career shattering allegation.