It’s story time in Christopher Becker’s kindergarten classroom.
Becker says having a man teach kindergarten is no tall tale.
“They usually assume they’re going to get a female teacher until fourth or fifth grade. Whether it’s kindergarten or fifth grade, I think males in that role are extremely important. You don’t see a whole lot of them,” said Becker.
The Green Bay Area Public School District says last school year it had 899 elementary school teachers. 86 of whom were male.
FOX 11 called around to other districts. Most say on average, men also make up ten percent of their elementary teachers.
Becker says though he’s one of the few male kindergarten teachers in the area, it’s a needed presence in many children’s lives.”
“In certain areas of Green Bay, the male role model is not always there and it’s really good to have somebody who can represent that male figure,” said Becker.
“At that young age it’s good for them to have another male figure in their lives and a professional one to see that there are other jobs out there and I could be a teacher when I grow up and I could change the lives of others, too,” said Tammy Vann, Early Learning Center principal.
Becker says there might be a few advantages to being a male kindergarten teacher.
“Sometimes just being a guy in a classroom you gain a little bit more respect. I can just give a glance at some students and they stop immediately,” said Becker.
But, Becker says he’s proud to be the male figure many of these children look up to.
Among all grades in Green Bay about 20 percent of classroom teachers are male. Statewide, DPI reports it’s about 25 percent.Watch the video.