The little comic strip posted at: https://www.menteach.org/news, left me feeling slightly less alone.
I am heart broken by the caution line I feel I have to walk because I am a man in a woman dominated field. Often feeling sad or concerned when my director or some approach me about my voice, how I speak, low and often louder than most. I always feel like I have to think before I act, evaluating my actions to make other people comfortable around me.
On a more heartaching note, when I get a strange look or someone visiting the school looks at me and then asks someone: “oh, is this one of your groundskeepers?”
I have always wanted a male role model to help guide me, someone who worked in the same field and classroom settings as I.
But the best I have had is to BE the role model to others for short terms in my teaching career.
Chris
[MenTeach: In a later e-mail]
I emailed an old professor the other day. She is helping put together some support and I will be taking a class with her this summer which addresses some of these issues.
I know I am not alone but I do not think the teachers or directors at my school fully understand my feelings or concerns, it is an all girls school after kindergarten with no other male faculty except me for the first two divisions.