MenTeach: We get numerous e-mails from men who want to teach.
For example:
“I am a male interested in becoming an elementary school special education teacher.
The main thing holding me back is a fear that I will not be able to find a job due to gender discrimination.
In your experience, do men usually have trouble securing jobs for this reason?”
What is YOUR advice to this man?
Here’s what we often share – it really depends on so many things:
First, read through the MenTeach.org website to see many of the male teachers different stories.
Second, it depends on where you live: Some states or countries need teachers and therefore they are hiring more staff. However, some states have had huge budget cuts so they aren’t hiring. So it’s a tougher market and it is often less expensive to hire a younger person (mostly women) than a person with other job experiences and credentials (mostly men).
It also depends on your attitude: I’ve met some men who come across as entitled to a job not realizing that women have struggled to get job security and have been teaching for years. I’ve met other men who are humble and very positive about teaching and their co-workers love them.
Yes! Any discrimination is wrong. At the same time, I hear from men who are absolutely shocked that someone would discriminate against THEM!
I think we men need to take notes from people who are successful and approach the bias against smarter – those successful people have been discriminated against all their lives and they still figured out how to suceed. Let’s do the same with men teaching.
Finally, teaching is an incredible profession that makes a big difference to children and families lives. There will always be challenges so do your research and then enjoy a new career.