MenTeach E-News
May 2010
1) Men in your teacher preparation program: five strategies to recruit & retain them
2) Survey of male early childhood and elementary teachers (PK-5)
3) Literacy project offers scholarship money to put men in classrooms
4) 90% of Korean Teachers Back Quota for Male Teachers
5) Male teachers in the Philippines
6) Married to a man teaching in early childhood
7) Male teacher sessions aim to cut severe shortage of positive male role models
8) Male teacher makes a difference in West Indies
9) Alternative Teacher Certification Programs Report Success Recruiting Men
10) Recruiting and supporting women teachers – A global perspective
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1) Men in your teacher preparation program: five strategies to recruit & retain them
Juan enrolled in his local university after serving in Afghanistan as a young Marine. As a veteran he qualified for a scholarship and began his studies as a business major. After a semester, Juan felt dissatisfied with his choice. Remembering how much he enjoyed coaching children in sports, Juan thought that perhaps teaching would be similarly rewarding. He decided to make the switch to education.
On the first day of classes at the school of education, he found himself in a sea of women, including his professors. He liked the program and learning more about children, but as one of only a few men in his classes, Juan felt isolated. Although the women were friendly, he often found himself feeling impatient with the way they discussed topics. Juan’s family and friends were supportive; however, they questioned his career choice of working with young children. Read the article: /node/1395
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2) Survey of male early childhood and elementary teachers (PK-5)
I am enclosing a short survey and introduction letter for our study of male early and elementary school teachers. If you have previously taught those levels or know someone who does or did we would appreciate your assistance in forwarding this request to them or filling out the survey yourself. This is a nationwide undertaking examining issues, if there are any, surrounding male teachers. Download the survey: /node/1374
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3) Literacy project offers scholarship money to put men in classrooms
First-grade students’ reading skills would improve and high-poverty schools would employ more minority teachers with graduate degrees if a new partnership between the Charleston County School District and the College of Charleston works out the way officials say it will. The Literacy Intern Project is the latest in the school district’s efforts to focus on literacy and ensure its students learn fundamental reading skills before going to middle and high school.
An analysis prompted by The Post and Courier showed that one out of five incoming freshmen in Charleston County reads at a fourth-grade level or worse. The new initiative targets men and racial minorities who are interested in earning a Master of Arts in teaching, but anyone interested in the program can apply. Those accepted would be assigned to a first-grade classroom in a high-poverty elementary school to work with an experienced, high-quality teacher. Read the rest of the article: /node/1378
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4) 90% of Korean Teachers Back Quota for Male Teachers
Nearly 90 percent of elementary and secondary schoolteachers in a selective survey said schools should establish a quota for male teachers to correct the gender imbalance.
The Korean Federation of Teachers’ Associations (KFTA) surveyed a total of 549 teachers; 433 males and 116 females across the nation between July 3 and 6. Most of the respondents replied that they face some problems in teaching and counseling students due to the lack of male teachers.
A total of 89.3 percent said schools need to set up a quota for male teachers to keep the ratio of female teachers from exceeding more than 70 percent. It marks a sharp increase from 62.8 percent in 2007 survey. Read the entire article: /node/1379
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5) Male teachers in the Philippines
In the last Licensure Examinations for Teachers (LET), a total of 26,812 took the elementary level test while 23,975 took the secondary level exam. Only one male examinee — Gian Carlo Auxilian, a graduate of St. Anthony’s College in Antique–made it to the top 10 in the elementary level. In the secondary level, 11 of the 25 topnotchers were men, including Benedict Barayuga of Central Luzon University and Gerard Vincent Mendoza of the University of the Philippines-Diliman who tied for first place. Out of the total 50,787 who took the April LET, 3,458 men passed the test or 25.8 percent of the total passers of 13,384. More men passed the high school test, 2,194 or 37.09 percent of the total passers in that level — compared to the 1,264 or 16.9 percent of total passers in the elementary level. Read the article: /node/1384
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6) Married to a man teaching in early childhood
My friend recently came to visit and lend a hand with the birth of our new son. As we sat in the midst of diapers, toys and dirty clothes, we said our good-byes as my husband and daughter headed toward the door to go to preschool. My husband, with a guitar on his back, adjusted our four-year-old daughter’s piggy-tail one last time and bent down to fix her shoe.
As we listened to the two get in the car and drive away, my friend sighed and stated that I live a charmed life. I laughed and then quickly agreed. Being married to a preschool teacher wasn’t something I imagined for myself. I don’t think it is because I particularly disliked male preschool teachers, it is more likely that I never knew one until I met Mr. Ben. Read the rest of her story: /node/1385
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7) Male teacher sessions aim to cut severe shortage of positive male role models in schools
A campaign was launched to encourage more men to become primary school teachers to counteract the shortage of male role models in schools. The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) has organised events in schools around the country. Hundreds of men will attend the sessions in which school staff will talk about why they should join the profession. In the past year there has been an increase in men inquiring about teaching in primary schools; this may be due to the fall out from the credit crunch, with many men looking to switch to a more secure profession. Around thirty per cent more men have enquired about primary school teaching. One in five teaching course applications were from men, while the number accepted on courses has risen from 15 per cent to 18 percent. Read the article: /node/1393
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8) Male teacher makes a difference in West Indies
With the absence of men in most households in Jamaica, Kayson Jones said a male teacher was very important in his mentoring process. ‘I find that the children (boys) are excited to have a male role model, someone they can talk to, someone who look like them, someone who smell like them,’ said the educator. Jones was accustomed to wearing light-coloured clothing to school. However, he avoids wearing them now. ‘(Because) as soon as I enter the school, they run to me and grab me,’ said Jones. Read the article: /node/1373
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9) Alternative Teacher Certification Programs Report Success Recruiting Men
According to Vicky Dill, who was involved in the early stages of development of alternative teacher certification programs in Texas, the programs have met with a great deal of success. In fact, during the first year the program was put in place in Houston, 6,000 people applied to participate. At first, those involved with the program were concerned that the large number of applicants as due to a poor economy. It didn’t take long, however, to find that most of those applying for the program were mostly interested in giving back to society or they had previously had higher paying jobs and could now afford to be a teacher. Furthermore, even as the economy improved in Texas, the number of applicants did not shrink by a significant margin. Read the entire story: /node/1396
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10) Recruiting and supporting women teachers – A global perspective
[MenTeach: Almost all of the information we provide is about recruiting and retaining male teachers. This article provides a global perspective about the need to recruit female teachers.]
In many emergency situations, it is easier to recruit male teachers than women, and unless specific measures are taken, this can mean that schools are dominated by male teachers and administrators. Although male teachers may be very supportive of girls’ education, and may pose no specific barrier to girls’ enrollment in some contexts, in others, the dominance of male teachers can create learning environments which meet the learning, social and emotional needs of boys, but are not very supportive for girls. In some communities, especially conservative ones, if there are no female teachers at all, parents are unlikely to send their daughters to school. Read the full article: /node/1397
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