MenTeach E-News
May 2015
1) Georgia’s new Teacher of the Year: Former attorney looking to make lasting impact
2) College program helping African-American males become teachers
3) More men make the grade as teachers in Halifax
4) New Book: Men, Masculinities and Teaching in Early Childhood Education – International perspectives on gender and care
5) Winston-Salem State University Real Men Teach
6) Male Teachers in Estonian Schools – Who are They?
7) Column: What’s Your Icon?
8) Men in early childhood education in New Zealand
9) California is doing good stuff for men in child care
10) Men teachers in Arkansas classrooms
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1) Georgia’s new Teacher of the Year: Former attorney looking to make lasting impact
The state Department of Education announced the Georgia Teacher of the Year today.
Interesting to see that six of the 10 finalists, including the winner, are male teachers. (Nationwide, 84 percent of k-12 teachers are women.)
Here is the DOE release:
Ernest William Lee, II, an International Baccalaureate history, U.S. government and civics teacher from Windsor Forest High in Savannah, has been named the 2016 Georgia Teacher of the Year.
Mr. Lee was named the winner of the award at the annual Georgia Teacher of the Year banquet held at the James H. “Sloppy” Floyd Veterans Memorial Building in Atlanta.
As Georgia Teacher of the Year, Mr. Lee will serve as an advocate for public education in Georgia.
Mr. Lee was a lawyer for over 20 years before becoming a teacher. He also worked as an instructor for the Georgia Departments of Revenue and Human Resources, and the Technical College System of Georgia, where he operated a mobile technology training lab, developed learning protocols and curriculum and trained newly hired manufacturing plant employees for new technology positions. Read the letter: /node/2612
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2) College program helping African-American males become teachers
There is a new push from a local college to get more teachers inside local classrooms.
The “Call Me Mister” program at Edward Waters College is designed to get more African-American men in schools as teachers.
“It’s pretty much a big game-changer in my life,” said Bernard Agurs, the first “Call Me Mister”graduate.
Soon he’ll be changing the lives of students.
From mentor to certified teacher, Agurs says he learned one thing is essential.
“The need of black males in the classroom,” Agurs said. Watch the video report: /node/2614
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3) More men make the grade as teachers in Halifax
A growing number of men are opting for careers as primary school teachers, according to a Brighouse-based specialist education recruitment agency.
Latest figures from Provide Education show that 15 per cent of the teachers they now place in primary school jobs across the region are men.
The recruitment agency, which is launching its annual recruitment drive to sign up more newly qualified teachers this month, expects to see even more male primary teachers joining the profession this year. Read the article: /node/2616
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4) New Book: Men, Masculinities and Teaching in Early Childhood Education – International perspectives on gender and care
This stimulating book sets out to critically explore the notion of men, masculinities and teaching in early childhood education. It addresses the global pattern of gender, teaching and care where men are in the minority, and explores the notion that the greater involvement of men within teaching and associated professions has the potential to transform gender relations for future generations.
International contributors raise critical questions about the construction of masculinities, the continuing reluctance of men to engage in this type of work, and the influence of political and public debates on the issue. Read the summary: /node/2617
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5) Winston-Salem State University Real Men Teach
Real Men Teach (RMT) is a multifaceted academic program instituted during the 2007-2008 academic year for emerging teacher leaders. Its purpose is to attract, prepare, and encourage more young men to enter the teaching profession. Through personal professional development activities, support services, individual mentoring, exposure to the education field, and limited financial support, members of RMT are engaged in multiple experiences to maximize their academic growth and market potential. Read more about the program: /node/2619
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6) Male Teachers in Estonian Schools – Who are They?
Around 15 per cent of teachers in Estonian schools are men. This means that out of ~15,000 teachers working in Estonia, there are ~2000 men. “But why do we even need male teachers in schools?” asks a doctorate student at Tallinn University and the head of studies at Keila school, Ahti Noor.
Do we need male teachers in schools to set an example to the boys and the girls? Is it to make us feel safer? Is it to create a balance in the teacher’s room? Or is there some other reason? Decreasing the gender segregation in schools is becoming more and more of a matter of discussion.
Why are there so few male teachers? Read the story and watch a short presentation with English subtitles: /node/2624
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7) Column: What’s Your Icon?
A retired friend and colleague came to speak to a group of early childhood pre-service students about strategies that engage young children in their learning. The heart of the presentation centered around one question, “What is your icon?” This teacher was challenging these pre-service students to think about ingenious or novel strategies that they could incorporate in their teaching that would engage children. She posed the thought that perhaps their own icon or trademark could be something they would be known for and definitely something that would make them unique. Teachers acknowledge the fact that they are in competition with the fast paced and technological world and need something that will engage students in their learning. The key to choosing the right icon is that it must be an integral part of who the teacher is. Read the editorial by Dr. Jill Klefstad: /node/2629
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8) A Man in early childhood education in New Zealand
A number of years ago when I was teaching English to students of other languages in Hong Kong, I did some work for an international kindergarten. My job was to create a programme to promote language for children who were about to leave for primary school. Having taught children of all ages at primary and secondary levels, I particularly enjoyed my time with the kindergarten group and decided to pursue a career as an early childhood teacher.
I can still remember the day I walked into my first class as a student at AUT in Auckland. Initially I thought that it was the wrong class and actually walked out and asked someone if it was the midwifery section. When I walked in again I did feel a touch out of place but sat down and took a deep breath. It turned out that I was one of two men in a class of over a hundred women. The only reason I didn’t recognise the other guy was because he had long hair and got a bit lost in the crowd. As I settled into life in the campus as a male ECE student I got to know most of the women in my class and have to say that they were extremely welcoming. After a while I didn’t feel awkward or out of place at all and didn’t think of myself as anyone different. Read his story: /node/2630
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9) California is doing good stuff for men in child care
[MenTeach: Gregory has been involved in early education for many years, has written many articles and has served on the board of California AEYC].
CAEYC is doing some good stuff, the Winter/Spring 2015 edition of Connections featured three articles by men! Read the letter and get the links to his block and facebook pages: /node/2631
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10) Men teachers in Arkansas classrooms
It’s becoming rarer to find men in the classroom, especially in Arkansas. The state is ranked bottom in country for the lowest percentage of male teachers.
According to the National Education Association, male teachers make up 16 percent of Arkansas’ teachers. That’s 12 points lower than the nation’s average.
“It’s always a goal of mine to inspire more than the year before,” says Bryant High School business teacher Marc Nixon.
Education has been Nixon’s passion for the last four years, despite being a minority in the industry.
“I could go an entire day without seeing a male teacher,” says Nixon.
Read article and watch video: /node/2633
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