In praise of male nursery teachers/nurses.

[Posey]

Ds started nursery, attached to school, last September. Settled fine, no probs, but just a little gentle I guess and very girl orientated.
After Christmas there was a big staff reshuffle, and now there is a male teacher, 2 female nursery nurses, and a male student. And the difference in the place is amazing. The balance of staff is wonderful, nearly all the mums think it is so much better, the teacher is a bit of a lad who lets the boys do a bit more boyish stuff iyswim. For instance, in the nursery playground is a bench thing, maybe50cm off the ground. The boys were climbing on to it, and instead of telling them to get down, he decided to let them do it, and jump down, but in a controlled and orderly fashion.
He uses a lot of humour and a lot of the boys are thriving. My dh thinks he's fab!
So for anyone who may be apprehensive about a male nursery teacher, give it a fair chance, you may be surprised.

And for anyone who thinks I'm putting down female nursery teachers, I most certainly am not (I am one!)

[Anchovy]

My DS is in Reception and they have a male teaching assistant who is lovely. He is in his mid-late 20's and the boys absolutely ADORE him. He is very funny with them and allows them to be quite physical - when we had the snow recently he was very into snow ball fights etc. (The children filled his pockets with snow which he didn't find out till much later and he actually thought was very funny. He lets the children call him funny names in the playground, but they have to call him Mr X in the classroom.

He is quite "bloke-y", but I saw him last year at the Nursery/Reception Christmas party cuddling the ones who were crying becaue they didn't win the games and he very sensitive with them as well.

[Posey]

You're right to mention the sensitivity bit too. When ds was a bit wobbly for a couple of days, it was this teacher that I handed ds over to as I crept out the door and he was brilliant at getting him going.

[karenjane]

My daughter goes to a nursery attached to school and it has a male nursery assistant.
I was a bit apprehensive at first as I know a lot of little girls can be a bit shy around strange men but he's fantastic and all the kids love him.

He's a great asset to the nursery and I think it's very important to have a member of each sex looking after the children.

[frances5]

Little boys need male role models. My son doesnt have any men at his school, but he does have a made gymnastics teacher.

Prehaps the salaries and prospects of nursery/ primary school teachers need to be raised to attract more men.

[Greensleeves]

"Prehaps the salaries and prospects of nursery/ primary school teachers need to be raised to attract more men."

God, that's depressing

[southeastastra]

it is

we have more boys now working with us on playschemes. it's great!

[Greensleeves]

ds1 has a male (acting) headteacher at nursery. He is a lovely man, wonderful with the children, gentle but not a pushover. I do think he is an extra asset to the nursery, although all the other (female) teachers are great too. It's a pity he won't be there much longer.

[Anchovy]

"Prehaps the salaries and prospects of nursery/ primary school teachers need to be raised to attract more men."

God, that's depressing"

It is, isn't it. When I was looking round schools for DS the headmistress at a local well regarded private school said that they simply couldn't get male teachers, and that we shouldn't make it a criteria for choosing the school.

Interestingly at DS's school about 35% of the teaching staff are male, so I think there was a degree of self interest in what she said! Also some male teachers in "non traditional" roles - music, library, teaching assistant etc.

I think it is excellent to have a balance of male & female roles.

[GrumpyOldHorsewoman]

I don't think it is only boys who need male role models. I have two DDs, and like the fact that both of them have male teachers at school. I don't want a gender imbalance in any aspect of life to affect the way they view the world as they grow up.

[Anchovy]

GOH - completely agree.

[Greensleeves]

So true GOH, it's just as important for girls to see men in teaching and childcare.

[motherinferior]

DD1's reception/Y1 class teacher is a bloke. All the nursery kids cry if they think they're not going to get him next year. I don't blame them - he's quite lovely.

My nephew had a fab keyworker at nursery who was this Geordie bloke with tattoos and earrings. They all loved him too.

[misdee]

dd2 thinks her nursery teacher is a bloke, does that count?

[Tatat]

I had quite a crush on ds's nursery keyworker for a while even though he is 10 years my junior. God I was well turned out when I arrived at nursery for those few weeks

[Rantum]

I loved my first ever male teacher when I was 8, but didn't have a crush on him at all. He was just so nice, and he had a knack for being firm but fair - I don't know that it was his gender that made him that way, but after only having female teachers it WAS different to have a male teacher!