No I don't think the new TA is 'wonderful' because he has an 'XY chromosome' [titled edited by MNHQ]

[dayshiftdoris]

Just that really...

Son has a new TA at school and I am becoming increasingly.... bemused I think by the comments about why the other think it's the best thing that's ever happened to my son...

'Being a man it changes the dynamic'
'He has that, you know... male presence'

And my personal favourite so far...
'He has that strong authoritative male voice'

Now this TA is great but it's early days and everyone is great at this stage but I have never experienced such expression of positivity about previous female TAs from staff

All of the people saying it are women - sensible, intelligent women who clearly see absolutely nothing wrong with it as they gush (literally falling over their words) this at me in front of their head
Interestingly the head doesn't join in and does not catch my eye when this is being said
For what it's worth he's had male teachers previously (and we had similar gushing) and he's never been hugely bothered. The best relationship he has was with the tiniest, most petite female you ever did see

Am I wrong in thinking that this TA will be either good or not, based purely on his personality and his skills as a TA and not just because he has a penis?
Similarly a female's natural maternal attributes are irrelevant too

I am not angry about this - bemused is the right word. The biggest issue I have is that I am likely to say something 'witty' in response when they are deadly serious...
(Wouldn't be the first time)

I'd love a male TA at primary or a male dinner supervisor for the simple reason the only male there is the HT.

As the mother of DDs I'd like them to see men not only as the boss, but as the cooks, cleaners and supporting players.

TBH, just had parents' eve for DS(13) and found all the male teachers to be astoundingly weird, without exception. One spoke to me the whole time with his eyes closed, one stank, one made me wait a whole 3 minutes at his desk because I was early (but he didn't have anyone with him at the time) and another flirted with me. The only normal part of the evening was when I was talking to the female teachers. I do believe, and have done for a long time, that male teachers are just on one big power trip.

I know that you rarely do a second post on any thread that you post on, but I will try.
In what way do you think that they are on one big power trip? Where is their power?

ok, so suppose a school has a high percentage of black children and an all white staff.Would you be offended by a parent saying how they were pleased a black teacher had joined the staff?

Tiramusu

That's absolute nonsense - both that I never post more than once on a thread and that I think they are on a power trip...

I don't see how I can respond to you without you turning it into some non-issue

Ahh you are talking to LaGuardia...

Apologies

LaGuardia Maybe the teacher who kept you waiting for three minutes was in turn waiting for the parents before you to turn up.
I find your comment about male teachers being on a power trip quite strange. Do you dislike men in general?

I think LaGuardia just likes to stir.
I dont take anything she says seriously any more.

I actually think that she just makes things up tbh.

Nocomet yes agree with you. my dss benefitted from makes in the first school/middle school environment too. and as you say not just as the HT but in the 'lesser' roles too.

LaGuardia sounds like your ds is at a strange school, my dss and dds have had some fantastic teachers of both sexes and some crap ones of both sexes. mostly fantastic though.

What monicalewinski says - and how come men in a minority in a job are getting fasttracked, when women in a minority in a job often get overlooked? No one looks at me and treats me like a hero.

I don't know about men in primary teaching so much, but I do know a fair bit about women in IT, and we shouldn't just accept that men choose not to go into primary teaching, but look at the reasons why they make that choice. Many women choose not to go into IT or don't stay in IT because in many work environments, there's ongoing, low-level sexism, and they get tired of having to fight that much harder for promotions and to prove themselves than their male colleagues do. Lots of girls simply don't consider IT as a career, regardless of whether they have just as much opportunity as boys to do so.

There will presumably be different reasons why men choose not to go into primary teaching, but we shouldn't just accept that without having some idea of the reasons why it is so.

Yanbu - I'm always amazed when women assume a male nursery worker/TA will be the best thing that ever happened, almost as if women are boring & inconsequential.

Of course men are a minority in primary schools because they don't want to work there. And women are in a minority in some professions because of a big secret conspiracy by the patriarchy. That's just common sense (if you spend all day working yourself into a frenzy reading wacky mumsnet posts).

Have any of you read the thread where the op is extremely concerned that there is a young male working at her sons nursery?
He is new, she hasn't even met him (her Dh told her), but she is extremely disturbed by this.
Maybe this is the reason there are so few men working in early years education.

I apologise for my last post. I can see that it really has very little to do with the thread. Just ignore me please .