DS asked why there aren't many male teachers

[IndigoBell]

DS2 (Y3) asked why there weren't many male teachers.

He said "Is it because women are cleverer?"

:(

I've read through all 5 pages of this thread, and looked at the reasons put here, and I'm surprised at the absence of one.

Someone put this though:
Pedophilia is virtually non-existent in women, making them lower risk for working with young children.

As children get older and go to universities, it seems like the ratio evens out. I think most men interested in teaching simply prefer to teach older students. Women interested in teaching tend to be more interested in teaching younger students.

I can't help but feel that attitudes of women towards men might be at play here. Do you think its possible that men might be being put off the profession by the lack of trust and suspicion placed upon then that perhaps they are a threat to children?

it's a tough job, not unbearably so imo
the 'service industry' aspect?
I have only worked in one school where there were more male than female teachers (primary)
I have never worked for a female HT

hmm no I think it's prestige and money

I think picking out one post in 5 pages and regarding it as representative is surprising

t's because teaching isn't a great paying job and if the male wants a home and family it just isn't going to happen unless the DP has a great paying job and is willing to stay working for the rest of her life.

Think that should be "It's"

I think one factor is that fewer men enjoy the company of small children than women.

Now whether that's nature or social conditioning is another debate, but I think it's true at the present time and would partially explain why more come back in at secondary level.

I haven't read all the replies but I wonder if they worry about what other people think.

The nursery at the infant school has a male teacher. He is absolutely brilliant and DS1 is in reception now but still loves to see him.

But a few people including XMIL said to me that they thought it was very strange for a man to want to be a nursery teacher.

I agree Kayzr. The male reception teacher that I know is brilliant, but you still get people thinking him strange. There is a huge prejudice from some people. He admits that he doesn't talk about his job down at the pub.

In the private system, prep schools often go up to 13. This is a much more conducive age for male teachers as you get proper team sports. It attracts an outdoorsy type who wants to coach rugby as well as teach maths, of which there are loads.

I think it's a shame it's 11 in the state system as I actually think it suits boys to stay at a 'junior' school for longer. At my DS's prep school there were stacks of male teachers. They mostly taught the older ones, but also did duties with the littlies sometimes and were role models for the whole school.

I find this thread quite sad

Dd1 has a female teacher and female head. They are both fantastic. There is one male teacher but I have no experience of his teaching.

As one poster said, I also work in a VERY male dominated field and I have yet to see the fact that I am of acdifferent gender be treated with such accolade.

In my experience a man just has to turn up in front of a primary school class for everyone to say he's fantastic.

Just like a man only has to change one public nappy to be super-dad!

In dc small inner city state primary half the teachers are male and they have a male HT. I think possible reasons are the HT prefers to employ males if he has candidates of equal calibre it makes for a less bitchy atmosphere and less problems with maternity leave and cover. From my observations in the workplace I think on the whole men prefer to work for men. As a lot of families in the school are headed by single mums it also benefits the kids as they get lots of male influence. HT is due to retire soon so if a female HT is appointed It would be interesting to see if the male: female staff ratio changes as a result.

more or less 50/50 split between male and female teachers where I work. If anything, there's a couple more men than women.

Heads are a married couple and we have two deputies, one male, one female.

Oh yes, those pesky women with their maternity leave.

I give up!

They are all working at this school.

I'm with you there, SEeker. People just assume because a teacher is male, he must be good at discipline and (I suspect) more intelligent and funny than a female teacher.

But in my experience, when male teachers are crap, they're really crap. And often lazy.

Though I have got to say in all honesty, that male teachers often find discipline easier than women teachers. Their voices carry further and they are often more physically imposing. Many children don't have an adult male at home, so when they hear a male voice, it's something to pay attention to a bit more, whereas unless a woman is careful, her voice may well be perceived as another "naggy" voice to ignore and roll their eyes at. I would never say this unless I knew it for sure - both DH and I are and have been teachers.

I read a piece of research a while ago that said boys tune out female teachers after about three sentences. (Much like their mums!)

It's not about male teachers being 'fantastic' imo, it's about boys having role models and influences who understand what it is to be a boy.

I agree with seeker. As a Beaver leader I had a father come and help and everyone said 'isn't x fantastic with them' , he got stuck in and he was good, however he wasn't any better than many of my mum helpers- it was just that Beavers responded well to a man-they tend to get all female leaders at that age.

Maybe male teachers like to relate to pupils more, easier to chat with sixth formers, and they are also less responsibility involved? Males are more driven by money, so to do teaching, they'd have to do it because they cared, or enjoyed it.

I believe there is the same responsibility regardless of pupil's age.

charlieks - not always, in my experience. SOme male teachers can be too aloof (it's all a bit beneath them), and others too friendly and try too hard. You're not there to be their friends.

The classroom management thing is just not the case IME. If you have to rely on being loud, then you you need to work on things I think. The tuning out thing is interesting. We are trying to cut down on teacher talk though!

I like to see men teaching not because they are better at it, but because I think that challenging stereotypes is a good thing. I teach secondary science, and as my department has become more female heavy, the number of girls opting for science a levels has gone up. Although I fear I may have an unconscious recruitment bias for clever, opinionated women...

Actually, the bias for clever teachers is very much conscious...