The Male Teacher Biases

The process of finding a job has been a bit daunting due to the fact that I am constantly being disregarded in favor of teachers with more experience than my two years. I do feel that my recent graduation from college should give me an edge due to the fact that I have put into practice the latest trends in education. Also, a quick search on the internet for the need for male teachers in the classroom will yield many websites. Unfortunately, many elementary schools disregard male teachers unless they need one to act as a disciplinarian or other stereotypical roles.

From CS Monitor:

Liberty Jones, a fourth-grade teacher at Maplewood Elementary in Portland, Ore., supports efforts to draw more men into the teaching profession. "It's important for the same reason it's important to see women in science and engineering," she says. "It helps break the societal stereotype."
Male teachers send an important message to students, says Ms. Jones. "In my experience, moms tend to be the ones staying home or helping kids out with their homework. Having a male teacher gives students a different perspective and shows that men care about education and learning too."
"There are people who still say, 'It's so nice to have a man in the classroom,' " Nelson says. "But think about it: You wouldn't say, 'It's so nice to have an African-American in the classroom,' or 'It's great to have a Jew in the classroom.' It should be no different for men. We want teachers to be teachers and for gender not to be a factor, but until we get to that point, we have to do something about it."

I teach, because I care.