MALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

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Home : 2003 : January : 4

MALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS
By Roberto Espigadera

Some of the very best elementary school teachers are MALE because we men could earn higher salaries/benefits, etc. elsewhere, but WE CHOICE to teach the little ones (Who seem to become much bigger ones while they are in
class!). I taught both high school and elementary school (different years) and am now retired, but I return to teaching from time to time----I am still certified and keep it up, too. While teaching in one elementary for sixteen years, I was the ONLY MALE, regular-classroom teacher in that Polk County,Florida school. Here, most of our elementary schools are all female-staffed, huring

the boys. Some female administrators brag that two men work at their school....a p.e.coach and a male custodian. The politics and abuse that some female administrator present men with is unbelieveable. " There would be no problem if you were a woman." one female administrator told me. Although plenty of extremely-qualified, MALE elementary school teachers do apply, few are called-in for interviews....almost always the female teachers are hired for the elementary schools. I taught first grade for several years, dong an excellent job.....later, I taught fourth grade for almost two decades...enjoyed every minute of the actual teaching part. The politics and resentment which came my way were unbelieveable. My classroom almost always won parent/teacher meetings, economic EXPO---COUNTYWIDE, classroom school attendance (one month was 98%! a record!)...we won fundraisers, too, although I secretly do not believe in such!!!! My student's enthusiasm and energy motivated me to arrive early each day, thrilled with my students' learning. My students often saw their writings/creations published locally and sometimes nationally. Female, elementary school administrators need to PROACTIVELY RECRUIT and hire more, MALE, academic, elementary school teachers because, just in our county, many boys, coming from single, female-parent homes, have NEVER seen a MAN read anything until those boys enter our middleschools which hire plenty of men. I have always enjoyed working with children...who are actually just little people with BIG minds and interests. Such a privilege for me with worth more than any paycheck. I prefer to teach elementary children rather than high school students. Middleschool students are lots of fun to teach, too.