This week, Washington Post education blogger Valerie Strauss featured my article, "We Need More Men Teaching our Kids," on her daily blog, The Answer Sheet. This is way cool!
In a piece called "Do We Need More Male Teachers?" she wrote, "If you believe, as I do, that teaching (and teaching well) is as important a job as any, then it is equally important that young people see both men and women actively involved."
Ms. Strauss is a veteran education reporter and her blog ranks as one of the premier education sites on the web. Needless to say, her support on this important issue is greatly appreciated!
Let's face it, dear readers, the shortage of male teachers at every level of K-12 education is not a fringe issue. Nor is it an issue that concerns only men. It is a question that strikes at the very heart of what education is about - teaching by example.
For far too long, this subject has been considered all but taboo among most education reformers. It is the elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about or recognize for what it is - a huge problem! Hopefully, this will change, sooner rather than later.
The importance of this issue can be traced in the twenty-one comments that Valerie's piece has so far received. While some argue that the gender of the teacher should not matter, most agree that the lack of male teachers is a clear and present danger to the emotional and educational health of our young people.
Several went so far as to decry the "feminization" of the classroom that has occurred as result of the shortage of male teachers.
I urge readers of this blog to read Valerie's excellent piece about this important issue on The Answer Sheet and leave a comment. (Click on the links above!) And check out the many other interesting articles that she posts on her blog every day.
I am also pleased that Valerie has invited me to write a guest blog on this issue for The Answer Sheet. I am working on this now and will let readers of this blog know when it appears. Stay tuned!
In a piece called "Do We Need More Male Teachers?" she wrote, "If you believe, as I do, that teaching (and teaching well) is as important a job as any, then it is equally important that young people see both men and women actively involved."
Ms. Strauss is a veteran education reporter and her blog ranks as one of the premier education sites on the web. Needless to say, her support on this important issue is greatly appreciated!
Let's face it, dear readers, the shortage of male teachers at every level of K-12 education is not a fringe issue. Nor is it an issue that concerns only men. It is a question that strikes at the very heart of what education is about - teaching by example.
For far too long, this subject has been considered all but taboo among most education reformers. It is the elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about or recognize for what it is - a huge problem! Hopefully, this will change, sooner rather than later.
The importance of this issue can be traced in the twenty-one comments that Valerie's piece has so far received. While some argue that the gender of the teacher should not matter, most agree that the lack of male teachers is a clear and present danger to the emotional and educational health of our young people.
Several went so far as to decry the "feminization" of the classroom that has occurred as result of the shortage of male teachers.
I urge readers of this blog to read Valerie's excellent piece about this important issue on The Answer Sheet and leave a comment. (Click on the links above!) And check out the many other interesting articles that she posts on her blog every day.
I am also pleased that Valerie has invited me to write a guest blog on this issue for The Answer Sheet. I am working on this now and will let readers of this blog know when it appears. Stay tuned!
5 comments:
Congratulations for the invitation Mr. Magg! I'm glad that the Washington Post finally highlighted this issue because people need to know about it. Students need to have both men and women teaching them so they can see the different styles themselves. Some students might hate having all men teachers, while some others might hate having all women teachers. So its good to always have an equal mix in our schools today.
Congratulations!
I'm glad your article got featured and is getting more attention. I have not thought about shortage of male teachers in schools until we wrote about it for our quick write. It was only after you mentioned it that thi issue came to my attention and I formed an opinion on it. (Nice elephant symbolism!)I do believe more male teachers will create an environment with equal opportunity for kids to learn by example from both men and female teachers.
I'll stay tuned for the guest blog you're working on!
Congrats on your article being featured, Mr. Magg!
Basically, I feel that we need more male teachers because most of the female teachers that i have had in the past years usually prefer the female students and feel that they are smarter and more organized when that is not always the case. Male teachers, I think, tend not to bias as much because they are respectful to females and they understand the boy's perspective as well.
Congrats Mr. Magg!
I agree we, we do need more male teacher. I have noticed a lot of women teachers appeal more to the girl aspect of learning, what about the guys? The more male teachers we have the less of the stereotype it is that all teachers are girls.
Matthew Kim 7th pd.
I concure with your statement of the president not joining in "on the fight." All the promises that he spoke of now seems like a big hype that just helped himself get into office. Also teachers do deserve the extra pay and respect they work for. With stress and all the papers to grade, teaching can be one hard job. For that all teachers should recieve a higher pay as a little thank you from all the generations that you helped succeed and learn.
Matthew Kim 7th pd.
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