Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/male-teachers-and-gender-balance-in-early-childhood-programs/5015380/
The issue of increasing male teachers in infant, toddler, preschool, and primary classrooms deserves serious consideration. Its importance can be argued from multiple perspectives, one of which is the need for gender balance in early childhood programs. This article discusses three reasons why early childhood administrators can improve program quality by recruiting male teachers and it describes institutional barriers that exist within the female-dominated early childhood profession.Gender fair
classroom environment
Dan, a male teacher in the 2/3 continuum class, sings with his students on a daily basis. The mother of one of his students shares with him that her son has changed his attitude about singing. She states that Dan's enthusiasm for singing helped her boy feel comfortable with it.
Male teachers in early childhood classrooms can contribute to bringing about more gender balance in school settings. In time, the overall goal of a gender fair classroom can be achieved. One characteristic of a gender fair classroom is its affirmation of a range of behaviors that are acceptable for boys and for girls.
A barrier to creating gender fair classrooms is the stereotypical behaviors that are considered appropriate and inappropriate for children in the classroom. According to a study conducted by Hyun ...