Adventures in Learning

bloomingtogether:

grayer:

As a male teacher who is also gay, I defy your ridiculous hetero-normative notions. By preempting your article with a “this may not be true in all cases,” is the equivalent of saying “I’m not stereotyping but…”

If you truly cared about education, you would be posting proven strategies that can help learners. Instead you’re wasting everyone’s time by implying that ovaries and testicles have unique magical properties that translate to teaching. However, if you want to highlight the gender differences, why don’t you bring to light the fact that women are underrepresented when it comes to administration? Of course you’d probably be more comfortable writing articles that discuss 10 Reasons Why Women Are Better Bakers and 10 Reasons Why Men are Better Construction Workers.

Such good commentary. 

I am so sad that we have not grown past sexist articles like this (click through). every single one of her points are based on stereotypes that not only undermine her own ideas, but have been used to oppress women in the teaching field for the past 150 years. Teaching is an important profession and I believe students deserve the best adults disregarding gender. I hope that students have the chance to have a balance of genders and types of people. I know many men who can be described as she does all women… and I know many women who would make lousy teachers. It is not about either/or but both.

It is one reason I have chosen to be a male elementary teacher, it is the reason I work with preschool children. It is the reason I deal with the looks, the questions, the sexist remarks, and why I will continue to promote holistic authentic teachers and promote teaching as a profession worth high pay and status, because it is not just “women’s work”, it is human work, and one of the most worthy and important jobs any person can have! 

-Adventures in Learning (A 30 year old male teaching with empathy, care, open-mindedness, tenderness, understanding of both young children and teenagers, reflection, mindfulness and passion) (oh and not all men use sports metaphors, or love science, or math!)