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Friday, March 14, 2008
Do we have different rules for male teachers?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mike King wrote a column about a male teacher who was accused of sodomizing a 6-year-old girl in a school bathroom, only to be declared not guilty of aggravated child molestation nearly 2 ½ years later.
The teacher’s case makes me wonder: Do male teachers face a double standard?
Few people raise an eyebrow if a female teacher talks with a student alone. When it happens with a male teacher, the situation can be misconstrued. I’ve heard male middle and high school teachers say they try to never be alone with a student. Some invite a female colleague into the room or move the conversation into the hallway.
If they must be alone with a student, many male teachers leave the door open. Some say they stand near the doorway, so it doesn’t look like something clandestine is going on.
Male elementary school teachers - particularly those in kindergarten - face different challenges. At that young age, children are quick to hug. Female teachers hug back with little hesitation. Male teachers say they’re more likely to give pats on the back or on the head.
Many female kindergarten teachers will help kids with problematic snaps and zippers and help kids change their pants if they have an accident. The male kindergarten teachers I’ve met said they won’t do that because it could be misinterpreted. Instead, they ask a female paraprofessional to step in.
As a society, do we trust female teachers more than male teachers? Why?
