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Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Male call for teachers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I spent the first day of school with Terrance Mitchell, a recent Morehouse College graduate and a first-year teacher at Gideons Elementary in Atlanta.
Several parents nodded with approval when they saw that their child’s teacher was a strong male role model. Parents of younger children started plotting to get their child in Mitchell’s class next year.
At the start of the day Mitchell told the boys they must dress with respect. No pants or shorts hanging below the waist. If they wanted to be taken seriously, they must dress that way. The 23-year-old teacher wore dress slacks with a matching vest and a button-down shirt.
It’s obvious Mitchell will teach the students more than the school curriculum. So why aren’t there more men like him?
He’s one of only two male teachers at Gideons. I know of some elementary schools with no male teachers, although principals say they’re on the hunt for them.
Less than 20 percent of Georgia’s teachers are men. More than half of those men work in high school and about 15 percent work in elementary schools.
There are several groups trying to get more men to teach, such as MenTeach and Call Me MISTER.
What should schools, colleges and the state be doing to encourage more men to teach?
