My Journey As An Educator
I was first introduced to the field of early childhood education at the age of 18. I had been working in summer camps for a couple of years when the camp director asked if I was interested in working in the preschool room for the summer. Enrollment was fairly low for summer camp that year, and there was a need for teachers in the three-year-old program. I wanted a job, so I accepted the position, although I was full of uncertainty and apprehension. Those first couple of weeks were quite an experience! Full of wonder, inquisitiveness, and curiosity – and the children had questions, too! Though that particular term of employment only went on to last six months, the opportunity turned a job into a lifelong joy. I haven’t looked back since.
It didn’t take long to realize the dearth of men employed in this female-dominated field. It would take years before I had a male co-worker teaching this age group. Historically – far longer than I can even begin to imagine – the responsibility of educating and looking after children has been erroneously labeled as a woman’s job. Today, more than ever, I cannot understand why. Teaching children basic life skills, elaborate concepts, or simply how to be a functioning member of society are jobs for everyone.
This world is made up of all kinds of people with a diversity of ideals, skills, talents, and gifts; it would be a travesty to deny our youngest minds the opportunity to learn from an entire portion of the population. Why not expose our children to these differences as early as possible? Why not start with receiving knowledge and care from men as well as women?
Men In Early Childhood Education
There is nothing in this world women cannot achieve. They are savvy, smart, and strong individuals who perform at an equal, if not greater, caliber than men in many ways. But all of the accolades that women in the early childhood education field deserve – yet so often do not receive – don’t negate the positive impression a man can have on a child.
There are many times when a preschooler will relate better to a male teacher. The child may open up more and be more vocal, more forthcoming, feeling safe and secure with that masculine support. You may be the only person they can be their authentic self with, the one they can go to with any and everything. The honor of knowing that you are making a difference in a child’s life is a feeling like no other. So many children are yearning to have a positive male role model in their lives. Whether the child has no quality male influences, or if the child has numerous men in their lives, having a male teacher at school who cares about them has a positive impact.
The Rewards
I have had many rewarding experiences and interactions as a male early childhood educator. Over the years I’ve received countless high fives, low fives, fist bumps, elbow bumps, thumbs-ups, and warm, sincere hugs. I’ve been excitedly greeted with a, “’Sup, bro?!,” from the shy, minimally verbal boy who typically plays alone and keeps to himself. I’ve seen faces joyously light up and beaming, ear-to-ear smiles when children finally, confidently make it to “eleven,” when they button their pants by themselves, or when another skill has been newly mastered. I’ve been a shoulder to cry on when someone gets a boo-boo, and a listening ear to hear all about a pair of fancy new light-up shoes. I’ve been a lap to sweetly drift off to sleep on, and a back to climb on to gallop across the room. These small, seemingly minute actions are significant. They are meaningful interactions and bonding experiences that may make all the difference in a child’s life, if even just for a moment.
A Call To Action
For these reasons and many more, I am calling on all men with a compassionate heart and a mind geared toward advancing future generations to consider joining me in the field of early childhood education. YOU can be the man who offers a different point of view to a child, a different way of seeing the world. YOU can be the man a child runs to, plays with, and can’t wait to see at school. YOU can be the man to show children what it really means to be a man – a complete, multifaceted human being who laughs, cries, and fully emotes. YOU can be the man who reaches out, guides the way, and changes a life. After all, the life you change just might be your own.