Let My Adversaries Speak

Many different kinds of people have problems with saying anyone, whether it’s the teacher union or the government, should persuade more young males into the world of teaching. In discussions of how we can reengage young boys into learning, a controversial issue is whether or not the introduction of more male teachers will help to solve this growing problem. While some contend that this will not help because in fact female teachers are better for young boys in the long run.  A study done in 2007 (http://www.news-medical.net/news/2007/08/24/29099.aspx) refutes that male teacher help young boys and contends that female teachers actually help student in what they believe is the most critical value in determining a young boys likelihood of success, competent reading skills. Still others argue that it’s not the fact that female teachers are better that we should stop imploring men to become teachers, but because of the detrimental effects it would have on women. They use information that was gained in an unbiased research project done by Thomas Dee (http://www.ehow.com/about_5623553_male-versus-female-teachers.html). In this 2006 survey, Thomas Dee’s data showed that young girls do much better with a female teacher and a lot worse when they are being taught by male teachers. Dee points to the fact male and females have different styles of teaching that suit either young boys or young girls in development. My own view is that we need to balance out the number of male teachers and female teachers. In my upcoming blog posts, I will argue against both of these claims made by the other side in this debate.

A Look at the Face of the American Teacher

In a not so recent USA Today article, Greg Toppo discusses the state of the average american teacher and the effect it has on the students. Toppo makes the argument that the typical american teacher needs to change. He claims right now that if the typical american teacher had a face it would be a white, female face. "Men make up only about 10% of elementary school teachers (Toppo)." This is a remarkable low number compared to the roughly half of the teachers that teach in high school are males. Toppo gives many examples of why he believes that males are not becoming teachers. He points out the fact that a less then spectacular salary that teachers receive. A closer look at Toppo's article and you can tell that he is not simply giving out facts. At first glance it appears that way that all the facts are meant to just explain what is going on with the state of teaching. Look a little more in depth at the article and you can tell that Toppo is actually making a claim that this is lack of diversity is a problem and even though much is being done to try and fix the problem that we need to do more. He uses many quotes from people who are making the same stance that more needs to be done to get more men into the classrooms as a teacher. While others claim that enough is being done about the problem with such programs as Teach for America and others, Toppo does not agree and points out all the facts to show us that the problems faced by America's students can be helped with more male teachers.
If you would like to read the article written by Toppo the link is below.
http://www.usatoday.com/educate/college/education/articles/20030706.htm

What is the Male Teacher Effect?

TED is an organization that allows people to talk about anything and everything. From how to hack a Wii remote to use as a smart board to a remarkable story of a girl who had a double lung transplant and still sings opera dispite all the complications. The talks are motivating and informative at the same time. They are avaliable on iTunes if you would like to subscribe and I suggest listening to at least a couple. Anyways, a topic two days ago caught my eye. A woman Ali Carr-Chellman gave a speech about how the education needs to take a look at how boys are losing interest in school much earlier. Now me wanting to be a teacher and wanting to really help the guys who see biology as lame or as a waste of their time, this really struck me. One point of hers in particular was that there is a lack of male teachers in the classroom and how this is affecting the boys learning ability and confidence. Also, how the abundance of female teachers and the lack of males effects a young boys drive to learn in the classroom. The Male Teacher Effect is a term I created to describe this phenomena. Over the next posts I will go into what exactly turns an abnormally larger number of boys away from learning then girls and also how a positive male influence in the classroom from an early age can help to improve overall learning of young boys. I will also look at what steps can be taken and what steps are be taken to reengage young boys in learning and become life time learners.

About Me

What do you say about yourself? Let's start with my name. My name is Zach Jernigan. My parents gave me this name for no apparent reason other than they liked the sound of it. I tend to over analyze every small detail because like the television show Psych shows us, it really is the small details that make the biggest difference. I am an avid sports fan. No matter the sport I will always rather watch physical competition then any of that "trash tv" that exists on MTV. Baseball, Football, Hockey, and Basketball are my personal favorites. I played baseball for almost 13 years when I was younger. I miss playing it now and then but I don't see much of a future in it, unless I become a coach. Which is what I would actually like to do. My goal in life is to become a high school biology teacher. I know you might be thinking I'm reaching really high with my goal and most likely snickering but it is what I want. I enjoy seeing that look in someone's eyes when they finally get something complicated for the first time. Also, I enjoy that feeling of truly making a difference in ones life. Whether it is just giving them someone to talk to when they are feeling sad or giving them the tools they need to fulfill their goals. I'm a helper, you could say. Some random facts you may be wondering I will now go into. My favorite color is red. I am personally a dog person. I'm comfortable saying I would much rather watch a romantic comedy or even a musical then watching another sad attempt by Hollywood at a scary movie. I am a fan of Glee and I'm proud of that. I believe that is all you need to know about me if you wish to read my blog.