Why are we seeing less men become teachers? The Wall Street Journal wrote an article about why that may be. As a teacher myself, I break down why I think men are not becoming teachers.
I’d say this is the single greatest issue in education today. In Japan and Korea, there’s a culture of respect for authority figures like teachers, and the teachers in turn dress and act very professionally. They get a lot done in a classroom, even with large class sizes. We have this asinine punk rock attitude around school where we just put up with children acting like they own the place or are these profound being who have to be cowed to. It didn’t used to be this way.
All of these are so true, but I feel you missed the most important. Male teachers get called creeps for disciplining students, they get called creeps for checking up on their students, just for existing they're called creeps. I was close to an older male teacher and he'd always sit with me at lunch while my friends were in the line and he'd leave after my friends came. So many times they'd call him names for it and ask what we were talking about, when all he did was ask how I was doing or what I was reading/writing. With another amazing teacher, a sweet gay guy, people would always call him names and whenever he got too close to one of the boys or girls for that matter the creep calling started again. They called him Ted Bundy so many times and he couldn't fight back because he'd get in so much trouble. With my middle school gym coach he had to go to court because students were calling him a p*dophile for dress coding/watching us to make sure we weren't doing anything stupid like throwing bat mitten rackets at each other again. One of my friends was close to a male long-term sub, that man saved her life and stopped her from c*tting herself, and one day they went to talk like they always do in his room. In our own class we had a sub, but the teacher wrote a note saying to always let her go and it's okay. Instead of letting them talk and just asking them to keep the door open, the sub made a huge scene and called that angel of a man a p*do to his face and told him to quit "feeling her up." They were hugging while she was crying in his arms. My friend reached her arms out first and asked for a hug, everyone saw them do this so many times. If you'd open your eyes you'd see that this man was just trying to keep her and the rest of his students safe and happy. It's sickening. So many kids don't have a male figure at home and teachers in a way fill in that role for us but so many kids just keep pushing them away. The pay and disrespect is disgusting enough, but always assuming men like being around kids only for sexual purposes is so heartbreaking.
That kind of stereotyping and anti male discrimination also carries over to the family court and explains why a lot of kids don’t have father figures in their lives even though their actual biological fathers might desperately want to see them and support them
I was a teacher, but discovered very quickly that the kids don’t wanna be there. The parents are devoid of intellectual curiosity themselves, and don’t know how to install that in a child instead, they’re raising generation after generation of perfect serfs and slaves for AI and Chinese and foreign corporations to use and then discard. No wonder we have such horrendous drug problems in a country where the future looks pretty crappy. They wanna play on their phones and they wanna get done with school ASAP. They don’t care what you’re saying up there and they realize right or wrongly irrelevant most of the things “being taught“ are I cut my losses and changed my career path and went into law-enforcement instead since teaching does sort of have a nexus to that.
after 8 years of teaching--I was still making around $40,000 per year in TN. Constant stress, disrespect from students, parents, and most especially administration. Better to work in retail or some other field--I went back to trade school in my mid 30s because teaching was so bad.
I've been teaching for 19 years and have witnessed a serious decline in overall expectations/accountability for student behavior, which has led to more behavior issues that impact our ability to do our jobs well. The rise of disrespectful behaviors, along with a lack of teacher support, has driven many teachers out of the field of education. When people consider entering the field of education, they spend time reaching out and learning about the ins and outs of the profession. When they learn about the challenges in education, the lack of support, and the low pay in comparison to other professional fields, it deters them from becoming educators.
Men don’t want to be teachers not only because of pay but also respect. Male teachers are considered the discipline models but can’t even do anything because of being judged or emasculated. A lot of male teachers try and get out as soon as possible becoming principals
Nailed it! Good video. I'm one of only 2 male teachers at a k-6 school. Teaching is very rewarding and I love what I do...I can totally relate to all the reasons you listed. Financially - there were some 'lean' years when my wife stayed home with our son when he was young. Yes, that was our choice, but we did struggle at times to manage it. A few summer side-gigs here and there to save the day! The lack of respect and flexibility are huge ones too...I feel like both of these things have become more challenging in recent years. Thankfully, I'm in a school with supportive admin that have really looked out for us and had our backs in countless ways.
Thank you. It really makes a difference for there to be a male teacher when you are in school. As someone that wants to go into teaching(also a male) it is always good to hear about male teachers who find it worthwhile and rewarding
Many men are not becoming teachers because it’s not viewed as a “manly” profession. Men are attracted to other careers like law, construction, and the sciences, whereas women are attracted to more nurturing jobs like nursing, teaching, and counseling. Nothing wrong with that. I do think the education and nursing fields would improve if more men were hired. I’m a male teacher myself and I enjoy what I do. The perks of being a male teacher are that all the female teachers want to help you and treat you like a pseudo son.
I met a teacher who has been in the profession for 30+ years. She told me the most significant change is that parents blame the teachers for their children’s academic performance. Never is the parent or the child held accountable. We need to demand more from our children.
So true. My husband (an administrator) and 2 of my 3 kids are in education. Just last week, late at night my daughter had to go to the emergency room, where she learned she needed surgery the next morning and they admitted her. So at 1:00 in the morning, instead of resting, she was drawing up sub plans for her high school math classes from her hospital bed! That’s a lot for most people to commit to dealing with.
.... retired 15 years ago after teaching for 33 years. I enjoyed an awesome career and I'm currently enjoying the pension and health care coverage. In my travels around the country I learned that there is a significant range in salaries. As always, your conversation brings up excellent points. Well done. You get an 'A'
59 year old man. When I was entering university in 1984, I wanted to study Elementary Education. My parents insisted that I study Accounting (like my siblings) because “teachers don’t make enough money.” I was able to retire at 49…… THEN became a volunteer teacher in the city’s lowest income high school. We GenXers were still being told that money is more important than career happiness, I guess.
I've heard a few times - though most of it is second hand so take it with a grain of salt - that a lot of men are avoiding going into teaching because of the stigma that a man who wants to work with children or be around them = potential pedo. And I know so many young guys who are terrified of being labelled 'creepy' or getting cancelled for whatever, so they actively avoid social situations that might lead to such.
I’m a man who taught elementary school, mostly fifth grade, for 28 years. I would NEVER recommend anyone, men included, go into the teaching profession. It’s a dead-end job with little room for advancement, poor pay, horrible perks, too stressful, a terrible schedule, and a lose lose situation when it comes to spoiled kids and entitled parents. I don’t see many young people with professional skills majoring in education these days. And, many of those who do quickly exit the profession .
I'm a mid-sixties Midwestern male teacher. I've taught for thirty years. When I first started I read a cover story article in a teacher's magazine that commented then about the lack of male teachers. What that article said to a be degree is still true. Most male teachers when they leave the field do so because they have families and their wives will frequently (but not always) pressure them due to ongoing need for more money. So these men will leave the smaller rural communites and go to the bigger urban ones that pay better. Or they will go into administration. And sadly, many will just leave the profession. Making tons of money doesn't drive me and it my believe that the Lord called me into this. But I understand the financial pressure. I also appreciated the other points raised. In the old days when a kid got into trouble at school they got it again once they got home. Now days we have parents that will deny and lie for their kid. I've often thought that if a parent talked to a cop they way they do teachers then they'll be arrested too. Great video and keep up the good work.
As a 30 year veteran,pay and respect are tops. I've been complaining the whole time about this. But politically,the education system is being hamstrung. Decisions are being made that make our jobs impossible,by people who don't know a SINGLE thing about our job. These are the reasons why we are all leaving too.
I’m 25 and in school for elementary education. I work as a custodian for a public school to get my pension/tenure going and so I can have health benefits. The head custodian at the jr/hs made 80k with OT. He doesn’t have a degree or anything, just his boilers license and trust me, he doesn’t work incredibly hard. My boss has told me next year that he would like to see me take over one of those schools as a head custodian since a few people are retiring. Makes me wonder if I’ll be making more money as a head custodian than a teacher, which is crazy to think lol
Thank you for raising the issue. I am a teacher. Men generally cannot stand the belittling anymore. Men are stripped of authority in education and all the "laws" restricting discipline are not alleviating the tension at all. The pay is a HUGE factor too.
The only problem I see with linking bonuses with going above and beyond is that much of going above and beyond is out of the control of the teacher. Been teaching 15 years, and for my first 7 years, I taught basic high school algebra. I couldn't go above and beyond if I wanted to. My students were checked out, distracted, and wouldn't come in for help at lunch or after school. No matter how much relevance or engaging activities I planned, it didn't make a difference. Eventually, our physics teacher retired, and I took over the honors physics and AP physics classes. In these classes, going above and beyond actually does make a difference. Students will come in for help during lunch after school. Students appreciate the extra effort you put into making the lesson engaging or interactive. So going above and beyond largely depends if the students will even let you.
Also in several states, a four year degree isn't enough. A lot of the time, a prospective teacher needs a master's degree too, which compounds the problem with pay. Not to mention the requirements to become a public school teacher are very challenging, and arguably, the pay doesn't match the amount of work put in.
One reason I quit college teaching is that the K-12 system has become the City of Women, and so some students freak out when dealing with a deep voice and masculine mannerisms. Sometimes groundless grievances are filed because one student or another doesn’t know how to deal with men very well.
Decided to become a teacher! I studie pedagogy, but after the bachelor going to do a study to become a teacher for elimentary school and the Dutch variant of public college. On my internship gave some classes and fell in love in teaching and helping a class as a mentor.
I really appreciate this video. I am in school for education, and I don't care about the money I feel like I was put on this earth to help and educate people since I feel I was taught so well and I want to bless the wealth of Knowledge with others.
I'm in year 20. I'm surprised the bureaucratic nightmare didn't make it in the top. I teach Social Studies in Georgia and of course have to tread that "divisive concepts" issue and make sure I don't cross that line. Fortunately the district I live and teach in most parents want the true history of America taught.
Worked in high school for 32 years as a senior English teacher and loved it. Guided 26 student teachers. In high schools it is almost 50 percent still. Women are prone to younger kids. My pension and personal investments are ample. Made over 100k annually near the end and retired at 57. Amen 🙏. Best career choice.
This is a broad generalization, but there are differences in how men and women interact with children. The video also alludes to this already, but there also is an “emasculation” of the teaching profession.
My favorite grade school teacher was a man named Mr. Stephens. He was a chill, laid back, surfer dude type who was very popular with the entire diverse social construct that made up our student body.
I work with a kid (ok he's like 22, just graduated from college), who told me just today that he wants to become a middle school history or english teacher. So there is hope!!
I began teaching at 40 and just retired at 65. My first years were spent in third and fourth grades in a small community, where having a "boy teacher" was was viewed as virtually avant-garde. But the absence of men throughout my career was commented on by my students as late as the eighth grade. I am quietly happy that my young replacement (theatre) is male for this specific reason, although I realize that many talented women could have been hired instead and could be wonderful as well. As for the pay equity, as we know, teachers are assessed on any number of ridiculous classroom practices. (I once scored points in my quarterly observation by having my students recite the lesson's state standard and benchmark. Absurdity!) Measuring creativity and zest for learning, however, can't be captured on standardized tests, and that's districts' only accepted proof of professional excellence.
I was very interested in becoming a teacher, but the pay system was the biggest thing that made me stay away. I would consider switching careers someday to become a teacher if my years of industry experience were taken into account when determining starting salary. From what I’ve researched, only years of teaching are counted. I get this, though if my specialty is Computer Science, I have worked in that industry for 10 years, and I will be hired as a Computer Science teacher, those years should be considered.
not only are years of teaching only taken into consideration but years of teaching in that state and even that school district. you would be better off getting a masters or phd and teaching in a college. you'd actually make decent money.
This is why i am a high school teacher at an all boys school. The majority of us are male teachers. We aren't doing it for the pay (I have two masters but I make less than $60k). Young men especially need older men to look up to. Serve God, not mammon ($$) 🙏🙏🙏.
I took the Navy sponsored "Teaching as a Second Career" and went into teaching high school after retirement. I tried it for four years. Classroom management was a greater challenge than dealing with the good order and discipline culture of the military. Additionally, I taught chemistry and electronics, but was sent students who did not meet the prerequisites in math, and etc.
Education is at both the most rewarding and the most thankless job out there. I am not paid nearly enough for the hours I work. During the school year, it is not uncommon to put in 60 hours a week of work with nearly full days of work on Sundays to get ready for the week ahead. And as you say, trying to attend to my personal health throughout the school year is nearly impossible. I try to schedule medical and dental appointments for school holidays but those are often days that medical and dental offices are also closed. It's beyond frustrating. Those are just two reasons to avoid working in education as a teacher, whether you are a man or a woman.
Not a teacher, but my sister was a teacher. In addition to taking home a lower salary, your ability to use all those holidays that you have off is kind of a sad joke. You are competing with others for hotels, travel, and leisure activities when they have reached their peak price points. Try getting a Hawaii vacation during summer season, or a hotel resort over Thanksgiving break without paying premium prices for every activity and finding overbooked restaurants while interacting with huge crowds. Wanna go snow skiing? That will be the next sad joke. When are recreation prices highest? Weekends and holidays, which completely match teacher schedules.
We've worked hard to pay women equal to men when they do the same job - like women engineers should make the same as men. But the problem that has not been addressed is that when an occupation is considered stereotypically women's work, as teaching has been, then the entire field is underpaid. We need to increase the pay for entire job fields that have been stereotypically done by women so they match fields that have been more occupied by men.
Calculate the hourly rate for 65,000 per school year (9 months) 65,000/180 (then divide by 8). Now calculate the hourly rate 95,000 for full year 95,000/240 (then divide by 8). Compare.
About supporting a family: Even if both parents plan on working, there will be times when it's a toss up between a spouse working and having to pay for child care on one and or staying home and giving up extra income but saving on childcare.
During the summer and school vacations, teachers can be expected to take workshops and courses to retain their certification, sometimes at their own expense. A lot of the time, it's not "time off".
You are spot on with your reasons. As a society, we should want teachers that go above and beyond to make more money and have it be competitive in ALL school districts, because we are teaching tomorrow's leaders. The more prepared the students are, we as a society benefit. If schools were run like a business, we would have more highly educated people for our country's success.
Our teaches in this country as vastly underpaid for the work they do, which is at the top of the scale in terms of importance. You have my respect. My wife was a middle school teacher in Japan, and she often talks about the grind. Things she had to do outside of the work in the classroom. She retired in her 30s and found other work before coming to America. It's a shame because I can tell see her passion and talent is still there.
I’m a male physics teacher, and in that specialty there are probably as many males as females, so it’s great to have both male and female role models. With that being said, it definitely hasn’t been the smartest choice financially for a similar math/technical skill set to engineers. And you’re correct about the lack of incentives for working hard - it’s in my nature to do that, so you just can’t think about others who don’t making the same amount. Overall your take is spot-on. Sub plans are the worst!
I began as a history teacher at the high school level. During interviews the principal always asked, "So what can you coach?" I didn't go into education to be an athletic coach. I was sponsor of numerous clubs over the course of my career but I didn't coach. It would be nice as part of the respect to let teachers teach their subject field and not as an after thought.
Taking a sick day is so difficult, I often just go in sick. We now have a new sub template that is 4 pages long and I had to fill one out, laying down, in crushing pain with a GI bleed. Just awful. Guess what. The plan was not followed and the students did no work that day.
Yes 🙌 I am a woman in education and the lack of good male role models is sad. Young boys need mentors too. Nothing wrong with women as mentors of course but sometimes it just helps to have a role model who you see a potential future self in.
You titled this “Why men are not becoming teachers” and then in all the reasons you mentioned, you specified that every reason is why BOTH “men & women” don’t become and/or stay on as teachers. But there are (statistically) more women in education than men. Which means you’re not getting to the root of the problem. And sampling all teachers won’t help because you aren’t isolating men. And asking male teachers won’t help because they actually became teachers. You need to sample men who aren’t teachers.
Many men are in school administrative positions with master or doctorate degrees. I was as a school social worker and served on the administrative team. There were so many demands on admintrators and therefore teachers.
As the only male teacher at my school, I think a major reason (for early education, anyway) is that there's a hidden opinion that looking after children is just not a masculine thing to do. It's probably not something that many would admit to, but it's there. We definitely need more guys in the job!!
Female dominated professions are taken less seriously. Respect is big for me. I enjoy teaching when I'm allowed to do it without all of the negativity from parents, some students, and the public. It's exhausting to work so hard and feel defeated in some ways.
Personally, the salary system of teachers is one of the reasons i'm trying to go into teaching. No i'm not saying i want to slack off on the job, but knowing /exactly/ how much you are making every pay period is an honest relief. It's far easier to budget for and you don't have to worry about busting your ass off just to try and get an extra dollar or two. I worked in sales/tech help and every day i was scared about getting fired, what if i'm not doing enough? what if my performance numbers are too low and my boss scolds me? what if i'm fired? some days you can put up with that stress and plaster on a smile and some days you can't and then rude people think you should smile even though they don't know the kind of day you've had. A static pay amount would be a dream and to know that it'll increase over a certain amount of time and not .....maybe if i work extra hard they'll give me a raise! (which they never do). When i become a teacher i'll be able to relax financially and mentally into knowing that my money is predictable and my job is secure. They don't fire teachers for not smiling or not working hard enough, your job depends on your students and that's not always a consistent metric and they know it. I think i just would feel more secure in teaching (high school) than retail or any other solely performance based job (definitely higher starting pay than my last job too). I'm also a transmasc for what that's worth in the conversation about male teachers.
A young FS-1 Development (Foreign Service ) in my country, starts at $70,000 and ends up 35 years later at $100,000, still these figures are probably higher now. US teachers needs a serious overhaul of their salaries this si totally ridiculous.
I think it depends on personality type and how you are raised. You have to have a different kind of thick skin to deal with today's parents and deal with the some of the discipline issues that arise in the classroom, but still be compassionate because you're working with children. I think there is a culture of toxic masculinity. I do wish more men would become teachers. It's great, and also boys need good role models. Also, I'm currently going through my certification right now, and I'm about to be the 9th teacher in my family. I'm proud to say that of those 9, 5 of them are men.
The pay scale and the respect can vary from community to community. In some places a teacher's salary is quite competitive with the local job market if not the best job in the area. there is also an assumption that male teachers are only there until they finish a masters and go into admin. There is a different vibe about it. There is an assumption that a male teacher who is not fast tracking is somehow defective. A new male teachers who goes into the profession thinking "there is a shortage and they need me", are quickly met with opposition and passive aggressive behavior not from students but co teachers. Another aspect not normally mentioned is that male teachers tend to be given the classes with known behavior issues. It makes the first year as a teacher a crucible when you are having tough classes to teach and a less than welcoming atmosphere from your peers.
Speaking only for myself, I never wanted to be a teacher because I generally don’t care to deal with kids, and I’m not interested in teaching for any age group, including adults. Additionally, in the US landscape, it takes a lot of effort just to get into a field with relatively crap pay compared to other fields that require a degree. I don’t want to deal with parents because I’ve seen how unhinged some of them can be. And as the situation deteriorates, it becomes harder and harder to sell teaching in many US states.
I've been a special education teacher for 30 years, and I love my job. My son was a personal trainer for 15 years and is now a travel RN, and he loves his job. In both jobs, he was paid more than I'm paid then and now. Most teachers in our K-5 building are females like I am. The one male teacher is married to a highly paid corporate executive; they just built a mansion.
I taught fourth grade for four years, and I left. There's a lack of respect, and that doesn't sit with me. In addition, there's a lack of accountability. Finally, as you said, it's the pay. I'm trying to provide, and the income is not enough. I now work in a different field an make more and have respect.
It's a complicated issue. I tried my hand at teaching back in the early 2000s. My credentialing program really glossed over classroom management strategies, so I feel like I was set up for failure. I went to seminars and observed other teachers, but the students were not really respecting me as an authority figure. I also entered the profession during the time when there were a lot of budget shortfalls, so I kept getting laid off. I did a few more years of subbing before going back to retail sales.
This guy has perhaps an advantage in that he's athletic, nice-looking, energetic and, yes, tall. (That last one may seem odd, but people respond differently to tall people than to average or short. Certainly MS students do.) I like this guy's videos, but I wonder if we'd watch them if he were, say, the same height and weight as Jason Alexander or Danny DeVito. Bravo to all men who take on this important profession.
When I graduated with a BS in Software Engineer in 2014 the average intro salary for Software Engineering in North Texas was 64k/yr and the TOP of the pay scale for a seasoned teacher in any public ISD in North Texas was 64k/yr. That's 25-30 YOE difference for the same money.
I strongly disagree about the payment. I live in a country where teachers are paid very very well. Still there is a shortage of male teachers. I think there are a lot of other reasons why men so really become teachers.
Women have an easier time "marrying up" or marrying guys who make more than they do. Most women want a man to make the same if not more. So if you're a man teaching, that limits your dating pool to other teachers or professions that make similar to teaching. It's also just a ton of work for not a lot of pay. Not only do you teach during the day but you have to lesson plan and grade on nights and weekends. You end up with very little time off. And the average might be in the sixties but starting pay can be in the $50Ks or even less. Throw in student behaviors and stories about everyone leaving all over social media, not something that looks appetizing.
I taught K-12 for about 15 years. Every teacher I know had some kind of work in the summer. None took the summer as a vacation because the salary simply isn't high enough. Just an FYI: if a teacher leaves after getting tenure but before retirement, the reason almost never has anything to do with students or actual teaching. It's nearly always purely administrative.
The reason why teachers won't go above and beyond is because of unions. In fact, former premier Dalton McGuinty in Ontario wanted pay for performance and there was a big backlash with the unions. The other reason I find is people don't respect men and also people don't want to deal with being talked down too by other teachers, principals, administration, as well as the unions that pick and choose who they represent as well. Also, the backlash of men is the other one as well too and there are men that want to preserve their inner peace.
I also think that men working with kids is stigmatized and viewed as weird whereas women obviously are expected to like and be good with kids. And yeah, my history with the genders of K-12 teachers is similar to yours. In elementary my only male teacher was the PE teacher, in middle school I only had 3 male teachers, and in high school I had a decent number of male teachers but still slightly more female teachers. But then when I went to college the majority of my professors were male.
Teacher pay is low for two reasons: 1. Teachers are paid through local taxes. People do not want to pay teachers more than they earn, and 2. Since most teachers are women, people don't want to pay women what men earn. Also, factor into the equation that fewer men are attending college.
Not gonna lie. I teach (in year 7) still make just around 45k and I work my tail off. I have 2 certifications soon to be 3, Chemistry, Math, and soon Physics. Yet students are beyond disrespectful and that is ridiculous combined with mediocre pay.
Watching you from the other side of the Atlantic, I gotta say that some of the issues highlighted are the same even in the old continent, especially the pay and the lack of respects. I don't know if in the USA is the same but, is there a difference in subjects? Are male teachers more common in scientific subjects and less common in humanities like here?
The higher the grade level the more male teachers you see. Yes, there are more in maths and sciences. It's not a huge difference, but definitely enough to notice.
The system is broken. You’re stuck with horrible behaved students if they end up in your classroom, and they ruin the experience for everyone. And that’s just one of the never ending list of terrible reasons to stay out
100% correct. As a male I always thought I was meant to be a teacher but I could never support a family on the pay. Women don’t have to be bread winners- most want to quit working after they have kids. The man has to be able to provide
Anyone who is expected to support a family will choose another field. Unless you were a workaholic like me. I did work on the weekends and summer to retire.
in california pay doesnt seem TOOO bad. I do agree effort compared to pay doesnt seem balanced but it does seem to get better the longer you stay on the job.. but again i do hear admin makes more so thats the ultimate goal
LOL 3 months....hahahahahahaha! between the extra week after school ends and the week+ before school starts, plus the curriculum mapping that is "optional" but absolutely mandatory.,,,7 weeks off (UNpaid) I'd prefer 3 months as getting temp job in the summer would be easier than trying to get employment for 6-7 weeks. We are paid for the days worked and that is it. But the school certainly finds ways of getting several weeks worth of unpaid time. NOTE: I try not to gripe too much, as I still feel lucky to be a single parent who can have multiple weeks off with my son during the year, but it isn't always easy.
I think nr. 2 is the real reason, lack of respect. In my country, teachers are comparatively well paid. Men still don’t go into teaching since teachers are disrespected by politicians and society as a whole.
Honestly, I have always thought men don’t go into eduction due to pay. Those that do go into education will either quit or go into administration. Now days, many women and men are leaving the education field due to student behaviors!
It’s so sad how few men go into the profession because you know what a lot of rebellious boys don’t have? A male role model. They have a mom at home and females in their lives but they crave a male role model. Also side note: you have huge hands. Not a bad thing just something I noticed in this video
I am not a teacher. At one time early in my career I had actually considered being a teacher. I am glad I didn't go into education. The pay is an issue. Benefits packages are for crap. PTO is a joke. The continuing Education requirements are cumbersome and expensive. Parents and administration don't agree or support the teacher. Communities do not provide enough money and support for public education. How many times are tax levies for education defeated...and not by just a little bit. The pupil to teacher ratios are way too high. Governmental interference and legislation that are racist, homophobic, sexist, etc....that deny the ability of teachers to teach, instead, making them into a part of some political agenda. Teachers are expected to be disciplinarians, councilors, substitute parents, report on suspected abuse, protectors to shield kids from shooters and violence, first aid, and anything else that the child needs or is tossed onto the job description....no thanks. When i was in grade school i had 2 male teachers. They were FANTASTIC. In Jr. High I had several male teachers. In HS it was about 50% men. I was in public school and at that time, the city provided strong support for our school system, but today, that school system is terrible. Funding is a joke, attendance is terrible, just no thanks. I commend those that still go into education, knowing what they are in for. I wish that the public was as supportive of teachers and schooling.
historically, teaching at the grade school level was seen as "women's work" similar to other positions like flight attendants (stewardess) and office clerks/assistants. Because these rolls were traditionally filled by women they also received less pay and less respect. It's just more evidence of the misongony in our nation's history. Presently, I think all the things your are saying are true, in terms of pay, respect etc. Moreover, as someone who has worked as both a teacher and a counselor, there is crapton of uppaid time. Most teachers get a conference period but these lessons ain't gonna write themselves and neither will the papers that need grading. In terms of teacher turnover, I still did lessons and planning during the summers and the needs from students, the demands from parents and families, and the mandates from districts have only increased- especially since 1) No Child Left Behind and 2) Covid.
Also because of problematic parents bringing their disrespectful children to school and not holding them accountable when they misbehave in class.
Aka: the reason that I am no longer in education
I'm sorry, could you say this louder for the folks in the back of the room please?
I’d say this is the single greatest issue in education today. In Japan and Korea, there’s a culture of respect for authority figures like teachers, and the teachers in turn dress and act very professionally. They get a lot done in a classroom, even with large class sizes. We have this asinine punk rock attitude around school where we just put up with children acting like they own the place or are these profound being who have to be cowed to.
It didn’t used to be this way.
Children are entitled and don't listen.
@UberBri That's why proper parenting is essential.
All of these are so true, but I feel you missed the most important. Male teachers get called creeps for disciplining students, they get called creeps for checking up on their students, just for existing they're called creeps. I was close to an older male teacher and he'd always sit with me at lunch while my friends were in the line and he'd leave after my friends came. So many times they'd call him names for it and ask what we were talking about, when all he did was ask how I was doing or what I was reading/writing. With another amazing teacher, a sweet gay guy, people would always call him names and whenever he got too close to one of the boys or girls for that matter the creep calling started again.
They called him Ted Bundy so many times and he couldn't fight back because he'd get in so much trouble. With my middle school gym coach he had to go to court because students were calling him a p*dophile for dress coding/watching us to make sure we weren't doing anything stupid like throwing bat mitten rackets at each other again. One of my friends was close to a male long-term sub, that man saved her life and stopped her from c*tting herself, and one day they went to talk like they always do in his room. In our own class we had a sub, but the teacher wrote a note saying to always let her go and it's okay. Instead of letting them talk and just asking them to keep the door open, the sub made a huge scene and called that angel of a man a p*do to his face and told him to quit "feeling her up." They were hugging while she was crying in his arms.
My friend reached her arms out first and asked for a hug, everyone saw them do this so many times. If you'd open your eyes you'd see that this man was just trying to keep her and the rest of his students safe and happy. It's sickening. So many kids don't have a male figure at home and teachers in a way fill in that role for us but so many kids just keep pushing them away. The pay and disrespect is disgusting enough, but always assuming men like being around kids only for sexual purposes is so heartbreaking.
That kind of stereotyping and anti male discrimination also carries over to the family court and explains why a lot of kids don’t have father figures in their lives even though their actual biological fathers might desperately want to see them and support them
It’s tragic. Sure, people should be weary, but they should equally believe in good intentions and compassion! And be able to read a damn room!
@@bladebreaker-12That’s difficult to do though because “reading the room” kinda involved a bit of mind reading
That is horrible yet it is all too true
I was a teacher, but discovered very quickly that the kids don’t wanna be there. The parents are devoid of intellectual curiosity themselves, and don’t know how to install that in a child instead, they’re raising generation after generation of perfect serfs and slaves for AI and Chinese and foreign corporations to use and then discard. No wonder we have such horrendous drug problems in a country where the future looks pretty crappy. They wanna play on their phones and they wanna get done with school ASAP. They don’t care what you’re saying up there and they realize right or wrongly irrelevant most of the things “being taught“ are I cut my losses and changed my career path and went into law-enforcement instead since teaching does sort of have a nexus to that.
after 8 years of teaching--I was still making around $40,000 per year in TN. Constant stress, disrespect from students, parents, and most especially administration. Better to work in retail or some other field--I went back to trade school in my mid 30s because teaching was so bad.
I've heard that from people, that said they loved kids and teaching but quit for that reason and became wonderful professors.
I've been teaching for 19 years and have witnessed a serious decline in overall expectations/accountability for student behavior, which has led to more behavior issues that impact our ability to do our jobs well.
The rise of disrespectful behaviors, along with a lack of teacher support, has driven many teachers out of the field of education.
When people consider entering the field of education, they spend time reaching out and learning about the ins and outs of the profession. When they learn about the challenges in education, the lack of support, and the low pay in comparison to other professional fields, it deters them from becoming educators.
Men don’t want to be teachers not only because of pay but also respect. Male teachers are considered the discipline models but can’t even do anything because of being judged or emasculated. A lot of male teachers try and get out as soon as possible becoming principals
Nailed it! Good video. I'm one of only 2 male teachers at a k-6 school. Teaching is very rewarding and I love what I do...I can totally relate to all the reasons you listed. Financially - there were some 'lean' years when my wife stayed home with our son when he was young. Yes, that was our choice, but we did struggle at times to manage it. A few summer side-gigs here and there to save the day! The lack of respect and flexibility are huge ones too...I feel like both of these things have become more challenging in recent years. Thankfully, I'm in a school with supportive admin that have really looked out for us and had our backs in countless ways.
Thanks for sharing your perspective. It’s not easy out here as teachers. Thanks for being a teacher!
Thank you. It really makes a difference for there to be a male teacher when you are in school. As someone that wants to go into teaching(also a male) it is always good to hear about male teachers who find it worthwhile and rewarding
Many men are not becoming teachers because it’s not viewed as a “manly” profession. Men are attracted to other careers like law, construction, and the sciences, whereas women are attracted to more nurturing jobs like nursing, teaching, and counseling. Nothing wrong with that. I do think the education and nursing fields would improve if more men were hired. I’m a male teacher myself and I enjoy what I do. The perks of being a male teacher are that all the female teachers want to help you and treat you like a pseudo son.
I met a teacher who has been in the profession for 30+ years. She told me the most significant change is that parents blame the teachers for their children’s academic performance. Never is the parent or the child held accountable. We need to demand more from our children.
So true. My husband (an administrator) and 2 of my 3 kids are in education. Just last week, late at night my daughter had to go to the emergency room, where she learned she needed surgery the next morning and they admitted her. So at 1:00 in the morning, instead of resting, she was drawing up sub plans for her high school math classes from her hospital bed! That’s a lot for most people to commit to dealing with.
.... retired 15 years ago after teaching for 33 years. I enjoyed an awesome career and I'm currently enjoying the pension and health care coverage. In my travels around the country I learned that there is a significant range in salaries.
As always, your conversation brings up excellent points. Well done. You get an 'A'
59 year old man. When I was entering university in 1984, I wanted to study Elementary Education. My parents insisted that I study Accounting (like my siblings) because “teachers don’t make enough money.” I was able to retire at 49…… THEN became a volunteer teacher in the city’s lowest income high school. We GenXers were still being told that money is more important than career happiness, I guess.
I've heard a few times - though most of it is second hand so take it with a grain of salt - that a lot of men are avoiding going into teaching because of the stigma that a man who wants to work with children or be around them = potential pedo. And I know so many young guys who are terrified of being labelled 'creepy' or getting cancelled for whatever, so they actively avoid social situations that might lead to such.
💯
I’m a man who taught elementary school, mostly fifth grade, for 28 years. I would NEVER recommend anyone, men included, go into the teaching profession. It’s a dead-end job with little room for advancement, poor pay, horrible perks, too stressful, a terrible schedule, and a lose lose situation when it comes to spoiled kids and entitled parents. I don’t see many young people with professional skills majoring in education these days. And, many of those who do quickly exit the profession .
I'm a mid-sixties Midwestern male teacher. I've taught for thirty years. When I first started I read a cover story article in a teacher's magazine that commented then about the lack of male teachers. What that article said to a be degree is still true. Most male teachers when they leave the field do so because they have families and their wives will frequently (but not always) pressure them due to ongoing need for more money. So these men will leave the smaller rural communites and go to the bigger urban ones that pay better. Or they will go into administration. And sadly, many will just leave the profession. Making tons of money doesn't drive me and it my believe that the Lord called me into this. But I understand the financial pressure.
I also appreciated the other points raised. In the old days when a kid got into trouble at school they got it again once they got home. Now days we have parents that will deny and lie for their kid. I've often thought that if a parent talked to a cop they way they do teachers then they'll be arrested too. Great video and keep up the good work.
As a 30 year veteran,pay and respect are tops. I've been complaining the whole time about this. But politically,the education system is being hamstrung. Decisions are being made that make our jobs impossible,by people who don't know a SINGLE thing about our job. These are the reasons why we are all leaving too.
I’m 25 and in school for elementary education. I work as a custodian for a public school to get my pension/tenure going and so I can have health benefits. The head custodian at the jr/hs made 80k with OT. He doesn’t have a degree or anything, just his boilers license and trust me, he doesn’t work incredibly hard. My boss has told me next year that he would like to see me take over one of those schools as a head custodian since a few people are retiring. Makes me wonder if I’ll be making more money as a head custodian than a teacher, which is crazy to think lol
you'll 100% make more as a custodian. Very few teachers get to $80K ever and the ones that do live in expensive cities and have taught for many years.
Thank you for raising the issue. I am a teacher. Men generally cannot stand the belittling anymore. Men are stripped of authority in education and all the "laws" restricting discipline are not alleviating the tension at all. The pay is a HUGE factor too.
The only problem I see with linking bonuses with going above and beyond is that much of going above and beyond is out of the control of the teacher.
Been teaching 15 years, and for my first 7 years, I taught basic high school algebra. I couldn't go above and beyond if I wanted to. My students were checked out, distracted, and wouldn't come in for help at lunch or after school. No matter how much relevance or engaging activities I planned, it didn't make a difference.
Eventually, our physics teacher retired, and I took over the honors physics and AP physics classes. In these classes, going above and beyond actually does make a difference. Students will come in for help during lunch after school. Students appreciate the extra effort you put into making the lesson engaging or interactive.
So going above and beyond largely depends if the students will even let you.
Also in several states, a four year degree isn't enough. A lot of the time, a prospective teacher needs a master's degree too, which compounds the problem with pay. Not to mention the requirements to become a public school teacher are very challenging, and arguably, the pay doesn't match the amount of work put in.
Exactly. The required master's degree plus the never ending PD plus the working conditions.... The pay doesn't even come close to balancing it.
Your short-form content is awesome!
Also, as someone who might want to be a teacher, I can’t wait to hear what’s happening.
Glad you're enjoying the content! Stay tuned for more...
One reason I quit college teaching is that the K-12 system has become the City of Women, and so some students freak out when dealing with a deep voice and masculine mannerisms. Sometimes groundless grievances are filed because one student or another doesn’t know how to deal with men very well.
Decided to become a teacher! I studie pedagogy, but after the bachelor going to do a study to become a teacher for elimentary school and the Dutch variant of public college. On my internship gave some classes and fell in love in teaching and helping a class as a mentor.
I really appreciate this video. I am in school for education, and I don't care about the money I feel like I was put on this earth to help and educate people since I feel I was taught so well and I want to bless the wealth of Knowledge with others.
I'm in year 20. I'm surprised the bureaucratic nightmare didn't make it in the top. I teach Social Studies in Georgia and of course have to tread that "divisive concepts" issue and make sure I don't cross that line. Fortunately the district I live and teach in most parents want the true history of America taught.
Obviously that whole thing is going to get worse at least for four years with or without a federal Education Department.
Worked in high school for 32 years as a senior English teacher and loved it. Guided 26 student teachers. In high schools it is almost 50 percent still. Women are prone to younger kids. My pension and personal investments are ample. Made over 100k annually near the end and retired at 57. Amen 🙏. Best career choice.
This is a broad generalization, but there are differences in how men and women interact with children. The video also alludes to this already, but there also is an “emasculation” of the teaching profession.
My favorite grade school teacher was a man named Mr. Stephens. He was a chill, laid back, surfer dude type who was very popular with the entire diverse social construct that made up our student body.
I work with a kid (ok he's like 22, just graduated from college), who told me just today that he wants to become a middle school history or english teacher. So there is hope!!
I began teaching at 40 and just retired at 65. My first years were spent in third and fourth grades in a small community, where having a "boy teacher" was was viewed as virtually avant-garde. But the absence of men throughout my career was commented on by my students as late as the eighth grade. I am quietly happy that my young replacement (theatre) is male for this specific reason, although I realize that many talented women could have been hired instead and could be wonderful as well. As for the pay equity, as we know, teachers are assessed on any number of ridiculous classroom practices. (I once scored points in my quarterly observation by having my students recite the lesson's state standard and benchmark. Absurdity!) Measuring creativity and zest for learning, however, can't be captured on standardized tests, and that's districts' only accepted proof of professional excellence.
I was very interested in becoming a teacher, but the pay system was the biggest thing that made me stay away. I would consider switching careers someday to become a teacher if my years of industry experience were taken into account when determining starting salary. From what I’ve researched, only years of teaching are counted. I get this, though if my specialty is Computer Science, I have worked in that industry for 10 years, and I will be hired as a Computer Science teacher, those years should be considered.
not only are years of teaching only taken into consideration but years of teaching in that state and even that school district. you would be better off getting a masters or phd and teaching in a college. you'd actually make decent money.
This is why i am a high school teacher at an all boys school. The majority of us are male teachers. We aren't doing it for the pay (I have two masters but I make less than $60k). Young men especially need older men to look up to. Serve God, not mammon ($$) 🙏🙏🙏.
What state are you in???
That pay absolutely sucks! Im sorry man!
You must live in a red state like West Virginia, Oklahoma, or Mississippi in order to get by with 60K per year.
I took the Navy sponsored "Teaching as a Second Career" and went into teaching high school after retirement. I tried it for four years. Classroom management was a greater challenge than dealing with the good order and discipline culture of the military. Additionally, I taught chemistry and electronics, but was sent students who did not meet the prerequisites in math, and etc.
Education is at both the most rewarding and the most thankless job out there. I am not paid nearly enough for the hours I work. During the school year, it is not uncommon to put in 60 hours a week of work with nearly full days of work on Sundays to get ready for the week ahead. And as you say, trying to attend to my personal health throughout the school year is nearly impossible. I try to schedule medical and dental appointments for school holidays but those are often days that medical and dental offices are also closed. It's beyond frustrating. Those are just two reasons to avoid working in education as a teacher, whether you are a man or a woman.
Not a teacher, but my sister was a teacher. In addition to taking home a lower salary, your ability to use all those holidays that you have off is kind of a sad joke. You are competing with others for hotels, travel, and leisure activities when they have reached their peak price points. Try getting a Hawaii vacation during summer season, or a hotel resort over Thanksgiving break without paying premium prices for every activity and finding overbooked restaurants while interacting with huge crowds. Wanna go snow skiing? That will be the next sad joke. When are recreation prices highest? Weekends and holidays, which completely match teacher schedules.
We've worked hard to pay women equal to men when they do the same job - like women engineers should make the same as men. But the problem that has not been addressed is that when an occupation is considered stereotypically women's work, as teaching has been, then the entire field is underpaid. We need to increase the pay for entire job fields that have been stereotypically done by women so they match fields that have been more occupied by men.
I really really enjoy this type of content. Please do more. I like the long (ish) form of content with interesting perspectives
Calculate the hourly rate for 65,000 per school year (9 months) 65,000/180 (then divide by 8). Now calculate the hourly rate 95,000 for full year 95,000/240 (then divide by 8). Compare.
About supporting a family: Even if both parents plan on working, there will be times when it's a toss up between a spouse working and having to pay for child care on one and or staying home and giving up extra income but saving on childcare.
During the summer and school vacations, teachers can be expected to take workshops and courses to retain their certification, sometimes at their own expense. A lot of the time, it's not "time off".
You are spot on with your reasons. As a society, we should want teachers that go above and beyond to make more money and have it be competitive in ALL school districts, because we are teaching tomorrow's leaders. The more prepared the students are, we as a society benefit. If schools were run like a business, we would have more highly educated people for our country's success.
Our teaches in this country as vastly underpaid for the work they do, which is at the top of the scale in terms of importance. You have my respect. My wife was a middle school teacher in Japan, and she often talks about the grind. Things she had to do outside of the work in the classroom. She retired in her 30s and found other work before coming to America. It's a shame because I can tell see her passion and talent is still there.
Gym teachers make the same as an ap calc teacher
Do more of these Gabe
I’m a male physics teacher, and in that specialty there are probably as many males as females, so it’s great to have both male and female role models. With that being said, it definitely hasn’t been the smartest choice financially for a similar math/technical skill set to engineers. And you’re correct about the lack of incentives for working hard - it’s in my nature to do that, so you just can’t think about others who don’t making the same amount. Overall your take is spot-on. Sub plans are the worst!
The fact ur married breaks my heart even tho I never had a shot 😭
I began as a history teacher at the high school level. During interviews the principal always asked, "So what can you coach?" I didn't go into education to be an athletic coach. I was sponsor of numerous clubs over the course of my career but I didn't coach. It would be nice as part of the respect to let teachers teach their subject field and not as an after thought.
Taking a sick day is so difficult, I often just go in sick. We now have a new sub template that is 4 pages long and I had to fill one out, laying down, in crushing pain with a GI bleed. Just awful. Guess what. The plan was not followed and the students did no work that day.
Yes 🙌 I am a woman in education and the lack of good male role models is sad. Young boys need mentors too. Nothing wrong with women as mentors of course but sometimes it just helps to have a role model who you see a potential future self in.
Richard Reeves' book Of Boys and Men discusses this topic extensively. Highly recommend it.
Would love to see a video on why you decided to become a teacher!
I really respect it!:)
You titled this “Why men are not becoming teachers” and then in all the reasons you mentioned, you specified that every reason is why BOTH “men & women” don’t become and/or stay on as teachers.
But there are (statistically) more women in education than men. Which means you’re not getting to the root of the problem. And sampling all teachers won’t help because you aren’t isolating men. And asking male teachers won’t help because they actually became teachers.
You need to sample men who aren’t teachers.
I’m a male teacher and I make more than most people I knew from college. Location has a lot to do with the pay
Many men are in school administrative positions with master or doctorate degrees. I was as a school social worker and served on the administrative team. There were so many demands on admintrators and therefore teachers.
As the only male teacher at my school, I think a major reason (for early education, anyway) is that there's a hidden opinion that looking after children is just not a masculine thing to do. It's probably not something that many would admit to, but it's there. We definitely need more guys in the job!!
Female dominated professions are taken less seriously. Respect is big for me. I enjoy teaching when I'm allowed to do it without all of the negativity from parents, some students, and the public. It's exhausting to work so hard and feel defeated in some ways.
@GinaLJ
You don't think nurses are respected? In the US and Canada, nursing is a very respected profession.
No, they are not. Doctors are held in higher esteem and often nurses carry a large load.
Personally, the salary system of teachers is one of the reasons i'm trying to go into teaching. No i'm not saying i want to slack off on the job, but knowing /exactly/ how much you are making every pay period is an honest relief. It's far easier to budget for and you don't have to worry about busting your ass off just to try and get an extra dollar or two. I worked in sales/tech help and every day i was scared about getting fired, what if i'm not doing enough? what if my performance numbers are too low and my boss scolds me? what if i'm fired? some days you can put up with that stress and plaster on a smile and some days you can't and then rude people think you should smile even though they don't know the kind of day you've had. A static pay amount would be a dream and to know that it'll increase over a certain amount of time and not .....maybe if i work extra hard they'll give me a raise! (which they never do). When i become a teacher i'll be able to relax financially and mentally into knowing that my money is predictable and my job is secure. They don't fire teachers for not smiling or not working hard enough, your job depends on your students and that's not always a consistent metric and they know it. I think i just would feel more secure in teaching (high school) than retail or any other solely performance based job (definitely higher starting pay than my last job too). I'm also a transmasc for what that's worth in the conversation about male teachers.
A young FS-1 Development (Foreign Service ) in my country, starts at $70,000 and ends up 35 years later at $100,000, still these figures are probably higher now. US teachers needs a serious overhaul of their salaries this si totally ridiculous.
I think it depends on personality type and how you are raised. You have to have a different kind of thick skin to deal with today's parents and deal with the some of the discipline issues that arise in the classroom, but still be compassionate because you're working with children. I think there is a culture of toxic masculinity. I do wish more men would become teachers. It's great, and also boys need good role models. Also, I'm currently going through my certification right now, and I'm about to be the 9th teacher in my family. I'm proud to say that of those 9, 5 of them are men.
The pay scale and the respect can vary from community to community. In some places a teacher's salary is quite competitive with the local job market if not the best job in the area. there is also an assumption that male teachers are only there until they finish a masters and go into admin. There is a different vibe about it. There is an assumption that a male teacher who is not fast tracking is somehow defective. A new male teachers who goes into the profession thinking "there is a shortage and they need me", are quickly met with opposition and passive aggressive behavior not from students but co teachers. Another aspect not normally mentioned is that male teachers tend to be given the classes with known behavior issues. It makes the first year as a teacher a crucible when you are having tough classes to teach and a less than welcoming atmosphere from your peers.
Speaking only for myself, I never wanted to be a teacher because I generally don’t care to deal with kids, and I’m not interested in teaching for any age group, including adults.
Additionally, in the US landscape, it takes a lot of effort just to get into a field with relatively crap pay compared to other fields that require a degree. I don’t want to deal with parents because I’ve seen how unhinged some of them can be.
And as the situation deteriorates, it becomes harder and harder to sell teaching in many US states.
Oh, someone thinks the breaks are unfair comparative to other jobs? Well, no one is stopping people from becoming teachers.
I've been a special education teacher for 30 years, and I love my job. My son was a personal trainer for 15 years and is now a travel RN, and he loves his job. In both jobs, he was paid more than I'm paid then and now. Most teachers in our K-5 building are females like I am. The one male teacher is married to a highly paid corporate executive; they just built a mansion.
Neat video! Your microphone is really blown out
I taught fourth grade for four years, and I left. There's a lack of respect, and that doesn't sit with me. In addition, there's a lack of accountability. Finally, as you said, it's the pay. I'm trying to provide, and the income is not enough. I now work in a different field an make more and have respect.
It's a complicated issue. I tried my hand at teaching back in the early 2000s. My credentialing program really glossed over classroom management strategies, so I feel like I was set up for failure. I went to seminars and observed other teachers, but the students were not really respecting me as an authority figure. I also entered the profession during the time when there were a lot of budget shortfalls, so I kept getting laid off. I did a few more years of subbing before going back to retail sales.
This guy has perhaps an advantage in that he's athletic, nice-looking, energetic and, yes, tall. (That last one may seem odd, but people respond differently to tall people than to average or short. Certainly MS students do.) I like this guy's videos, but I wonder if we'd watch them if he were, say, the same height and weight as Jason Alexander or Danny DeVito.
Bravo to all men who take on this important profession.
When I graduated with a BS in Software Engineer in 2014 the average intro salary for Software Engineering in North Texas was 64k/yr and the TOP of the pay scale for a seasoned teacher in any public ISD in North Texas was 64k/yr. That's 25-30 YOE difference for the same money.
The pay regardless of work ethic is frustrating. The teacher schedule does have its pros & cons
I agree with both points.
I strongly disagree about the payment. I live in a country where teachers are paid very very well. Still there is a shortage of male teachers.
I think there are a lot of other reasons why men so really become teachers.
We get paid for the holidays in Hong Kong. You don't get paid there?
Women have an easier time "marrying up" or marrying guys who make more than they do. Most women want a man to make the same if not more. So if you're a man teaching, that limits your dating pool to other teachers or professions that make similar to teaching. It's also just a ton of work for not a lot of pay. Not only do you teach during the day but you have to lesson plan and grade on nights and weekends. You end up with very little time off. And the average might be in the sixties but starting pay can be in the $50Ks or even less. Throw in student behaviors and stories about everyone leaving all over social media, not something that looks appetizing.
Because of the risk of abuse accusations.
I’m old and dark skin, kids see me as freshmen in high school and it’s a shock for them, after seen only women for years
I taught K-12 for about 15 years. Every teacher I know had some kind of work in the summer. None took the summer as a vacation because the salary simply isn't high enough.
Just an FYI: if a teacher leaves after getting tenure but before retirement, the reason almost never has anything to do with students or actual teaching. It's nearly always purely administrative.
The reason why teachers won't go above and beyond is because of unions. In fact, former premier Dalton McGuinty in Ontario wanted pay for performance and there was a big backlash with the unions. The other reason I find is people don't respect men and also people don't want to deal with being talked down too by other teachers, principals, administration, as well as the unions that pick and choose who they represent as well. Also, the backlash of men is the other one as well too and there are men that want to preserve their inner peace.
I just started teaching 2 years ago at 43. No way I could have handled it when I was younger.
I also think that men working with kids is stigmatized and viewed as weird whereas women obviously are expected to like and be good with kids.
And yeah, my history with the genders of K-12 teachers is similar to yours. In elementary my only male teacher was the PE teacher, in middle school I only had 3 male teachers, and in high school I had a decent number of male teachers but still slightly more female teachers. But then when I went to college the majority of my professors were male.
You blithering.
Teacher pay is low for two reasons: 1. Teachers are paid through local taxes. People do not want to pay teachers more than they earn, and 2. Since most teachers are women, people don't want to pay women what men earn.
Also, factor into the equation that fewer men are attending college.
Not gonna lie. I teach (in year 7) still make just around 45k and I work my tail off. I have 2 certifications soon to be 3, Chemistry, Math, and soon Physics. Yet students are beyond disrespectful and that is ridiculous combined with mediocre pay.
Watching you from the other side of the Atlantic, I gotta say that some of the issues highlighted are the same even in the old continent, especially the pay and the lack of respects. I don't know if in the USA is the same but, is there a difference in subjects? Are male teachers more common in scientific subjects and less common in humanities like here?
The higher the grade level the more male teachers you see. Yes, there are more in maths and sciences. It's not a huge difference, but definitely enough to notice.
The system is broken. You’re stuck with horrible behaved students if they end up in your classroom, and they ruin the experience for everyone. And that’s just one of the never ending list of terrible reasons to stay out
I work in Healthcare: it’s hard AF to take time off & raise /bonus is a joke
100% correct. As a male I always thought I was meant to be a teacher but I could never support a family on the pay. Women don’t have to be bread winners- most want to quit working after they have kids. The man has to be able to provide
This comment is 100% stupid.
Teachers are underpaid nationally for sure. I am definitely an advocate for providing housing subsidies for teachers.
About salary - life time earning of teacher is on par with most jobs
Anyone who is expected to support a family will choose another field. Unless you were a workaholic like me. I did work on the weekends and summer to retire.
in california pay doesnt seem TOOO bad. I do agree effort compared to pay doesnt seem balanced but it does seem to get better the longer you stay on the job.. but again i do hear admin makes more so thats the ultimate goal
Its is problematic if you work in Laguna Beach, San Clemente, Palo Alto,... You will never be able to afford a home with your pay.
@ i mean yea, youre not making Laguna Beach money as a teacher anywhere.. i think its also good to be realistic with expectations
LOL 3 months....hahahahahahaha! between the extra week after school ends and the week+ before school starts, plus the curriculum mapping that is "optional" but absolutely mandatory.,,,7 weeks off (UNpaid) I'd prefer 3 months as getting temp job in the summer would be easier than trying to get employment for 6-7 weeks. We are paid for the days worked and that is it. But the school certainly finds ways of getting several weeks worth of unpaid time. NOTE: I try not to gripe too much, as I still feel lucky to be a single parent who can have multiple weeks off with my son during the year, but it isn't always easy.
I think nr. 2 is the real reason, lack of respect. In my country, teachers are comparatively well paid. Men still don’t go into teaching since teachers are disrespected by politicians and society as a whole.
Teaching is getting worse, low pay has always been there but student behavior and lack of consequences for misbehaving has never been so bad 👎
Honestly, I have always thought men don’t go into eduction due to pay. Those that do go into education will either quit or go into administration. Now days, many women and men are leaving the education field due to student behaviors!
Babe, why are you not on Teacher Off Duty Podcast?
It’s so sad how few men go into the profession because you know what a lot of rebellious boys don’t have? A male role model. They have a mom at home and females in their lives but they crave a male role model.
Also side note: you have huge hands. Not a bad thing just something I noticed in this video
In Hong Kong here, we have many male teachers.
More like $40,000/year for a newer teacher in N.E. Wisconsin.😞
I am not a teacher. At one time early in my career I had actually considered being a teacher. I am glad I didn't go into education. The pay is an issue. Benefits packages are for crap. PTO is a joke. The continuing Education requirements are cumbersome and expensive. Parents and administration don't agree or support the teacher. Communities do not provide enough money and support for public education. How many times are tax levies for education defeated...and not by just a little bit. The pupil to teacher ratios are way too high. Governmental interference and legislation that are racist, homophobic, sexist, etc....that deny the ability of teachers to teach, instead, making them into a part of some political agenda. Teachers are expected to be disciplinarians, councilors, substitute parents, report on suspected abuse, protectors to shield kids from shooters and violence, first aid, and anything else that the child needs or is tossed onto the job description....no thanks. When i was in grade school i had 2 male teachers. They were FANTASTIC. In Jr. High I had several male teachers. In HS it was about 50% men. I was in public school and at that time, the city provided strong support for our school system, but today, that school system is terrible. Funding is a joke, attendance is terrible, just no thanks. I commend those that still go into education, knowing what they are in for. I wish that the public was as supportive of teachers and schooling.
Richard reeves look into him he's awesome for this case
historically, teaching at the grade school level was seen as "women's work" similar to other positions like flight attendants (stewardess) and office clerks/assistants. Because these rolls were traditionally filled by women they also received less pay and less respect. It's just more evidence of the misongony in our nation's history.
Presently, I think all the things your are saying are true, in terms of pay, respect etc. Moreover, as someone who has worked as both a teacher and a counselor, there is crapton of uppaid time. Most teachers get a conference period but these lessons ain't gonna write themselves and neither will the papers that need grading.
In terms of teacher turnover, I still did lessons and planning during the summers and the needs from students, the demands from parents and families, and the mandates from districts have only increased- especially since 1) No Child Left Behind and 2) Covid.
He’s good looking!.!.
It's simple. It's just not worth it. As sad as it is.