How Does Gender Affect the Teaching Profession?

 


How Gender Affects our views of the Teaching Profession


This is a topic I have struggled with for a long time. When I told my parents I wanted to be a teacher, they seemed slightly disappointed. Don't get me wrong, they were very excited I had chosen a profession that would help so many children and families, they had always wanted me to be a doctor or a businesswoman. What I wondered was why I was getting such a weird reaction from people when I told them I wanted to be a teacher. I have heard all of my life that teaching is a "married woman's job" and for a while, I would agree. Teachers do not get paid enough to sustain a family with just that salary alone, usually, we have to get a side job, or in most cases, have a partner who can help with the financial aspect of our lives. I didn't understand that this was rooted in a sexist belief that it was an "easy job" and to that, I now say I wish the people who say those things would try and do it for a day! Like I have said in previous blog posts, in this profession you have to wear so many different hats. You have to be an advocate, a friend, a facilitator, a role model, and so much more. Why is our profession not respected more? We are shaping future generations and preparing them to become active members of society who contribute to their communities and prepare them to be respectful of others all while following a curriculum to allow them to have the knowledge to do all of these things. A question that got me thinking was "Are men discouraged from working as elementary teachers?" I feel that society looks down on male teachers for the reason that this is "a married woman's job". Another sexist belief that discourages people from becoming educators, so I leave you with this question. How do we as a society change this thought process in order to be more supportive of this profession for all who want to follow this path? Thank you for reading my experience with this topic.

Comments

  1. Christel GrallMarch 25, 2022 at 12:52 PM

    Priya, thank you for sharing your personal struggle on how gender is affecting the teaching profession for you. I applaud you for going after what you want, despite all the pushback you’ve received. You are so right that teachers wear so many hats within their job and are not paid enough for everything they do. I think that the societal creation of teaching being a “married woman’s job” is exactly why men are not as likely to be teachers, especially if society labels men as the typical breadwinners of the family. With the lower level of pay and the pressure from unfortunate social norms, I would think that those two things naturally discourage many men from becoming teachers. On a positive note, I have seen a slight shift happening in past years, thanks to social media, of what seems like more men becoming teachers. I think the more inclusive culture that social media offers by connecting more people to each other with similar interests across the country is helping create this slow, but powerful shift.

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