Male teachers: always valued AND vulnerable
As a man who chose to teach, I took the road less travelled, and that HAS made all the difference. This was the focus of my PhD research and my work as a teacher, administrator and curriculum consultant for many years.
Back in 1977 I was hired by the Calgary Board of Education to teach kindergarten. I became the subject of a front-page article in The Calgary Herald in 1978 as the only man teaching kindergarten.
I loved teaching and focused my time and energy into becoming a good teacher. I read good picture books, I set up the centres, I took my guitar to school and we sang silly songs. I attended workshops and meetings for kindergarten teachers. However, beginning in my first year I heard comments from parents, teachers, administrators, librarians, secretaries and caretakers about my presence in the school building as a man.