This article made me feel several things.
First of all, it seemed many of the teachers described in a Feminist perspective through focus group interviewing were ‘worst case scenarios’ or a negative-driven portrayal of teachers that are not only male supremists and sex perverts, but racists too.
“He hopes I get raped in the park and he’s there to watch.”
This is not an accurate description of male high school teachers in the 90’s. This is one jackass who should never be allowed to teach again.
The article claims there are more male teachers in high school, that they dominate subjects like math and science or phys ed. I went to high school when this article was published, allow me to list the teachers I had:
Biology 10/20: male/male
Chemistry 10/20: male/male
Math 10/20: male/male
Physics 10/20: male/male
English 10/20/30: male/female/male
Social 10/20/30: female/male/male
Art 10/20/30: female/female/female
Phys. Ed: female
Wood working/Metal working: male
Cooking/sewing: female
Hhhhmmmmmmmm………interesting.
The quote from my high school yearbook: “Thanks to Mr. B, Mr. M, Mr. A for making school fun…” Perhaps I was lucky I never encountered ‘teacher intimidation’ or discouragement, I always found the male teachers to be just as supportive and genuine (with exception to my grade 5 homeroom teacher, but that's elementary).
I agree with the article where it describes students not answering because they are afraid of saying the wrong thing, but I think this is the same for both sexes. I also agree the content of some subjects (particularly history, English and art) leave out significant women, but this is rapidly changing and has come leaps and bounds since 1995.
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"but this is rapidly changing and has come leaps and bounds since 1995."
Hmmm, you think? 1994 was yesterday lunch to me, not ancient history, but leaving aside our different time scales, I would like to point out that my class in 1993 was just as sure we had come a long way from the dark days of 1989; my class in 1989 felt we had made considerable progress since 1982, and so on. I thought we had dealt with all this stuff back in the 1960s Yet, every couple of years someone else comes out with a new article that says the same stuff as 30 years before. Where's the progress?
Glad your experience was not these girls' experience....but you have to remember that you are one of the school's success stories --> you're here in part because that wasn't your experience of school. But what would the girls you knew who dropped out have to say on this topic?
"but this is rapidly changing and has come leaps and bounds since 1995."
female artists and writers are much more studied nowadays, particualrly Canadian women, and I would also say that since the ninties homosexuality and cultural diversity have also become much more accepted...I can see the progress, am I too young and idealistic? The feminist research seems biased towards finding what they're trying to prove.
"what would the girls you knew who dropped out have to say on this topic?"
I will ask them the next time I see them...
my roomie (Science major) says in high school she "felt discriminated against because she was a girl" but it was different in college and university.
The article claims there are more male teachers in high school, that they dominate subjects like math and science or phys ed. I went to high school when this article was published, allow me to list the teachers I had:
Biology 10/20: male/male
Chemistry 10/20: male/male
Math 10/20: male/male
Physics 10/20: male/male
English 10/20/30: male/female/male
Social 10/20/30: female/male/male
Art 10/20/30: female/female/female
Phys. Ed: female
Wood working/Metal working: male
Cooking/sewing: female
I think these stats are true, but horrible at the same time. What gets my nerve up is when high school teachers say "I'd never work in a elementary school too many butts to wipe or tears to soak up".
In my opinion, as I want to work in elementary, I will be doing a huge favour to all those high school teachers stereotyped above, when all my students have good note taking skills and are prepared for class, with assignments ready to go, and with the idea that learning is their ticket to their future in their heads, I'll be hearing the sound of highschool teachers saying Thank you.
I'm sure if we had more Males in elementary and more Females in highschool courses (non stereotypical), everyone will win!
Nice dialog there folks.
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