In recent discussions surrounding public education in the United States, there have been many "make it make sense," "the math ain't mathin'," and "thanks to the patriarchy" moments.
One such discussion, led by TikToker Caro Claire Burke, has gone viral on the platform for digging into why young boys are "falling behind" in their education, to the point that many are in favor of boys starting school a year later than girls, and why there aren't more male teachers in the classroom, acting as role models for these young boys.
Burke was particularly interested in the latter question, why there aren't more male teachers, especially in preschool and primary education, because she could see a cyclical, patriarchal problem at work.
And she believed that it was less about salary and more about what is deemed "feminine" and "less important."
"We talk much less about why there aren't more male kindergarten teachers. And I will tell you, I don't think it has as much to do with salary as some people think."
"What I find endlessly funny about this conversation is when people talk about needing more male teachers as role models in these educational systems without understanding that the reason there aren't more male teachers is the same reason why young boys are 'falling behind.' It's the same root problem. You can't solve one without solving the other."
"You can't get more teachers without solving the same problem that is causing boys to misbehave and f**k up in school. Because, make no mistake, that's what's actually happening."
It all goes back to patriarchal ideologies and what's being taught at home.
"Little boys are taught at the earliest imaginable age possible that certain traits, behaviors, jobs, careers, and ways of life are 'feminine,' and when things are coded as 'feminine' they are taught to value them less."
"When I was in elementary school, there were a few male teachers, and do you know how the boys in my class treated them? They said they [the teachers] were gay. Why? Because those male teachers were really nice and thoughtful and tried to talk to us about our emotions."
"If parents aren't going to teach their kids that communication, empathy, support, and talking about your feelings aren't gay, then we're not going to really get anywhere."
Burke was confident that all of the problems were connected to how teaching is valued.
"The reason we don't have more male kindergarten teachers or preschool teachers is for the same reason that we don't pay those positions very well. It's the same reason why turnover is really high in those jobs. It's the same reason why kids are rude to people in those jobs."
"It's because their parents and society around them teaches them from the youngest possible age to not value them."
If children were to be taught that education is valuable and should be respected, then they would treat their teachers better, and they'd also retain better memories of school, which would incline more of them to want to pursue education as a career option.
You can watch the video here:
Some pointed out that the educational system was designed to place men in power while women remained in the "lesser" teaching roles.
@caroclaireburkeee/TikTok
@caroclaireburkeee/TikTok
@caroclaireburkeee/TikTok
@caroclaireburkeee/TikTok
@caroclaireburkeee/TikTok
Others were furious about the concern that was being placed around men and boys instead of women and girls.
@caroclaireburkeee/TikTok
@caroclaireburkeee/TikTok
@caroclaireburkeee/TikTok
@caroclaireburkeee/TikTok
@caroclaireburkeee/TikTok
One other point that came from the conversation was that male teachers of young children is "creepy" and should not be encouraged, to which Burke replied:
"I got this comment, and I was like, 'Why am I wasting all of my time on this [conversation]?' This right here is our problem."
"You want to know why we don't have more male kindergarten teachers?"
"It is so foreign to a large group of people that men might actually just enjoy children and might enjoy being nurturing and might enjoy having some of the 'feminine' traits that we just usually assign to women, that we will call them pedophiles if they actually do it [teach]."
Burke also noticed that a lot of comments had come up about male teachers being more likely to sexually assault or otherwise have inappropriate relationships with their students and staff than female teachers.
"We basically treat the sexualization and objectification of women by men as a law of science rather than a product of culture."
"Maybe if young men were taught that it's okay to view children and to view women as human beings that they can want to spend time with for reasons that are not sexual, then maybe we would have as much sexual assault either."
"And maybe we'd have more unproblematic male teachers."
You can watch the video here:
From being accused of being gay to being overly feminine to having gross ulterior motives, it's no wonder that more men aren't pursuing teaching as a career path, even if they intellectually and empathetically would be amazing in that role.
Teaching has been placed on such a low pedestal that it's been earmarked for most as an undesirable role, especially for men who expect to be in a place of power when they grow up.
Unless serious work is done to change the mindset around teaching, femininity, and empathy, there might not be enough male teachers—but it might not be the time and place for them either.
@phillytradesman/Bluesky
