Male Preschool Teacher

What comes to mind when I mention a preschool teacher?

You start to think of classrooms. Chairs and tables of all sort of colours. Decorations hanging from the ceiling, walls, and doors. The smell of fragrance cascading through the rooms. The warm sunlight bathing the floors. 

No matter what you were thinking of, your image of a teacher is a female.

I am a male preschool teacher. I am learning to both embrace and appreciate the fact. 99% of my colleagues are all female. It takes a lot of security to be able to stand amongst them. Often, I am the butt of their jokes, and I do get offended. But, I understand that people can get careless with their words.

I find my role very crucial. Children need to see this stereotype changed before it can't be changed. Boys can like pink. Girls can like blue. You might nod your head in agreement, but often these stereotypes happen.

When you see a boy crying, you will tell him that he is a boy. He needs to man up. But when a girl cries, it's okay. So the boy grows up thinking that men are not allowed to express their emotions.

I can't tell you how damaging this is. When I was 13, I got bullied by the whole class because of my looks. I cried during assembly time, and when the class prefect saw that and asked me, I pretended I didn't. No way! I am a man. A manly man. A manly man who will not be allowed to cry.

So I am hopeful for the future. A future where gender stereotypes can be removed.