Home Hot Topics Articles Directors' Choice Awards About Us / Contact Us Activities & Curriculum Activities for Outcome-Based Learning Arts & Crafts Music for Learning Recommended Reading Sharing Boards: What Do YOU Think? NEWSlink Current National News Conference Calendar Topics In Early Childhood Education Art and Creativity in Early Childhood Education Job Sharing Board State Licensing Requirements Stay Connected! Each month we'll send you an email filled with articles and ideas for your classroom. Subscribe Now Date: 8/16/2002 10:56:00 AM Author: Steve (stevemcm@hotmail.com) Subject: Males in ECE This has been an uplifting board! I have been working in the ECE field for about the past 15 years I have a Masters degree in ECE. I started out in the preschool room but have worked in infant rooms and 3 to 5 year old rooms as well. Has there been discrimination...well I think that is a very strong word to just throw around.....there were times when I was asked to change tires for people, primarly women, and was pulled out of the room to do this. I was tasked to shovel sidwalks and do the "manly" details around the center. Currently I am the Director of a large center, I have 80 staff, out of those I have 3 male staff members. Two of the staff work directly with the children and one is our cook. I hire the most capable people reguardless of sex, age or skin color and if that happens to be a male...GREAT. It is my belief that children need to feel loved and charished and that can be done by males as well as females. Most of my parents feel very comfortable with the males caring for their children, I have had very few complaints at all. Of course you get the occasional parent who is not comfortable with the male, usually a new parent with an infant girl. It is hard to be a male in this field and I tell all my male staff to safeguard themselves against aligations of abuse....for example, while changing girls diapers make sure that someone knows what you are doing. I also tell them that it is okay to love on the children but do it in appropriate ways so that there can never be a question of your intentions. In my career I have seen some horrible care givers and some awesome care givers, they have been both male and female. In reference to Judy....."Shame on you!" You are exactly the type of person who puts organizations in danger of lawsuits for sexual harrasment and discrimination not to mention union complaints. You would have a very difficult time mantaining a postition that requires you to be sensitive about diversity. I do not understand how you can possible deal with children effectivly with the kind of attitude towards diversity you displayed on this post. Name: Email: Subject

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