Friday, July 20, 2007
If You Could Choose Your Principal
Learn Me Good brought up a very interesting idea about the need for more male role models in the elementary schools. In my elementary there was one male teacher and his entry into our hallway was always a major occasion among the older students. I of course diverged in my thought processes to dumbfoundedly realize how relieved I am at the thought of a male principal next year. My last two principals had people skills on the negligible side. Both of them were coincidentally women. Both of them were coincidentally possibly needing psychiatric care for bipolar disorders. What type of stereotypes have I developed in my mind because of the past 5 years? Do I think women principals are too emotional? Do I find male principals less threatening? Is my relief at a male principal because I secretly feel him to less capable or that I can get along with a male superior better? There are a lot of dynamics here that are worrisome to me. What exactly am I hoping to see in a principal? One who knows their stuff and directs me as he/she sees necessary or one who leaves me the hell alone to do my job? If you had a choice, would you choose a male or female principal?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
There are not enough men in education, that's for sure. (My assumption is that's because men tend to go into fields that pay better.) We need more male teachers because because boys better identify with men, just as girls better identify with women. Still, I do not believe that gender necessarily determines whether or not a teacher or an administrator will be good.
I find it understandable for you to hope that the next person in charge of your school will be better than the last.
I think that there are lots more men at the secondary level---but we need more at our elementary schools.
As for admins, I have posted a couple of times about how much I prefer to work for a man than a woman. There was a recent study about this in the business world. Preference by workers for male bosses is not uncommon. Whether it's a cultural issue (we like female bosses when they act like male ones) or something else remains to be seen.
Post a Comment