There are some disadvantages to being a male primary school teacher. Other staff presume you can help them with technical problems. Children are initially scared of you, which can clash with your own way of teaching. You can very easily be excluded from interaction with colleagues because you lack a propensity for eating salad. You can't dress too unusually, lest you look like a creepy man. If you raise your voice beyond a caustic whisper you get a reputation for bellowing at children, which makes more softly spoken teachers think you have lost all control over your class.
And there are some advantages too. You are expected to do lots of sport even if you aren't very physically competent, and if you take on that role you find yourself outdoors running around quite a lot, which is refreshing. You can easily gain a reputation for being funny, especially if you are. You can reach all the highest shelves and make displays that are high up the walls, because males a generally taller. Some say it is easier to climb up the greasy promotion pole.
These are mostly unjust rewards. I don't like unjust rewards, but having just experienced the end of my first term, I am willing to suspend my protestations until after Christmas.
The gifts I received were great. The teacher next door was very grateful for her gifts but my face was awash with smugness when I saw her caressing her new wrist-bangles as I lugged my carry sack full of home-made cakes and biscuits, a new aftershave and razor set, a tie and cuff-links set, some branded perfume, a Biryani and some boxes of chocolate.
I'm not sure of the point I am trying to make with this. I think I am just continuing to gloat, whilst letting you know that I know it is maybe unfair.
Male primary teachers are desperately needed in primary schools. The job however, can be perceived as one not suitable for men. This perception is outdated and inaccurate and puts a lot of potentially great Male Primary Teachers off from joining the profession.
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