s/o of skroops daycare post- some quesitons

Mrs_Hark

my mom watches M so i have had no daycare experiences, not that dealing with mom doesn't have it's challenges, but DH's brother is a day care teacher down in DC and is up visiting us this week. he's told us that job or not he's moving back up here by january so he's been doing some investigating on getting a position up here at a day care.

BIL- like DH is a big goon, and when he walked into a day care they immediately think he's there to steal some children, but he's really a big teddy bear of a guy. i guess at one day care- sorry he didn't give me the name- once he explained his situation they were so excited that he was looking for a job.

so my questions:

would you or do you like/dislike having a guy teacher at day care? why? why not?

Skroops brought up turnover- why is there so much?

any other thoughts?

 

 

jessica6283

We have at least one male teacher at our daycare, and I like it. I think it'll give Ben a different perspective. I wish (maybe it's b/c I have a boy) that there were more male teachers at his daycare. And funny that we actually saw him at a lax game (well, he saw me, and was trying to get our attention by calling ben's name LOL). 

I was a daycare teacher for years...there's a few reasons for turnover...

1. Teachers don't get paid alot. And when you know that parents are paying a boatload and you are getting minimum wage, it sucks.

2. There is a high burnout rate when you have multiple screaming children and parents and feel underappreciated.

3. Alot of the "teachers" are just assistant. Which means they aren't licensed or anything and can make much the same money at target or walmart. So they go wheereever is paying the most.

Telyco

DH would not allow our kids to have a male daycare teacher. I know it's really stupid but it is what it is. I think a male influence would be awesome for the boys especially. But with really little kids you are so hands on that yeah, I'd be a little uncomfortable with it too. Does he have any certification? Another option is to work for EI agencies...I can totally see some parents asking to have a male, my mom used to ask for male teachers for my brother. He just listened to them better.

xKimx

I worked in a daycare for 5 years and some of the most loving & caring staff members were male. I think it is really important for the kids to have a positive male role model as well as female. I honestly do not understand why people are not comfortable with male teachers. They go through background checks & finger printing, etc.

Reasons for turnover? The pay sucks, especially when you have a bachelors or masters (and have the student loans to pay back). And like Jessica said the screaming from both kids & parents can be overwhelming and a lot of times there is little support from directors, etc. 

MelissaSue81

I also don't have daycare experience, but the male teacher thing just got brought up on another board I'm on too.. I never would have thought twice about it before that.  One girl said that the only male teacher at her daughters daycare was not allowed to change diapers or take kids to the bathroom. I dunno... to me that seems really discriminatory.. couldn't a female teacher just as easily be a sex abuser? I mean, i know its statistically less likely, but still possible. But it probably keeps the parents happier.. I honestly don't think that I would care though.

mrsoc

I do not have any daycare experience, but I would have no problem having a male staff person working at one that my kids attended.  I think it would show that both genders can be caregivers.  

Mrs_Hark

thanks for all your thoughts girls. 

BIL has a degree, early childhood ed maybe, i don't know the specifics though.

i know he realizes that he'll probably make less here than he was down in DC, but the cost of living here is so much cheaper. it'll still be nice to have him up here

sunnygirl05

If I'm being 100% honest (and I hope I don't get flamed for this) I think I would get nervous about my kids having a male teacher if they went to a daycare center. It's such an irrational thought, I know!!!  As the pp said, women can be abusers too.  I don't know if it's because I have two boys. And hearing all the stories on the news of sexual abuse scares the crap outa me. It's terrible that I feel this way.  I just can't help it.  I'm already worried about Justin going to school and having to ride a bus with a bus driver we don't know.  I need to get a grip!!!

Bianca42

We had a male teacher at our last center and the kids loved him.  My current center doesn't have any at the location we use, but they have a couple male teachers at other locations.  The teachers float between locations occasionally for extreme staff shortages...so it wouldn't shock me to see one of them there.

Unknown male teacher in a center wouldn't bother me in the least.  It is rare for any teacher to have much alone time with any of the kids.

I would feel less comfortable about a home daycare provider who was male unless I knew them before.  But, I'm not hugely comfortable in any home daycare situation because of something that a family member went though.  

jnk062602

I wouldn't have a problem with it.  DH is uncomfortable with anyone watching dd, regardless of sex.  Luckily, my daycare search was ended short by my mom being able to watch her more.  But man, talk about protective.  However, he had a bad experience as a kid, so maybe that plays into it?

My favorite teacher of all time was my first grade teacher.  Who was a man and was gay.  I guess other parents actually went to the school board or were trying to switch their kid to another class.  (I of course was way too young to know any of this, but my parents told me later).  He was awesome though, really instilled a love of learning and reading in kids.  I would come home from school and tell my parents I wanted to marry him haha.