I don’t like talking about it and neither does many of my male colleagues, but it is a major reason for why there are so few male teachers in Primary/Elementary schools. The fear of being maliciously and unfairly accused of inappropriate conduct with students drives male teachers away from the early years. I wrote a post just last month which showed that “the main reason (Canadian) men avoid these young grades is they don’t want to be accused of being pedophiles.”
Recently, a new training video urging teachers never to engage in physical contact with pupils, even when adjusting the position of a child’s hand on an instrument was released.
The film, called Inappropriate Demonstration, shows a violin lesson in which a pupil fails to play the right notes. The teacher explains the technique by placing a hand on the pupil’s shoulder and holding his fingers in the right position on the violin. He then explains it a second time by demonstrating on his own violin the correct position. The pupil then plays the correct notes.
The film advises teachers: “It isn’t necessary to touch children in order to demonstrate: there’s always a better way.”
Thankfully, Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Education in the UK, condemned the video.
That approach “plays to a culture of fear” among children and adults, he said, as he ordered schools to abandon “no contact” rules between teachers and pupils. It was “positively right” for teachers to comfort distressed pupils by putting an arm around them, or demonstrate sports skills through physical contact with a child, he said.
The mother of one of my best friends is a teacher who was maliciously accused of improper conduct with a student because she touched the students hand in an attempt to guide him in correct handwriting technique. It’s scares me personally, because as careful as I am to stay professional and squeaky clean, it is much easier (in this respect) teaching older kids.
To make matters worse, the kids are used to getting hugs from, and sitting on the lap of, female teachers. I literally have to tell my students on the first day that under no circumstances can they hug, pat or touch me. They don’t understand, but thankfully they comply.
I believe that the fear of an inappropriate teacher is a natural one. The media reports on a new “monster” every day, who takes the privilege of teaching children and abuses it in the very worst way. I believe that the prime responsibility is to safeguard the children. Their safety is far more important than my working conditions and pressures.
However, all things said and done, when you are told that you can’t readjust the grip of your music student, you are reminded why male teachers look elsewhere for a career.
Topical Teaching 