PDC Review - Fall 2006

Spotlight on Bryan Nelson

P.S. After reading Bryan’s responses to my questions I realized Bryan forgot to include one thought for all of us, “Men Who Change Diapers Change the World.”

August 2006

When and how did you get involved in early childhood education?
The first job I had working in early childhood education was at an after school program at Tuttle Latchkey, an after school program in one of the Minneapolis Public Schools. Linda Hutchinson was my supervisor and she really encouraged me to take some workshops. I really appreciated how much faith she had in me. In the past, I had worked in construction, as a back deckhand on a ship and a short order cook. Believe me, working with children was much more interesting!

Once I found I liked working with young children, I decided to look for full time work in field and was hired at Seward Co-op Child Care, a parent owned and teacher managed early education program. There I really learned about early care and education. I was not an experienced teacher. In fact, I remember running and running around with the children and then collapsing on the ground from exhaustion. After resting a minute, I’d get back up and run around again. The children loved it – but – the other teachers were, how should I put it – tolerant. Except for one teacher – Phoebe Kohman. She had her teaching license and although a young teacher, she also was a parent, and very smart. She would tell me, a young, inexperienced guy, with a big ego, that, “Bryan, you’re doing such a GREAT job with the children! I can tell how much fun you and the children are having. I just have a minor suggestion.” And then she would give me some tips about sitting with the children in the book corner and reading a book. She’d say, “I know the children will LOVE your voice. And, besides, you could rest up for the next time you want to run with the children.”

Phoebe was amazing that way. And she would add something new every week until I expanded what I could do with the children. She really encouraged and inspired me to get my Child Development Associate credential and then ultimately my degrees.

Of your many accomplishments in the field which one are you most proud of?
Probably the biggest is when I meet some of the children that I have cared for over the years. It’s such a shock to see them with their own children! And it’s also very hopeful to me to know that I’ve made a small difference in their lives.

Another would be staying in the profession. There are so many pressures for a man not to remain in education, particularly early education – making the care and nurturing of children and families my life work. I remember friends saying, “When are you going to get a real job?” as if working with young children wasn’t a real job for a man.

I’m also very proud of my work with MenTeach, the many men that I have encouraged to become teachers and the many men that I’ve encouraged to care for young children.

In your opinion what barriers keep more men from entering the field of early childhood education?
I completed a large, national random-sampled study of NAEYC members in 1999 as part of my Harvard University graduate work. It was the first of it’s kind, and it looked at this very question: “Why don’t men enter or continue to work with young children?” (visit www.MenTeach.org to see the full report).

The responses showed a highly positive response regarding the value of men working with children (98% of the respondents strongly agreed or agreed that it was very important for men to work with young children) but also revealed why so few men were teachers.

The three main barriers to men teaching and working with children identified by survey respondents are as follows.

• Stereotypes. Some people believe that working with young children is “women’s work,” that men are not nurturing, and that there must be something wrong with any man who would want to teach young children.
• Fear of accusation of abuse. Some people fear that men will harm children or be accused of abuse.
• Low status and low wages. Working with young children has low status and low wages.

Do you believe that the gender-gap in learning can be helped by having more male teachers in early childhood programs and the early grades?
Yes. But let me be clear, the most important characteristic of a teacher isn’t the gender or sex of the teacher – it is that the teacher is competent, loves and cares about children and families. With that said, let me ask, what message do children get if there are no men in the centers and schools? Would a boy or girl believe education or caregiving is important to men? I believe children learn from what they see and if there are no men making our profession their life work then children, especially boys, are learning that this work isn’t something men do. We see a significant decrease in the percentages of males going on to college. And for African-American boys, the graduation rate is around 50 percent. That is terrible. Boys (and girls) are seeing almost no men of color teaching. Again – women are doing important, quality work – but, our education system isn’t really representative of our world and more importantly of the world of our children. We all know, intuitively, that children need strong, nurturing men (and of course women) in their daily lives.

Some programs are starting “all boy” classrooms; do you think this will help narrow the gap?
Yes. And it’s good that you ask about “all boy” classrooms instead of schools. I believe it’s one useful strategy having, within co-educational schools, “all boy” and “all girl” classes to counteract the sexism that exists in our society. And the sexism hurts both girls and boys. We currently have many special classes and programs for girls. Just this summer friends of mine told me about a special math, science and computer camp for just girls. Why don’t we see something similar for boys around nurturing and social-emotional and reading skills? We know that boys do poorly in these areas yet we don’t offer them something comparable to help them build those areas. Perhaps we could offer a class in schools for boys on “How to ask for directions.” (Just kidding).

A really good book to read is by a former Harvard professor of mine, Dan Kindlon, Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Health of Boys. It’s a really good book to understand what boys are facing today.

Finally, we are just now beginning to see research that shows that some boys do better if there is a male teacher. (See http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/4144185.html). I’m beginning the process of doing another large study to add to the research about the importance of men teaching.

What can child care centers do to make men more interested in teaching younger children?
I have a saying, “If we make a classroom or program, boy-friendly, then it’s likely to be father-friendly, and if it’s father-friendly then it will be welcoming for men to teach.” A boy-friendly classroom takes into account the activeness that boys seem to exhibit; not all boys, but most boys - just as not all girls struggle with math – but many do. We need to have our classrooms set up for more active play. If you think about it, it’s going the opposite direction when we are reducing active play in schools. I remember that recess was one of my most enjoyable times at school. To see more about this read Dan Gartrell and Margaret Kings book The Power of Guidance: Teaching Social-Emotional Skills in Early Childhood Classrooms.

So, if a program is boy-friendly, then you begin to think about making your program more father-friendly: Do you have magazines in your office that might be welcoming for men? Are they all women’s magazines or are there magazines that men often enjoy, e.g. GQ, Sports Illustrated, etc. Are there photographs of men and fathers holding and nurturing children? Do teachers calling a home always ask for the mother to talk about a family’s child even though the man answering is the father? It happened to me with my children. The teacher assumed that I didn’t care about what was happening with my child.

Finally, it’s important to hire men. In a previous book I co-edited, one of the researchers found that some directors would hire a woman without an early education degree yet would not hire a man without an early education degree. We need to consider giving men a chance just as we give women a chance to be firefighters and police officers. Ask your sons, nephews and grandfathers to consider our profession. Most of the time, we don’t ask people to consider teaching.

How can programs retain men in their centers?
Hire more men. I know this sounds flippant – but – it really has proven to be true. The more men visible in your program the more likely your program will be male-friendly and the more likely you will retain men and also be able to recruit men. Directors often ask me where are all the men? Which is surprising given that half the world population are men! Men are out there, you just need to ask.

You will need to change some strategies about how you recruit and how you retain those men. If you are a woman reading this, think how comfortable you feel if you walk into a place with mostly men – for example, a car repair shop. Some women feel comfortable at a car repair shop. Most don’t. And most men don’t feel comfortable in the classroom environment. I’m 6’3” and things feel tiny to me. I’m not suggesting you change the classroom to fit my structure, but, with some thought, (ask the fathers for their suggestions), you can make your program welcoming and inviting for men.

What advice can you offer to other men in the field?
Get a mentor. Find a man or women that you admire and watch and learn. You’ll be able to make it in the profession if you have someone to talk with to help you think through things.

The other advice I’d offer is to follow your instinct or intuition. You need to believe in yourself enough to take the risk to be in this profession. It has many, many rewards but it’s not necessarily monetary.

How can people get involved with MenTeach?
There are many ways:
1) Check out the MenTeach website to find out what others are doing and consider posting to the site.
2) Mentor another man in the profession or recruit someone new – begin by asking every man whether he has considered being a teacher.
3) There are retreats, symposiums and conferences that you can attend but also help to organize.
4) Finally, volunteer a few hours a month with some of the important work we are doing. E-mail or call us to find out what you can do.

What motivates you to stay in this field?
The children, families that we serve and, of course my family and friends.

I’m always amazed when I run into a young adult who I was their teacher. And there they stand, with his or her own children, and I realize that I helped to raise that person and now they have children. It’s really a powerful legacy.

My own family and friends have been very significant in helping me remember why I do this work. And the many men and women I have met, from all over the world, who I met through my work in this field and now enjoy as friends.

Who were some of your mentors along the way?
I’ll mention just two. The first was Phoebe Kohman, she was at Seward Coop Child Care and she is the one that helped me, in an incredibly diplomatic and thoughtful way, appreciate all the different ways a person can teach children. She also was there at key times to remind me not to take seriously some of the thoughtless things parents said to me as a man teaching.

The other is Alyce Dillon. She was my supervisor when I worked at Parents In Community Action, Inc. Head Start. She is a brilliant person and I feel grateful to have her as a friend. I’ve learned so much from her and admire her strong convictions fighting poverty for children and families and that she’s not bashful with her strong opinions and her willingness to take the necessary actions to back up her beliefs.

What are some of the ways you manage the stress that comes from working in this field?
I love to play. I think that’s what attracted me to this work in the first place. I also exercise and try to travel to warm places whenever the winters get too long. And of course my family and friends – I really like people and value my friends. One of the key things has helped me is having people who will listen to me as I’ve tried to figure things out.

Biography
Bryan G. Nelson has worked with children, fathers and families since the 1970s. He is Executive Director of MenTeach.org and consults with government, businesses, Head Starts, schools and universities trying to increase the number of men teaching. He received an A.S. in nursing from MCTC, an individualized B.A. in Futures Studies with an emphasis on Education from Metropolitan State University and received a Bush Leadership Fellow to attend Harvard School of Public Health where he researched issues relating to men, children and families. He has served as chair of the boards of several non-profits and is founder of several others. He has appeared on the Today Show, CNN and Jenny Jones programs for his work with fathers and men teachers. He is quoted in numerous publications including Time, Newsweek and the New York Times and has articles in Young Children, Child Care Information Exchange and other professional journals. He has written and contributed to articles and books about men, fathers and children. Bryan is a proud parent of two children, Otto and Emma.