(http://myquesttoteach.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/mayor-brown-and-the-crew.jpg?w=300)
Why Men Should Mentor and Teach
The need for more qualified male teachers is a serious issue in school systems nationally.
Public, private, parochial and in higher education the demand for male teachers is high, but the availability of male teachers is small. There are multiple reasons, for the decline of men in education, too many to mention in this Blog.
“My Quest To Teach†is about my experiences and desire not only to teach, but to mentor.
I encourage and support men to be educators and mentors. It is not just a Black thing it is a male thing, more males need to be involved.
Just as Mayor Alvin Brown and President Obama mentor thousands of youth, they are role models, mentors and inspirations.
I never could understand how a man can attend games like football, basketball, but do not and will not visit their child’s classroom. Men can fill stadiums, clubs, bars and the Internet, but can’t consistently visit schools to mentor.
There are too many young men and women behind prison bars that do not have positive role models, caring male adults that are serious about the value and empowerment of education. In my elementary school there are eight male teachersin various roles and we all make a difference in a school of over 700. Elementary school is the foundation for educational success or can be a struggle and frustration if kids are not supported.
The First Teacher:
A child’s first teacher and mentor should be their parents, but with children having parents that are younger, many of these new parents lack the maturity, knowledge and patience to raise their children with critical skills that are important.
Young parents have not learned how to be mature adults through their limited life experiences and lack of role models themselves. Having a baby does not make you an adult, a woman or a man, having a baby at a young age makes you a baby with a baby.
Mentors are Important:
Mentors teach how to interact with the world, the
difference between right and wrong, how to improve life by making mature decisions, how to deal with the struggles and challenges of growing up and the value of life. Mentors teach why education and choosing a career are important. Why exposure to cultural, community and faith based activities are important. Mentors teach why a person should be involved in their communities to “give back.†Mentors “pay it forward†with respect, discipline and time well spent.
Students with mentors are less likely to:
Miss school, take drugs, use alcohol, fight with their parents, have sex, feel alone, act out as bullies, less likely to be involved in criminal behavior and drop out of school. Those with mentors are also less likely to be teen parents themselves.
Being a Teacher:
As a third generation teacher, teaching over 20 years in public education, mentor and parent. I have learned being a teacher means sacrificing your time to improve the lives of students. Taking the role as an educator seriously and not just 8am to 3pm, it is 24/7 365 career.
Being a male teacher means there is a greater responsibility to be a positive force in the lives of children that are Black, White, Asian, Latino, Mexican and other nationalities and cultures. Working not only in the classroom, but being involved in the community you live in. Being a teacher and male, means understanding that you are held to a higher standard and community expectations are high for a teacher’s appearance, actions, contributions and behavior in public. Teachers cannot afford to be “out there in the club life†and not expect to be noticed. A school is not a male teacher’s personal love buffet with other teachers or parents. If you want to live this life choose another career where children and young adults are not watching and modeling this behavior.
Teachers Cannot Hide:
Mentoring is the best way to give back to the community and extending reach as an educator, community activist and role model. Teachers do not have the luxury to hide in public, in church, and around the community. They are seen by eyes that are visible and hidden. Children those are seen and unseen, who watch what you do, how you do it and model your behavior.
Why I Mentor and Men Should Too:
I mentor to contribute to the positive growth and development of youth. I mentor to give back to my community in a productive way.
I mentor to see the sparkle in children’s eyes as they realize they can accomplish great things in their lives with a good education. I mentor so children do not feel alone in the world, they do have someone to talk to and connect with.
I mentor not for money or fame, but to lift children up to a higher level that promotes success.
I mentor to prove that Black men are doing positive things in their community and not trying to sleep with every woman they know, or deal with drugs and alcohol to get nasty highs or sloppy drunk.
I mentor to be a role model to other teachers, other Black men and young professionals. I mentor because single moms and grandmothers raising children need to be able to trust someone to be positive to their children. I mentor as a teacher to show that teachers cannot choose who they teach or choose who not to teach, but accept all students as they are. I mentor because I’m responsible and accountable for the children I teach.
I mentor because parents need a role model in teachers who are concerned with the whole family. I teach because a teacher saved my life and I want to “pay it forward†and work to save other children.
I teach and mentor to give children a chance at success and happiness as I was given. I mentor and teach because it is needed now more than ever. There are too many men who shout and yell about what they can do, but still do nothing but play games.
Photo of Mayor Alvin Brown and Educator/Mentor/Blogger William Jackson and the kids he mentors.