Why are most Social Studies teachers men?

[Anonymous]

I'm looking for a SS teaching position and have spent a lot of time looking at SS teachers class pages at different schools websites. I'm struck that the vast majority of social studies teachers seem to be men. Is there any reason for this? I'd be especially interested to hear from teachers.

[Anonymous]

I have been teaching for over 20 years.

Noticed this right away.

I think a lot of men really like history, and are drawn the the content (battles, politics, econ, etc.) and want to study this in college.
A lot of my male students who struggle in other areas, like reading, find history class engaging because of the story-telling aspect.

When they love a subject, they want to share it.

To be a HS teacher, you usually have to study the subject (History, English, a Language) and add on a handful of education classes to get certified (about 5).
For ES teachers you have to take more psychology classes, an assortment of content are classes (math, geography, literacy ..etc.) and some development classes.

I was 1st certified as a teacher in a content area and then went back to get a M.Ed. so I got the "curriculum and instruction" parts later. Much more "how people learn" and "why schools are the way they are" than "MORE ABOUT HISTORY".
My husband was a poly-sci major. To become a HS teacher in history, he'd need about 5 classes. To be a kindergarten teacher, he would need about 10-15 classes.
My brother thought about teaching when he was 22 because he loves books. He wanted to stand around and talk about books all day. He said he liked kids, so it would be OK.

I really like seeing kids progress whether it is solving a math problem or learning to talk.
I am more of an ES teacher-type.

I knew a lot of people who started college thinking they would learn history or policital science so they could go to law school. If that didn't come to be, some of these people became teachers.

[Anonymous]

Uhhh... my sister-in-law is a social studies teacher and all of my social studies teachers in middle school and high school (1990s) were women.

[Anonymous]

Teacher here and I don't find it the case that the "vast majority" of social studies teachers are men. The only teaching areas where men seem to have even a simple majority is PE and vocational ed. Not sure where you're looking where you see this.

[Anonymous]

My DD doesn't have social studies, but humanities, which is a combo of history/geography and English and her teacher this year in high school is female. And last year's middle school teacher for humanities was also female.

[Anonymous]

Lots of retired military second career men at my kids’ HS.
In fact all the history /S.S. teachers they had are men. May not be nationally representative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here and I don't find it the case that the "vast majority" of social studies teachers are men. The only teaching areas where men seem to have even a simple majority is PE and vocational ed. Not sure where you're looking where you see this.

I think OP worded it wrong.

The vast majority of male teachers teach social studies (or PE).

I would agree with this.

[Anonymous]

Something like 90% of the grade school teachers are women... pretty much the only men on your average grade school campus are the janitor, the PE coach, and maybe the principal... I don't even want to hear a "why are there so many men?" argument about schoolteachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Something like 90% of the grade school teachers are women... pretty much the only men on your average grade school campus are the janitor, the PE coach, and maybe the principal... I don't even want to hear a "why are there so many men?" argument about schoolteachers.

It's 80% for grade school, 60% for high school. And there aren't many men because they choose not to go into the profession. It's not like a bunch of men are getting teaching degrees and are not getting hired.

[Anonymous]

All of my social studies/government/geography/history teachers were men. They were also coaches. I think social studies are perceived as being easy to teach, so men who are really coaches choose a subject to teach that will be ways for them to administer via textbooks and worksheets.

[Anonymous]

I teach in FCPS at a high school and yes, most of the Social Studies teachers are men.

[Anonymous]

I think a lot of men who are really most interested in being athletic coaches use a teaching degree in social studies as the way into that job.

[Anonymous]

Only one out of my numerous history teachers were male.

My middle schooler has had one female and one male.

He DOES love history for the warfare aspect!

[Anonymous]

Interesting! In my high school, we didn't have any female SS teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of men who are really most interested in being athletic coaches use a teaching degree in social studies as the way into that job.

Ha, in my school the PE/wrestling coach also taught history!