“As a male practitioner working in the early years, it is apparent that most early years settings are predominantly female dominated. Over the years, however, I have seen more male practitioners starting to work in the industry. When I initially started at Fennies, I remember coming in for my interview and work trial; I was the centre of attention for sure and there were a few surprised and intrigued faces from both practitioners and children. I soon realised that this was mostly due to the fact that I was only one of two males working at that particular setting. Being an early years practitioner, I can definitely see the reasons why people may think it’s a more feminine job due to the nurturing nature of the role, women are typically seen as the caregiver, meeting care routines of children and being at the forefront of their upbringing and education.
Working with mostly females certainly took some getting used to, it can get a bit manic and sometimes words or phrases can be misunderstood or interpreted, tensions can build and that’s inevitable when looking after little ones who are also learning boundaries and right from wrong. What’s been most rewarding is knowing that despite the differences in approaches and attitudes, caring and looking after the children has always been at the forefront of every one of my colleagues’ priorities.
On reflection I haven’t faced many challenges in the industry for being a male practitioner, however I do remember one family who came to look around the nursery for a show round and saw me sitting reading with one of the children. They instantly voiced to the manager that it was against their beliefs for a man to be working so closely with their young child. I remember feeling inferior and out of place. But my manager was brilliant and let the parents know that our policy reflects one of inclusion and equality for both children, families and practitioners and if they felt strongly about this that perhaps it wasn’t the right nursery for them. It was great to have the support from the company I worked for and more importantly to have the recognition for the value I bring to the children being a male practitioner.
Whilst working with the children over the years, I have created some brilliant bonds, not only with the children but with the parents too! Children who struggled to settle into nursery, soon did so very confidently due to the close attachment we had built. It really is so rewarding to see the progress children make over time and to hear the level of appreciation from the parents. Having said that, it is also sad when you’ve seen these children every day for years and then they go off to school as you’ll know you’ll miss them. Most parents I have worked with have asked for my number on their child’s last days in order to keep in touch and see how the children get on at school. It is nice when you receive comments from parents, saying how nice it is for their child to have a male role model in their lives and having them highlight that their progress at school and level of readiness has been due to my contribution as a nursery practitioner. It really does pull on the heartstrings, especially those of single parent households about how important a role I play in their child’s life. I think having more male practitioners is something that should be advocated as it offers more structure, a balanced approach and I have personally seen the positive impact this has played in the lives of children and their families.”- Connell “Raynes Park”
“I have been working in the Early Years sector for almost 8 years. As a male practitioner I experienced ups and downs such as stereotyping and bias. For instance, in the first nursery that I worked in, male practitioners were not allowed to change nappies. However, there were a lot of positive things e.g., I was able to work and undertake Early Years studies at the same time receiving a great support from management. This enhanced my knowledge and understanding of children’s development, parent partnership and other aspects of Early Years.
Nowadays the perception of male early years educators is much better than 8 years ago. I progressed within the sector from being an unqualified practitioner to a management position. This led me to be part of the Equality and Diversity committee and to run the Males in Early Years Committee.
Reflecting on my personal experiences, I believe that the male role model is an important factor in children’s development increasing their awareness of diversity within the society. There is still room for improvement regarding the number of male educators in the Early Years sector, but I can see that change is coming. – Kevin “Teddington”