ABSTRACT
The two male teachers were well-known throughout the program and often identified as having "something special" to offer the children because of their gender. This chapter explores the issue in relationship to some of the common assumptions about gender and teaching in ECE through an instrumental case study of a HS team of teachers, one female, the other male. As gender is part of identity formation, understanding gender influences in teaching requires attention to a range of biographical factors including culture, ethnicity, personal experiences, and, for adults, how work is structured and valued. Steady surveillance and tight role specifications were aimed at producing consistency and uniformity in expectation and performance across the entire teaching staff, while perhaps also inviting leveling and a potential weakening of teacher initiative. Head Start seeks to establish a family feeling within programs, complete with home spaces for a kitchen, computer room, living room (for reading), clothes closets, playrooms, and a backyard or garden.
