Guys, Dudes and Hombres needed in the classroom

By Charles Wohlforth

Chugach Optional needs more men volunteering in the classroom and in all the aspects of our kids’ education.

Don’t get me wrong: I have nothing against women. No one likes them better than I do.

But our children do not see enough men during their school day. And it matters, especially to our boys.

This is not a guilt trip. The truth is, guys are missing out on some of the best fun they’ll ever have, spending time at school and getting to know their children’s friends. You kid’s childhood goes by incredibly fast, and it make no sense to miss the third of it that happens at school.

In earlier generations, dad’s never held a baby bottle or changed a diaper. In many families, fathers were distant disciplinarians and rule-givers. Ask your dad what his dad was like.

We’re not that way anymore, but school still remains a mostly female realm. I have theories for that. In part, culture teaches us what our roles are. But we’re also influenced by the social environment. Women tend to ask women to volunteer, and men feel funny entering an all-female workplace.

My message to guys: Man up! There is no feminine wall around our school!

When boys have men in the classroom, they often behave better. Their respect for the school and what they are working on can increase. Their sense of teamwork and mission can be activated in a way they may not feel with a female leader.

I first experienced this working in kindergarten. I worked with boys and girls on a project that involved drilling holes in a piece of wood. The boy’s clumsy little hands needed a lot of guidance, but they approached the task with total seriousness.

In the hallway the next day, one of these tiny dudes gives me a manly nod and fist-pump of greeting. We had bonded like war buddies. And now that he’s almost done with Chugach, he’s still a bud.

Volunteering is easy. There are many ways to do it. You don’t have anything going on in your day that is more important.