“Hello, my name is Melissa, and my son has expressed how excited he is to have a ‘man teacher’ this year, which in turn made me excited for him.” She went on to write that I was her fifth grader’s first male teacher, adding: “You are all this boy talks about at home.”

It’s been six years, and that front-and-back handwritten letter remains folded in my desk drawer. I often read it at the beginning of the school year to remind myself of my purpose and how my role influences others.

Over the years, my students, regardless of gender, have shared similar sentiments with me. Research has also shown social benefits for elementary school students who experience a male teacher. But if children — and by extension, their parents — are so excited to encounter male elementary school teachers, why don’t we see more of them?

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, in 2017-18, only 11% of teachers in public elementary schools identified as male. This past May, I wrapped up my first semester as an adjunct professor at the City College of New York’s Childhood Education Department, where out of 19 students studying to teach grades 1-6, only two were male. This semester, I have one male student out of 15.

As a student in the same program back in 2010, I was often the only man in the classroom. I enrolled in an elementary education program after a teacher friend of mine inspired me with her words: “There’s not enough of you in education, especially in elementary schools. We need people like you!”

Read the full article about male teachers by Jason Baez at Chalkbeat.