Reflection

Lately, in my mind, I have been thinking about not teaching in the classroom anymore. One of the things that I have experienced in the classroom is the fact that every class setting looks at a feminine male teacher as a gay teacher. I am teaching a class, I don’t fit the mold of a coach or some hard core principle in the school. I am just a simple, fashionable, and exciting teacher. This seems to give off the impression that I am a gay teacher. While I am not gay, it is this idea of what a gay male looks like and students, and parents bring this kind of simple mindedness in the classroom. This definitely hurts lesson implementation, discipline, and trust between student and teacher. This is something I am definitely experiencing in the classroom, even though I have tried to tell my students that I am not gay, they still have their perceptions of what that is. I want to be in the classroom, but this gay encounter between me and students has not only happened once, but just about every time I have entered in the classroom. The only time it hasn’t happened is when I was with the 3^rd – 4^th graders teaching them U.S. history through a webquest.

Therefore, I see myself in other capacities. I think that I would rather teach at a college level or be in a capacity where I am working on educational policies that affect the entire educational system. I think that I have always wanted to serve my country and this is the exact position I should be in. If I could I would make it an international job out of this kind of work. I know that I can try my hardest to make sure that other countries are making the substantial changes needed to their educational systems that will produce effective new citizens that are going to transform their country. I also think that I could be really good in teach at other colleges and universities in other countries. I am still in the education field, however, I am seeing the world and seeing different people and learning new things.

I think I will return to the classroom as a public school teacher, but it will be after I have gotten the experience I need to be an effective teacher. I love the classroom, and will spend time in the classroom, but it won’t be for long periods of time, but on the other hand, it won’t be for very short periods of time either. I will just let my actions and experience allow me to decide this question later in life.