LETTERS

NEA Today, Jan 2004

KERRY HARRISON

Bellingham, Washington

PROMOTING PROBLEM-SOLVING

IN THE DILEMMA section ("How do you deal with a wide range of abilities in one class?" November), a teacher wrote that she used different levels of Bloom's Taxonomy with different children in her room. I believe this teacher is doing a disservice to her students.

If you give children questions that deal only with the lower levels of Bloom's Taxonomy, the children will never pass the high-stakes tests. (At least 40 of the 50 states have tests that use only the top levels of the taxonomy to test students.) All students need higher-order critical thinking skills to survive in the modern world.

ANTOINETTE K. WOLFE

Columbus, Ohio

MEN AT WORK

WHAT A FANTASTIC article by Marilyn Milloy on "The Guy Teacher" in your October issue (Cover story). As one of the fewer than 2 percent of male teachers working in prekindergarten through third grade, I found her article eye-opening.

The few of us "guys" in elementary schools always have realized we were in the minority. But the fact that we make up just 9 percent of the 3 million teachers out there is truly astounding.

I, too, have been called "Dad" on many occasions and have to be aware of my conduct whenever I am alone with a student, which I make sure is as seldom as possible. I have seen many of my male colleagues accused of misconduct and quickly exit the profession. Teaching is the noblest profession and one that should mirror our society by having males and females at all levels of education.

LOUIS LESSOR

Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

I WANT TO THANK YOU for your article on the male teacher. The article validated us for the unique contribution we bring. It also shed light on what some of us may feel at times-being one of the few, especially at the elementary level. Your article provided me with the encouragement to continue to love what I do and do it well. Nothing makes me happier than making a difference in the lives of children.

CONRAD WILSON

Westminster, California

PAUL SARGENT'S SUMMATION of people's stereotypes of male teachers on page 24 bothered me. He says, "[Male teachers] can't be overly masculine because they're seen as lacking natural nurturing behavior... but if they're warm and open and cuddly, then other flags go up-they 'must' be gay and 'of course' gay means pedophile." "Gay means pedophile" is hardly an assumption I believe most educators make. I understand people do make assumptions and hold stereotypes, but that is one I do not find commonplace. The inaccurate stereotype seemed to communicate that many people do believe this, when I find that most people do not.

LYNN GAST

Long Beach, California

HOMEWORK HANG-UP

THIS IS REGARDING your debate, "Should we do away with homework?" (October) There are assignments and there's drudgery. When I was in high school in the late 1950s, I had to take only four subjects each year to earn 16 credits to graduate. Today, students carry up to eight classes. Assigning even an hour of homework per class each night places a burden on such pupils.