Oh how I wish it was true that it is just because you are a man. I have
the same issues at my school. Even though my name is not Marge. I am
plagued with geek squad questions even about home computers. I sometimes
wear a dress so I don't have to climb the ladder but I have crawled under
many a desk, fighting the dust in my flowery dress. (Quite a site when
you consider my age and size!) Sorry to disappoint you but it seems to be
the nature of our job. By the way, my secretary time has plummeted from
full time to none in the eight years I have been here and I took the job
so I could do the live TV broadcast.
Dawn Westover
Teacher Librarian
Totem Middle School
Marysville, WA
Dawn_Westover@msvl.k12.wa.us
Our mission is "to ensure students and staff are effective users of ideas
and information."
School Library Media & Network Communications <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
writes:
>----Original Message-----
>From: School Library Media & Network Communications =
>[mailto:LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Hastings, Jeff
>Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 10:08 AM
>To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
>Subject: GEN: Is it because I'm...a man?
>
>Colleagues:
>=20
>[When I have a thought that's somewhat daring or offbeat to bounce off
>you guys, I generally post it on a Friday. A little quirky reflection
>just seems to fit the Friday mind set. Such posts should definitely be
>considered purely elective reading. Proceed at your own risk.]
>=20
>Here's the deal:
>=20
>I'm wondering something again today--something I've wondered throughout
>my career in education, from time to time. I'm wondering if I am not the
>victim of some form of subtle, but insidious, sexual discrimination. Let
>me try and explain:
>=20
>I have--like many of you, I'd guess--a couple of degrees and a couple
>certificates to teach. I got these teaching certificates and degrees in
>part because I thought that the first few jobs I'd wound up in as a
>young lad were two technology-focused. By that I mean that I got tired
>of being merely a "machine-guy." To have a fulfilling career, I
>decided, I really needed to work directly with students; contribute to
>humanity in a way I found meaningful.=20
>=20
>Unfortunately, as a library media specialist, I find that I have to
>constantly fight for my right to teach. Constantly.
>=20
>On the other hand, I simply cannot seem to shake the machine-guy role. I
>am constantly being called upon to fix crap for people, for example. I
>could live with this fact more easily if this accompanying fact weren't
>also true: Most of the people who call me to ask me to come fix their TV
>or troubleshoot their digital camera or walk them through burning a
>stinking CD aren't the teachers with whom I collaborate and co-teach.
>Instead, most of them are the very same people who are most dismissive
>of me as a teaching professional. Some of them, in fact, are actually
>people who are barriers to my efforts to teach.
>=20
>And It can be very frustrating. And it can feel quite demeaning. Here's
>an example currently playing out:
>=20
>Circa 1992, I managed to procure some free TV production equipment via a
>cable franchise agreement and started a daily, student-produced,
>televised announcement program. Over the years, I built a very nice
>little studio that cost our school district almost nothing. It was a
>pretty sweet deal for everyone involved, and, for me, it was a great
>opportunity to develop sustained relationships with students and,
>mostly, to teach both television production and writing. I loved it.
>=20
>Then a few years ago, without any discussion or debate that I was privy
>to, our library clerical position was cut down to half time, making it
>impossible for me to leave the library floor during a good portion of
>the day, including the time frame in which I ran the telecast. I was
>crushed by this, but hey, that's life. The thing that really bothers me
>is this: Though our administrators suddenly become deaf and blind
>whenever I appeal to them to consider restoring my ability to once again
>run the program, they have no compunctions about asking me to train
>people on the use of all the studio gear when they manage to snag a
>willing volunteer to do a telecast or, as happened recently, a rookie
>teacher. "Ask Jeff to train you, he's good with that kind of stuff."
>=20
>What makes that okay? Isn't that like kidnapping someone's baby then
>calling them up after a few weeks and asking them to come over 'cause
>you need help changing the diaper?=20
>=20
>So I've started to wonder what makes me such an frequent target when it
>comes to be this sort of thing. Why do people find it okay to ignore me
>as a teacher and equally okay to use me as their personal Geek Squad.
>Often, when crouched beneath some teacher or administrator's desk,
>choking in the dust and fumbling through a maze of cabling looking for
>something amiss, I've puzzled over this one.
>=20
>And I can't figure it out.=20
>=20
>Unless...
>=20
>It's 'cause...
>=20
>I'm a dude.
>=20
>Now I KNOW I'm going to get some backlash on this, but that's the only
>answer I can come up with. I'm just being honest. And, honestly, I often
>find myself troubleshooting something for someone, sweating and
>generally wishing I was dead, and wondering: If I was female and my name
>was, say, Marge, and I wore flowy and flowery dresses, would I be atop
>this ladder right now checking to see if this teacher's s-video cable is
>properly connected?=20
>=20
>Well. What do you think? Would I?
>=20
>Jeffrey Hastings,
>School Librarian
>Howl Schools, Howl Michigan.
>=20
>shankhead@gmail.com
>=20
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