TITLE Male Early Childhood Montessori Teachers: Why They Chose To

Male teachers comprise only 12 percent of the teachers in early childhood programs, in comparison to 30 percent of the total teaching workforce. This paper reviews literature on male early childhood teachers and explores the reasons given by four men for deciding to be Montessori early childhood teachers. The paper then considers reasons for the disproportionately low numbers of males in the profession, lack of support for and stereotypes related to males who work with young children, and reasons for entering the field. The paper details interviews conducted with the four male Montessori teachers regarding their reasons for becoming a Montessori teacher, for teaching in early childhood education, and the types of biases they encountered. Reasons cited for entering the teaching profession included dissatisfaction with current jobs, childhood aspirations, and following in a parent's footsteps. The choice of early childhood education was influenced by internship placements in early childhoo