Interrupting “the boys”: Can male teachers be advocates for change?

This conversation showcases some of the background to male teachers, masculinity and schooling. Based on a federally funded national study-(Re)Defining Masculinities and a pilot study of beginning teachers, I draw attention to the arguments about schools as feminizing boys and the role men might play in masculinizing schools. I share research to highlight ways that masculinity might be interrupted in schools as well as the struggles in classrooms particularly when beginning teachers try to challenge or disrupt masculinity. With the voices of both male teachers and a range of beginning teachers, I offer insights to the potential for teachers as allies and advocates challenging misogyny, sexism and homophobia in schools.