by Katie Parkinson

Principal of academic affairs Barbara McCormick bent down as she placed one end of a plastic ruler at a student’s knee. Then she looked at the hymn of the skirt to make sure the distance was no more than three inches. Nodding her head in satisfaction, she gestured for the next student to come forward.

This ordinary skirt check is just one thing that male teachers cannot do, according to principal of student affairs Mary Anne Hoecker.

“Women have done [the skirt checks] for all the male teachers because we just didn’t want [anyone] to be uncomfortable,” Hoecker said. “We thought it was more appropriate that women measure.”

According to music teacher Greg Monsma, this boundary with uniforms extends to remarks as well. For example, commenting on a skirt that is too short.

“We’re pretty much taught in college not to comment on [uniforms] anymore just because the day and age is kind of that way,” Monsma said.

According to Hoecker, male teachers are also forbidden to do are bathroom and changing room checks.

Senior Elaine Schmidt also believes male teachers are generally more conservative than their female counterparts when it comes to joking, and how they interact with students.

“I would say female teachers are able to joke more with students,” Schmidt said. “There’s also a difference with female teachers. I could go up to any of my female teachers and hug them, and it wouldn’t be weird, but there’s definitely a boundary for male teachers, and they just have to be more careful about how they phrase things.”

According to social studies teacher Pat Sirridge, he also feels that sometimes female teachers are better suited to dealing with students’ personal problems.

“I think there are maybe emotional times where female teachers are more appropriate type counselors for students on certain issues than male teachers would be,” Sirridge said. “But, I think almost all the disciplines that are taught here could easily be taught by a male or female.”

Teaching aside, according to Schmidt, students especially love when male teachers participate in school events such as Dancing with the Stars. Another example, Coin Wars, encourages students to donate their change in order to determine which male teacher they would most want to see wearing a toga.

“I think with female teachers, usually, they’re more apt to embarrass themselves and have people laughing with them, so they do it more easily and it’s more commonplace,” Schmidt said. “Whereas when male teachers do it, it’s so uncommon because they really want students to respect them and to keep that boundary with students because they are males and this is an all-female school. So when they do something ridiculous, it’s hilarious, and we all love it.”

According to Monsma, he feels that if a fundraiser such as Coin Wars were to take place at a co-ed school, teacher participation would be more evenly split between males and females.

“I think that male teachers, particularly younger male teachers, do get a lot of attention, and that’s just understandable when they’re kind of a minority and [an] exception to the regular person around St. Teresa’s,” Sirridge said.