Kindergarten, first-, second-, and third-grade teachers spend most of their days with young children during what are, some would argue, the most important and formative years of schooling. In this challenging and rewarding effort, men are almost nonexistent. This book evolved from a study of a group of men who teach primary school. Organized in three parts, the book addresses issues related to teaching as caring, teaching as gender-specific behavior, and the relationship of sexual orientation and teachers' suitability. Part I, "A Study of Men's Care, Gender, and Teaching in the Primary Grades," introduces the themes and the framework for the study. Chapter 1, "Uncommon Caring," provides an overview of the issues that surround men's work with children in primary grade classrooms. Chapter 2, "Teaching = Care = Female" describes primary teaching as a female culture. Chapter 3, "Learning from Men Who Teach Young Children" describes the study with the male primary teachers, provides contextual details, and briefly introduces the participants. Part II, "Inside Views from Male Primary Teachers," presents stories written by participants in the study. Chapter are: (1) "It's Still Sexism"; (2) "Men in Primary Education"; (3) "Caring for Others while Teaching"; (4) "Working within Gender"; (5) "Certification, Language, and Learning"; and (6) "What's Wrong with Teaching and What I Do about It." Part III, "Reframing Primary Teaching from Three Perspectives," analyzes the major themes that emerged during the interview, from the men's writings, and from focus group discussions with the male primary teachers. Chapters are: (1) "Caring: A Problematic Model for Primary Grades Teaching"; (2) "Gender Work: Men Teaching in Women's Ways"; (3) "Permissible Teachers: Desire and Sexual Orientations"; and (4) "Reframing the Choices: Lessons Learned from Primary Grade Male Teachers." (Contains 119 references.) (Author/LPP)