In the educacional debate there is a consensus about the predominance of women in the teaching profession. However, reflections concerning the contradictory aspects that generate such a phenomenon are less frequent. The objective of this article is to discuss such aspects, that is, to examine the presence of women in the teaching profession, based on the contributions of gender and its historical, social and cultural construction. The differences between the sexes suggest that there are masculine and feminine meanings associated with teacher's identity and with school relationships; they also point to the articulation between sex and gender in teaching.
Sex; Gender; Theaching; Teacher's Identity