As I was reading this article, the gender aspect kept pulling at my heart. I have always wrestled with the idea of gender based curricula. The idea of separating the boy from the girls was a difficult one for me to understand. This is probably because I was raised by an independent single woman. I loved being in competition with boys in school. And I loved it when I was "smarter" then them.
There are schools in this nation that do have gender specific classrooms. I think that is an extreme measure to meet the needs of students. This article opened my eyes to the possibilities of creating "workshops" that are gender specific. I loved how these girls were able to open up, and "speak out" in these sessions.
One of Henry's research perspectives says, "Black girls are expected to adopt “female” roles of passivity and complacency; they are invisible to teachers as serious learners; they receive less encouragement and rewards; they are assessed for their social skills rather than academic achievement; they are evaluated by their physical characteristics such as hair texture and skin color; they are considered sex objects as they mature (Evans, 1992; Grant, 1984; Okazawa-Rey, Robinson, & Ward, 1987). This makes me think about some of the girls that I have in my class now. Typically they are very reserved and quiet. I never have discipline problems with them, and they always "comply". During whole group activities I rarely get responses from them. However, this quarter they are all in the same reading group, with no boys. I noticed a few weeks ago that I could not get them to stop talking, in order for me to ask comprehension questions. I quickly realized that I didn't need to ask questions, as they were proposing them on their own and discussing and understanding the text. I am not sure if it is because they were in a small group, or a small group with no boys, or just around each other that made them open up. Or even if it is the texts that I am supplying. I am glad that they have opened up. It is been very rewarding. This is something that I want to take a closer look at. Maybe in the next few weeks I can bring in texts that are more relevant to them. I would like to have a moment with this group, like Henry did with Tamisha; "turn that thing off!"
Sarah Feinman
Comments (10)
Sarah,
Our school is experimenting with single gender classrooms for the first time this year. We have one K class of all girls and one third grade class of all boys. From all that I've heard from the teachers, parents, and students participating, it is a huge success. The teachers incorporate research based strategies specific to their gender. For example, the third grade boys class reads lots of non-fiction texts and includes movement and competition. Of course everyone is anxious to see if the test scores will "prove" the success of the classroom. Unfortunately, it's still all about the numbers. Anyone who actually spent some time in the classroom would quickly feel the energy and excitement these boys and their teacher bring to their learning everyday.
Posted by Jayne Thompson | February 22, 2009 10:05 AM
Posted on February 22, 2009 10:05
Hi Sarah and Jayne. A friend of mine is principal of a middle school down near Charlotte. His school has tried teaching language arts in gender-based classrooms and they are having a great deal of success with it. They feel that the students are more comfortable sharing personal connections to the literature in this type of environment. The girls are opening up tremendously and personal issues that have been plaguing them are finally being addressed. It’s hard for me to decide whether I would like this arrangement or not, but I can’t help but look back to my last fifth grade class. My girls struggled to be friends with one another and fought hard against one another through petty name calling and arguments. We spent at least one recess period each week talking about friendship, sharing our feelings, and trying to get each of them to really listen and learn about one another. After reading this I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if we were able to teach in this way. What would have happened if I could get my girls to share a literacy experience with a novel that spoke to their hearts and really helped them share their hearts with each other? I think there is a lot to learn in both a mixed gender class and a single gender class. Students do need to learn to respect the opposite gender and learn how to be confident in themselves around members of the opposite gender, but I also see the deep inner growth that could occur in a same gender classroom where the teacher works to discuss and face adolescent issues through literature.
Posted by Amie Snow | February 22, 2009 12:45 PM
Posted on February 22, 2009 12:45
I think that in a Middle School environment, especially, a gender-based classroom would be effective. It is at this age that kids are really starting to become interested in each other, and horomones are really going. I do think that classes separated by sex would be very interesting. Sometimes, in class, I do my own little gender experiments. When we do cooperative learning, I will separate the groups by sex. What I have discovered (especially when it comes to girls) is that they are MUCH more comfortable sharing and responding. I don't know if it is that they feel more comfortable, or that they don't feel the need to "impress," but the kids responded very well.
Posted by Heather Coe | February 22, 2009 4:45 PM
Posted on February 22, 2009 16:45
Amie,
I agree with you that there can be a lot of success from gender specific classrooms. I just feel that it is really important to not take it to the extreme. How will females know how to interact with males in real life if they are always separated from them in school?
Posted by Sarah Feinman | February 22, 2009 4:46 PM
Posted on February 22, 2009 16:46
I have a feeling that each of the dynamics, in this small group, is playing a part in the students success. I am interested to see what happens as you look at this group closer over the next few weeks. I love that you were able to step back and realize that the girls were answering and asking comprehension questions on their own without needing your prompting. So often we cut off great discussions that are very meaningful because we need to get to the questions we planned.
As for gender specific classrooms I tend to sit on the fence. I feel that it could defiantly have benefits but I also feel that there are downfalls. I teach the little ones and I think they gain a lot from each other. And to be honest a lot of times my girls get along better with my boys. Which makes me wonder about how early one would want to start gender specific classes. I would think it would be very beneficial for certain classes to be gender specific, especially language arts.
Amy Spade
Posted by Amy Spade | February 22, 2009 7:27 PM
Posted on February 22, 2009 19:27
Sarah,
I, like you, had several thoughts about the gender based classrooms. But, it pulled at my heart in a different way. I thought that it was really hard to focus solely on the issues the girls were having "speaking out" because all of the research that I have read addressing the issues that young adolescent males have. But your comments about the girls reading group in your class, has helped me see both sides. Yes, the research addressed issues that I thought were important, but when I was reading the paper I was thinking "what about boys". But stepping away from it I can think well this will give boys more opportunities as well as the girls.
Posted by Elizabeth Griffin | February 23, 2009 8:22 PM
Posted on February 23, 2009 20:22
Sarah,
I am riding the fence with the gender based classrooms. I see how it could be beneficial, but I also agree that members of the opposite sex need to know how to coexist. One thing that I am certain of is that students K-2 should not be gender based. I just feel that at this stage children have so much to learn from one another. I am sure it would work and have positive effects, but we'd be losing something too.
Posted by Cherrita Hayden-McMillan | February 23, 2009 10:07 PM
Posted on February 23, 2009 22:07
Sarah,
I am riding the fence with the gender based classrooms. I see how it could be beneficial, but I also agree that members of the opposite sex need to know how to coexist. One thing that I am certain of is that students K-2 should not be gender based. I just feel that at this stage children have so much to learn from one another. I am sure it would work and have positive effects, but we'd be losing something too.
Posted by Cherrita Hayden-McMillan | February 23, 2009 10:07 PM
Posted on February 23, 2009 22:07
Wow! I have not heard of gender based classrooms. I hope to hear more comments about how that is going? I can see benefits to both, as a I teacher I would rather have the boys. I wonder if test scores will show a difference. Gosh, can you imagine high school math classes gender based. My daughter would have loved it. She is taking Calculus II at Davidson and loves it. (She got that from her dad.) She always felt she had trouble keeping up the boys and wouldn't speak out in class, however she made a 5 on the Calculus AP test, so she knew what she was doing. Perhaps in an all girl classroom she would have also had the confidence to speak out and maybe even excel more.
Posted by SuSu Watson | February 24, 2009 6:08 PM
Posted on February 24, 2009 18:08
Sarah,
I am fascinated by the group of girls that you describe.
is there any way you can continue to provide them with literature that would foster their voice and keep us updated on their progress?
Posted by Alecia Jackson | February 26, 2009 9:48 PM
Posted on February 26, 2009 21:48