How does gender affect the classroom?

I chose the topic "How does gender affect the classroom". Classrooms come with two sexes, males and females. Some will argue that male teachers favor that of female students, while female teachers favor the males. But do they?

Gender Bias is defined as an "unequal treatment in employment opportunity, and expectations based on the employee or employees. Gender bias can be a legitimate basis for a lawsuit under the anti-discrimination act." This, however, can be directly related to Education. The teacher can be treating the boys/girls different based on gender.

In my research, I fell upon a study from a preservice Florida University teacher named Brittany Anderson. She did some self research on herself to see if she was gender bias, in the hopes of making her teaching methods more gender neutral. Through many video tapes of her lessons, she found things such as:

• In her 9th grade science class, video records showed she spent more time talking to the boys in the classroom than the girls
• She smiled at only the boy students, not the girls
• She asked more leading questions to the girls
• She never reprimanded girl bad behavior, only the boys
• In her 6th grade science class, she noticed that she ignored the quieter students (typically the girls she notes) and called on boys more often

These first findings for me relate back to how female teachers tend to favor the boys, and visa versa. She concludes her findings with the fact that teachers often don't have time to reflect on their work, but she's glad that she did so that it furthermore helps her students, and, her teaching skills. Remember, those quieter kids need attention too!





I enjoy coming up analogies to get my point across. Above are the 32 teams in the National Football League. Some teams are really good, and the weaker teams have to prepare immensely for matches like those. Although, the same training comes each week regarding of who you're playing. Even the team with the worst record can win a game against the best. You never know! As an NFL team, you have to prepare for every game like its your toughest opponent. And even though some teams are better than others, you still have to prepare. Teams from the west coast, Teams from the east coast, they are all TEAMS in the end. Just like the classroom! You could a classroom with a student who just moved here from San Jose and is shy, and you'll have somebody who knows all the answers to the questions. You'll have somebody in your classroom who talks out of turn and disrupts the classroom. The idea is your classroom is going to be extremely diverse. Students come in different sexes, and shapes and sizes. However, their all there for one thing: To Learn! Just like any team who plays the Patriots this year, there goal is to win no matter how bad or good they are. It relates to students in a way that even the child has a disability, is a boy, or girl genius, we must treat all students the same and give everyone an equal learning experience.

Works Cited

 

"Gender+bias." TheFreeDictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014.

"Membership." Analyzing the Issues: Gender in the Classroom. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014.

"Public Opinion, Polls and Discussion on SodaHead." SodaHead. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014.