Treating Girls and Boys With Respect in School

Teacher & Gender

It is no secret that female employees have been paid less than male employees over the years, and the teaching profession is no different in that regard. It wasn't until 1897 that teachers began to organize and when they did join the Chicago Teachers Federation they found out that the reason their pay was so low was because corporations were not paying taxes -- which meant cities did not have enough resources to pay female teachers what they should be paid. Meantime, it wasn't just female teachers that were -- and in many cases still are -- given the short end of the stick. It was also female students who were not treated with respect. And as this assignment points out, some older teachers still don't get it when it comes to today's female student, who doesn't want to be categorized and kept out of careers just because she is a woman.

Case Two

Gender does matter, but gender should not be used as a way to prevent women and girls from seeking the careers they wish to be part of. We have recently witnessed the horrendous act of terrorism in Africa as girls trying to get an education were kidnapped and are still not rescued as of this writing. But even here in the United States, there is bias towards the education of boys and men. The Case 2 scenario has a woman named Mary who goes by the cliche, "Boys will be boys," which is an outrageous rationalization justifying the bad behavior of males. That is a stereotype that is outdated and unacceptable.

In this case, it is not just old fashioned to try and restrict what girls would like to do; it is blatant bias against girls. You don't have to be an outspoken feminist to understand how out-of-touch "Mary" is when it comes to classroom dynamics. This is an example, pure and simple, of gender stereotyping, which as the "Does Gender Matter?" correctly presents, has a negative impact on the learner. If Mary is only calling on the males in the ESL classroom for adults, she should be removed from that position. The self-esteem of the females in the room should matter to any teacher worth her or his salt, and furthermore, today's teachers should be taught about gender equality. Mary, a "seasoned 20-year teacher," needs to be sent to a class on gender fairness and on how teachers are expected to conduct themselves in the 21st century.

When there is a lack of gender equity in any classroom, a disservice has been done to females. And according to "Does Gender Matter?" A recent study shows that in textbooks, the radio of females being represented to males is 1 female to 13 males, which is unconscionable and should be addressed by publishers -- with a push and a shove in the right direction by women's organizations all across America.

What to do about Mary's attitude?

As a teacher who is working with Mary, and as to what I should do, first I would invite Mary to go out for coffee or a drink after work and lay it on the line. Here's what I would say to her:

"Mary, I know you really care about our students and you have more years of experience than I do, but seriously, do you realize you are blatantly biased against the females in our class? I hope you don't see me as being bossy or pushy, but can we have a discussion right here about what I am seeing as regards your seeming prejudice against the females in our class?"

She may be taken aback by my bold approach to criticizing her, and my strategy may not work, but the idea is to confront her and try to draw her out. What I would hope to find is that she is not consciously aware of her bias and that she is willing to try and be more balanced in her approach to classroom dynamics.