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The basis of the article is whether or not all girl/all boy classes should be an option for parents in the public schools.
My question to those out ther is if they feel that it is a good option, and why? Or if as some believe it is a bad solution because it is segregating the children, or other thoughts?
I will say thay I think for many children it would be a good idea. I went to an all girls college and had a wonderful education with classes that had few distrations, and open conversation.
I also feel parents should have the option in public schools.
Every time I see this come up I think back to a couple of girls I went to school with who were far more distracting than any of the guys. Their exhaustive diatribes and drama were enough to drive any teacher batty. The constant fluffing of hair and clothes along with the gossip intensifying when there were no guys around and the giggling were not fun either.
Don't see it being less distracting from my experience. lol Then again many of my best friends were guys and I often had more fun being around guys than girls because I was just not a fluffy, gossipy, giggly girl.
As the kids get older, it should not just be a parent choice but also a choice of the student. My daughter absolutely did NOT want to be in an all girl math class in 7th and 8th grade. She has brothers, feels comfortable with and not intimidated by boys and enjoys learning with them with their bits of mischief and sillyness. To her, they take the pressure off because some of them are forever causing the class to be a bit more fun.
However, 3 of her close friends felt much more comfortable being in all girls classes. One because she was intimidated by the boys, another because she found boys too disruptive in class and yet another because her dad said (and she agreed) that she worried to much about what boys think of her!
So, while the OPTION is good, I think it should be just that...and option. My daughter for one would not be happy if forced into an all girl class.
The basis of the article is whether or not all girl/all boy classes should be an option for parents in the public schools.
My question to those out ther is if they feel that it is a good option, and why? Or if as some believe it is a bad solution because it is segregating the children, or other thoughts?
I will say thay I think for many children it would be a good idea. I went to an all girls college and had a wonderful education with classes that had few distrations, and open conversation.
I also feel parents should have the option in public schools.
This is based on personal observations and feelings so take it for what it's worth but I like the idea. IMO, girls tend to not participate if there are boys in the room they like. They don't want to appear smarter than the boys. I don't think it hurts boys to be in all boy classrooms but I think it would benefit girls to be in all girl classrooms.
My best friend went to an all girls school and her math/science education is top notch. The girls were competing with each other for graduation with top honors instead of letting some boy answer the questions so he could feel superior.
I don't like the idea. I appreciate the idea of teaching to different learning styles and all that, but don't think gender segregation is appropriate in a public school setting. It seems like a band aid fix to other issues, and reinforces gender stereotypes that I'm not so sure I believe in. That's not to say it's not a good option for some people, but I don't think it belongs in public schools.
Having worked with middle school children (grades 5-8) in both the classroom and in intramural sports, I can say that one of the biggest distractions for some students is romantic attraction. At the school where I worked this past year, even the fifth graders were sneaking kisses in the halls. The endless flirting is mostly fun and harmless, but it does carry over into the classroom during academic time. I can see separating kids for classes as taking the edge off of the raging hormones and making class periods more productive.
That said, there are sometimes negative externalities to segregation policies, intended or not. I do agree that schools currently teach in a way that conforms more to how girls are socialized. Girls do seem to be more successful at sitting quietly at their desks. Still, without particularly great research on the topic, I am a little concerned by the assumptions being made that girls and boys think and act differently enough to benefit from different educational approaches. Before I'd consent to a different curriculum for my child, I'd want the educational community to be more certain that benefits of gender segregation were from different teaching styles, not just from separating boys and girls.
Oh God no. I have taught gender specific classes for a number of years in middle school. It works ok for the boys, they just like talk, act tough, etc. Not really a big deal, especially if your a male.
The girls...oh God. Middle school girls are the worst. They all have drama and issues with boys and keeping them isolated is the worst thing you can do at that age. Because they all start to hear rumors and she said this and he said that garbage starts, and that is what starts most fights, etc. Most girls also DONT WANT TO BE IN AN ALL GIRLS CLASS. Give me a mixed gender class with a girl flirting any day.
Now...a gender specific SCHOOL is different. I taught in an all girls school and that was fine, no issues. But gender specific classes in a mixed school is the pits
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