Teaching Boys and Girls Separately
Last week a received an email from my principal asking about next years placements, teams, ect; he also asked if any teachers would be interested in single sex classrooms. This seemed like a random proposition to throw out to our teachers, since we have never had single sex classrooms in our school. And so came my inspiration for this blog.
I was searching the Internet and came across many articles about single sex classrooms. I found one in the New York Times by Elizabeth Weil that was very interesting. She spoke with supporters of single sex classrooms and people who were opposed. One man, Leonard Sax, quit practicing family medicine to promote single sex public education. He has written many books on the topic, gives lectures and trains teachers to teach in single sex classrooms. His message has had a part in the explosion of single sex public classrooms.
There are two camps about the beliefs of single sex classrooms. Some people, including Sax, believe boys and girls are essentially different, when it comes to things such as “boys don’t hear as well as girls… that boys’ visual systems are better at seeing action, while girls are better at seeing the nuance of color and texture.” While the other side for single sex schools believe boys and girls have different social experiences and social needs. These camps both have to fight the A.C.L.U., a group opposed to all single sex education.
When reading through the article one of the most interesting points I thought that was made was the research and statistics about single sex classrooms. There is no exact science to compare a single sex classroom to a regular classroom even if they are in the same school building. Students can only be put into a single sex classroom when a request is made by a parent or guardian. That means that the parents have to be involved in some way, reading information being sent home and taking the time to go to school to sign their child up. Therefore many of the children in the single sex classrooms are “better students”.
A school in Alabama reported fewer discipline problems, more parental support and better scores in writing, reading and math in single sex classrooms, but the principal does “acknowledge that her data are compromised, as her highest-performing teachers and her most-motivated students have chosen single-sex.” I also found it interesting that most research from single sex schools have come from private Catholic schools.
I am not sure I am convinced one way or another that single sex schools are the best for every child.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/magazine/02sex3t.html&OQ=_rQ3D3Q26adxnnlQ3D1Q26refQ3DmagazineQ26adxnnlxQ3D12399091279s0T72LboC0yIsihtuRcEQ51Q26pagewantedQ3Dprint&OP=38c2d9dcQ2FQ51JQ5BuQ5123N,Q3A33bQ60Q51Q60ii7Q51i9Q51iQ60Q51lPCP4dQ5DQ5BQ51iQ60,Q5BZ9GbQ3Bcbl-
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I would have to put alot of thought into this issue before I could decide whether or not same sex classrooms would be more beneficial to children. Having taught in preschool for about 16 years now I do agree that boys and girls have basic differences and different needs in the classroom as well as different learning styles. For these reasons I do see where there could be some benefit to same sex classrooms because they would meet the needs of the different sexes - but I think that this can also be done in a different sex classroom and all of the children benefit from thdiversity.
ReplyDeleteI also struggle with this debate, seeing both benefits and drawbacks. It may be less distracting and more conducive to academics having single sex classes, especially at the high school level where adolescent hormones are at their highest point. But on the other hand, the interactions that students have in the classroom can support the development of social skills. I feel that school is a place to nurture academic and social development and growth.
ReplyDeletehere's a suggested way of looking at issues like this: one size DOESN'T fit all. :-)
ReplyDelete