Chapter 10

Chapter 10 -  Gender

            This was a very interesting chapter.  A perception even at the youngest ages that a scientist or mathematicians are men is so true sadly.  Girls need to be exposed to the joy of science and math and become aware that they are able to excel in it as well as boys.  Girls also identify with gender specific roles by seeing what the important women in their life accomplish.  They are not encouraged to challenge themselves as they pass into high school and college.  The fact that girls’ brains are wired differently is intriguing.  It is interesting that girls say their success comes from effort while boys will attribute it to personal ability. 

            Boys start school with a gender stereotype.  The chapter tells us that in the teachers eyes they will be viewed as being more disruptive but better in science and math than girls.  Interestingly enough though they will not be good readers and that will take its toll on them when they enter high school.  Boys literary interests will be discouraged in favor of more main line literature that steers away from violence and adventure.

             Poverty and ethnicity also have a bearing on success.  Women fair the worst in both of these areas.  Parents can influence their children but sometimes it is for the positive and other times for the negative.

            Overall, this chapter tells us that one of the major influences, and sometimes turning points, in these children’s lives can be a teacher.  Teachers are a stable source of daily interaction and can make a difference if they treat each child in an equitable way.  That does not mean treating each child equally.  In my classroom, students may see me giving an extra snack to a student, free time, individual help, etc.  They may start to protest that, “it is not fair” that they aren’t receiving the same from me.  I always tell them that I take care of EACH of all my student’s needs as I see the necessity.  As the year progresses, there is less and less of the protests since I do the same for them when they have a special need.  I try to help all my students whether it is emotional or educational needs in the same manner.  Do you have some students that are more likeable than others?  Yes, that is just the way we all are since we are not impartial judges.  I try to see the person though, not the boy or girl, rich or poor, black or white or any other color.  Those things do not matter to me.  Their teacher should offer each child a hand up in the world because you can make all the difference in their self-esteem and ability to move forward.  My favorite tools are smiles, hugs, high fives, and pats on the back.  If someone is discouraged and says they cannot complete the task, I will give them help as I see they need it but I do not give the answer when I know they can arrive at it and get that feeling of satisfaction and self validation which can lead them to future successes.

Question:  What do you do in your classroom to help bolster a child’s self esteem?  How do you help them jump that hurdle that they think is beyond their reach?