T O P I C :

Gender Identity

Lindsay raises the issues: I am having a wonderful time with my mentor and his students. I’m in a 9th grade pre-AP class and I have not had to deal with hardly any discipline issues — only minor things here and there. One thing that I have thought about, though, is the fact that these kids have a male and a female teacher; therefore, both a male and female perspective on the things we are discussing and teaching. My classes have an overwhelming number of boys in them. I really feel like the boys in the class love having a male teacher. These students are at a critical age when having wonderful male role models is essential.

I also think they learn a lot from me, as well, but they tend to drift towards my mentor teacher whenever they have problems or questions. I’ve noticed that the girls in the class almost always ask me questions rather than ask my mentor. I don’t know if this is because I am female or if it is because they feel more comfortable with me no matter what. I really like the dynamic my mentor teacher and I bring to the classroom. These kids are so smart, and our classroom discussions are amazing! They have such strong opinion, and I can tell that they love having both of us teaching them.

I am wondering, however, how the learning environment will change in my next rotation. I will be in a 10th grade class, so just one grade up, with a female teacher. I know this is more of a discussion topic rather than a question, but I have never thought about student attitudes towards a class or participation in a class because of the gender of their teacher. There are a lot of male teachers at the school, and I think that is awesome for both boys and girls. I only had one male teacher throughout my entire schooling, except for college. Therefore, I think this aspect is very interesting.

For the people who are paired with a mentor of the opposite sex, do you see any similarities in your students — girls gravitate to women teachers, boys gravitate to male teachers? How can I make the boys more comfortable collaborating with me?

Posted September 26, 2008

R E S P O N S E :

Respect for Both Genders

Stephanie Pierce writes: I have a mentor of the opposite sex, and I was afraid of the same thing happening. I had this feeling only because I thought that the kids thought that he was "cooler" than me. I have found that in being in the classroom for a long period of time, students of both sexes respond to my mentor and me almost equally. The conversations are obviously different, but in teaching, I have found that potty humor, Will Ferrel, and a wide variety of music tends to win over both genders.

Posted Octoer 9, 2008

R E S P O N S E :

Respect and Knowledge
Are Very Important

Mara Vaile writes: I am paired with a male teacher for this second rotation, so I have been thinking about your post. It is definitely interesting to see the different reactions. At first, I was worried about classroom management when I started teaching because my mentor has a way about him that seems to be enough to manage the class. He hardly has to do any classroom management and seems to engage the class without having to try very hard.

When I read your post, it made me wonder if that was due in any part to the fact that he is a male. But after watching him interact with the students, and then interacting with the students myself, I think that it is his style of teaching that catches the student's attention more than the fact that he is male.

He seems to have established respect from the very beginning of the school year. The students respond to his presence. He does a lot of lecture, but the students know they can interrupt at any time with questions. The students are all very comfortable asking questions and having discussions. It makes me think that it is less about gender and more about establishing that respect.

Also, he clearly knows his subject matter, and that seems to help create respect from the students. I have tried to follow his style when I am teaching, and it seems like the students respond similarly to me and ask just as many questions and stay engaged.

I have noticed that some of the girls do tend to come and ask me questions. I don't have any real suggestions about making the boys feel more comfortable, but I wanted to respond because I also noticed some of the same things you did.

Have you noticed a huge change in your new rotation since you are now with a female teacher? I think that gender is an important and interesting issue to think about as a teacher. From my experience, having one female mentor and one male mentor, it seems to be more about establishing an atmosphere of respect and student involvement in the subject matter than about gender.

Webmaster's Note: Outstanding response, Mara. Reasoned, incisive, and right on!

Posted November 30, 2008

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