Fighting Sexism Isn’t Just Women’s Responsibility
By Chris Barone
EDI 17 Psychology & Development of Adolescent Students
School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
March 17, 2009
An effective teacher is able to relate to his or her students. I can relate to being an adolescent; I can relate to being overwhelmed with schoolwork; I can relate to trying hard and still not doing well. What I cannot relate to, however, is being female. You can age out of adolescence; you can work on time-management skills if you’re overwhelmed; you can try, try, try again if at first you don’t succeed. But what do you do if you’re female?! As a future educator, this is a major blind spot for me.
Today’s class helped describe the issues facing women today. In a male-dominated society, they have fought uphill battles for control over their own bodies, power, and identities. It is ludicrous that a country that celebrates inner strength and perseverance would impede the success of half its population. Thankfully, we have come along way in finding a balance between the two genders, but there is still a lot of work left to do -- and we, as teachers, can help.
Teachers can work to change this by creating gender-neutral classroom environments. They can break down stereotypes by making a conscious effort not to call on mostly boys during math classes, or mostly girls during English classes. They can set an example in their classrooms by seeing their students as individuals, not dichotomizing them based on gender. Most importantly, we can teach students to focus on and take pride in their achieved, not ascribed, characteristics.
Long Island University, C. W. Post
March 17, 2009
An effective teacher is able to relate to his or her students. I can relate to being an adolescent; I can relate to being overwhelmed with schoolwork; I can relate to trying hard and still not doing well. What I cannot relate to, however, is being female. You can age out of adolescence; you can work on time-management skills if you’re overwhelmed; you can try, try, try again if at first you don’t succeed. But what do you do if you’re female?! As a future educator, this is a major blind spot for me.
Today’s class helped describe the issues facing women today. In a male-dominated society, they have fought uphill battles for control over their own bodies, power, and identities. It is ludicrous that a country that celebrates inner strength and perseverance would impede the success of half its population. Thankfully, we have come along way in finding a balance between the two genders, but there is still a lot of work left to do -- and we, as teachers, can help.
Teachers can work to change this by creating gender-neutral classroom environments. They can break down stereotypes by making a conscious effort not to call on mostly boys during math classes, or mostly girls during English classes. They can set an example in their classrooms by seeing their students as individuals, not dichotomizing them based on gender. Most importantly, we can teach students to focus on and take pride in their achieved, not ascribed, characteristics.
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