I hate these promoters of single-sex education!

[PiePie]

I have just finished books by Michael Gurian and Leonard Sax promoting single-sex education as a panacea for failing (poor) public schools, and I am so furious! I would not opt for a single-sex school, but what is insidious is that these gusy are going around training teachers of coed institutions in their gender-specific pedagogy. Some of their choicest suggestions:

*When establishing authority, teachers should not smile at boys because they're biologically programmed to read this as a sign of weakness;
*Teachers should only look boys in the eyes when disciplining them;
*Girls should not have time limits on tests or be put under stress because unlike boys, girls' brains cannot function well under these conditions;
*Girls don't understand abstract high or spatial math (treated as the same thing, although of course distinct) except for a few days a month when our estrogen is surging.

We should all be offended at the suggestion that that boys must be bullied and girls must be shielded from the real world (which includes time).

They trumpet their ideology as "new discoveries" about biological brain differences, and they are extremely popular. In fact, I found an old thread on here promoting them, which i why I read them. (now of course I cannot find that thread, darn it) How can anyone not see that these are the same old stereotypes?!?!?!?!!??!?!?!

I hope this came out as somewhat civil. I respect different viewpoints, and there may even be a place for single-sex education, but to reinforce gender stereotypes? NO WAY!

[~member~]

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...archid=3400628 I found 3 pages....never heard of these ppl before. Thanks for a different view.

[mamaofthreecats]

hehe :

There are a lot of people who feel that way. I call them stupid heads.

[Nickarolaberry]

Well I think there are a lot of good reasons for single-sex education but this "reseach" is just a lot of bunk.

Lots of parents make this choice (as we do) but it has nothing to do with estrogen surges or bullying boys.

[mata]

That's just nuts. Thank heavens I was never treated that way in the single sex schools I attended.

[Lambsauce]

That's just incredible. I was just staring dumbfounded at the screen for a while after reading that part about girls. I can't imagine thinking of what incredible potential would be gone to waste if these theories were implemented in schools... as someone who has never had difficulty finishing tests on or well before time, and who understands most math she's been taught better than almost anything else, it just boggles my mind that the opportunity for girls to learn these things could actually be denied them. Unbelievable. :

I'm sure the part about boys is equally ridiculous... but, of course, I don't have any personal experience to get riled about on that topic

[blsilva]

I'm not too familiar with these books- I'm just now reading "The Minds of Boys". I actually laughed, because, if you go by his descriptions, I'm a boy and my very verbal younger son is a girl- at least as far as learning styles go. So, as far as the single sex stuff, I think its pretty off, but I'm still reading the book because it has some good ways to help my oldest son, who is not very verbal, and completely fits his description of how a "boy" learns. I'm not convinced that he is this way simply because he is a boy- I think it has more to do with individual learning styles- but the ideas have been helpful, for whatever reasons. Particularly about children who learn better while moving or exploring with hands. This has really helped ds1. But then, I was this way too as a child, and unless my parents failed to mention something, I was never a boy.

[PiePie]

Right. I too would be a boy in some ways under their descriptors. The dangerous thing in my mind is not that these theories are out there so as to enable us to tailor education to individual children's learning styles, as you are doing, but more than teachers in coed schools are being trained in this (unbeknownst to us) and to treat, say, your verbal son as if he were less verbal. GR

[blsilva]

I agree- it should definitely not be tailored by sex. If it had when I was in school, I never would have been as successful a student as I was. I was lucky enough to have great teachers who could work with my learning style.
I'm just hoping for some understanding for my oldest, who has already had trouble in 2 preschools because everything was tailored to sitting still and listening, and learning only that way. I had been trying to help him learn how to do that, but it was nice to read in this book that some kids (boys, girls, whatever- I'm trying really hard to ignore the sexist tone of the book, and get to the meat of it) learn better through movement, socializing, etc. I think that it would be nice to find schools that aspire to let children learn more in their best way, than trying to fit them all into one standard.
I can definitely understand how taking the authors too seriously in schools could be a problem, though.

[mommy68]

Originally Posted by PiePie

*When establishing authority, teachers should not smile at boys because they're biologically programmed to read this as a sign of weakness;
*Teachers should only look boys in the eyes when disciplining them;
*Girls should not have time limits on tests or be put under stress because unlike boys, girls' brains cannot function well under these conditions;
*Girls don't understand abstract high or spatial math (treated as the same thing, although of course distinct) except for a few days a month when our estrogen is surging.

These are all really stupid IMO. I can't believe people like that are allowed to write such books.

[Ruthla]

Originally Posted by Nickarolaberry

Well I think there are a lot of good reasons for single-sex education but this "reseach" is just a lot of bunk.

Lots of parents make this choice (as we do) but it has nothing to do with estrogen surges or bullying boys.

:

I'd like my kids to have single-sex education past elementary school because being with the opposite sex can be too distracting for adolescents! I want them to focus on their education, not on "dating."