Gender Differences In The Classroom

I have had the fortunate opportunity to observe many classrooms in many different schools throughout the area this semester. Spending over 60 hours in classrooms showed me a lot about what it means to be an English teacher and how the approach can change depending on where you are teaching. In a classroom that has a demographic of students who you are familiar with and comfortable with, you don’t have to change or give up pieces of yourself in order to be understood. In a classroom where the students differ from you in many ways like racial, socioeconomic, gender, it is important to give up some aspects of yourself and try to communicate with these students in a meaningful way that crosses borders. I observed many classes at Kenmore East …show more content…
The students come from varying socio-economic backgrounds, but many come from a low socio-economic background in inner-city Buffalo. I observed one teacher while I was there, but met a few others. All of the teachers I consulted with were young, white, and had recently graduated. When spending time and speaking with one of the English teachers for 9th, 10th, and 12th graders, she explained that it had been difficult for her to relate, in some ways, to her students because she came from a different socioeconomic and racial background. She was constantly learning from them and trying to make her lessons relevant to their lives. One of the largest challenges she faces is attempting to create an inquiry based classroom in a military based school. The school is focused and geared on preparing these students for the military. The rules are many and they are harsh. The students are accustomed to obeying orders without asking question and simply doing what they are supposed to be doing. If they do not follow protocol or do as they are told, they could easily be suspended or even expelled. Maritime Charter School has one of the highest expulsion rates in the area, according to this teacher. Unfortunately, when this happens the students often drop-out and are unable to cross the border back into school again. They are considered as Judy Alston (2004) describes, “Type IV;” they have given up completely and many …show more content…
The school as a whole reminded me of the Common School that Walter Feinberg (2007) describes in his article, “Culture and the Common School.” This school aims to prepare students in a way that they may serve a larger public service, in the form of military. They are focused on the idea of owning their culture by supporting, “their nation.” This “culture” of JROTC, the military, and the school is given agency while the students are defined completely by their membership to it. In many ways this culture is imposed by the school onto the students. Some of them have the same culture at home, with their families, but some do not. By contrast, in this teacher’s classroom, I found that she was attempting to do what Feinberg (2007) suggested for the common school to do, and that is foster the individual and the idea of “self.” She has been able to create a system of meaning and communication with students who speak different dialects and foster an understanding that each child’s background is accounted for when shaping and extending meaning. The idea of the military being intrinsically tied to this school is not altogether bad, but it does take away from the element of self, an element that is unique and deserves recognition, that must be attended to. This teacher is able to make a connection over the school’s vision, and teach her students these