From the moment we are born, we are all indoctrinated with notions on how to perform our genders. According to Hendrix and Wei, early gender biases that children encounter can shape their attitudes and beliefs related to their development of interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships; access to education equality; and stifle their physical and psychological well-being (2009). Because children develop such a crucial aspect of their identity during their preschool years, it is essential that teachers recognize this fact and adapt their teaching methods to reflect learning and play that encourages children to think outside of rigidly defined gender norms. Children develop their gender identity and begin to understand what it means to be male
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Teacher educators themselves must be committed to teaching students about gender issues. If only a few teacher educators in an institution address gender issues, preservice teachers receive mixed messages about their importance. The curriculum in high-quality teacher education programs incorporates gender issues. Families and teachers are encouraged to conscientiously and actively create a positive learning environment for young children—not just in promoting developmentally appropriate practices to stimulate cognitive, social, emotional, and physical domains, but also in creating a moral context for what they learn, as well as to help shape a global, multicultural, anti-bias world view. The power of self-concept is profound, as is the ability of adults to influence the children around …show more content…
Whether we are learning behaviours from parents, friends, teachers, or the media, gendered messages communicate to us what it means to be male or female, what behaviours are related to each gender, and which behaviours should not be performed by each gender. Alert to my own gender preconceptions I would not use gender as an organisational strategy for class groupings or lining up. I would be mindful of my use of language and avoid using generalities such as “the boys” or “the girls” but rather refer to children by name. In keeping with the endorsements of many theorists I would employ teaching materials and books with a range of role models (Skelton and Francis, 2003) and actively support girls and boys taking part in activities that are construed locally as for the other sex. I would present all subjects without gender bias. Consideration of the teaching of maths by Lucey, Brown, Denvir, Askew and Rhodes (in Skelton and Francis, 2003) has forewarned me to the dangers of allowing whole class sessions become dominated by confident pupils who are usually boys, to the exclusion of less self-confident pupils who are primarily girls. Overall I would attempt to put strategies into practise which foster discussion and teamwork rather than rivalry in the classroom (Martin, 2010 in Jackson, et al 2010). As the creation of gender identities in the primary school is a complex issue with wide-ranging stimuli I
Teacher educators themselves must be committed to teaching students about gender issues. If only a few teacher educators in an institution address gender issues, preservice teachers receive mixed messages about their importance. The curriculum in high-quality teacher education programs incorporates gender issues. Families and teachers are encouraged to conscientiously and actively create a positive learning environment for young children—not just in promoting developmentally appropriate practices to stimulate cognitive, social, emotional, and physical domains, but also in creating a moral context for what they learn, as well as to help shape a global, multicultural, anti-bias world view. The power of self-concept is profound, as is the ability of adults to influence the children around …show more content…
Whether we are learning behaviours from parents, friends, teachers, or the media, gendered messages communicate to us what it means to be male or female, what behaviours are related to each gender, and which behaviours should not be performed by each gender. Alert to my own gender preconceptions I would not use gender as an organisational strategy for class groupings or lining up. I would be mindful of my use of language and avoid using generalities such as “the boys” or “the girls” but rather refer to children by name. In keeping with the endorsements of many theorists I would employ teaching materials and books with a range of role models (Skelton and Francis, 2003) and actively support girls and boys taking part in activities that are construed locally as for the other sex. I would present all subjects without gender bias. Consideration of the teaching of maths by Lucey, Brown, Denvir, Askew and Rhodes (in Skelton and Francis, 2003) has forewarned me to the dangers of allowing whole class sessions become dominated by confident pupils who are usually boys, to the exclusion of less self-confident pupils who are primarily girls. Overall I would attempt to put strategies into practise which foster discussion and teamwork rather than rivalry in the classroom (Martin, 2010 in Jackson, et al 2010). As the creation of gender identities in the primary school is a complex issue with wide-ranging stimuli I