Our classroom discussion about gender and sexual orientation brought up many differing points of view. The presenting group led the class in an activity where groups were to defend the pro and con for the question at hand. The discussion was engaging and thought-provoking. I enjoyed getting to hear both sides of various issues and having to think through what my argument would be for each side. This topic is becoming increasingly popular, but in many areas of our state is still seen as taboo.
Heights Preparatory School in west Dallas has recently split the 6th and 7th grade classes into single-sex classes. I have asked many of the 6th grade girls how they feel about the change, and their reactions are always positive and encouraging. They feel that they can be themselves in class and not have to put on a show for the boys. The distractions of co-ed classrooms were taken away when the students were placed in single-sex classes. They boys also like the change and feel that they can be more creative and "manly". A benefit for teachers is that they can tailor projects for all-girl or all-boy classes. Heights Prep made the change as an experiment, but since it has benefited the students academically and socially the school has decided to keep the classes separate at the middle school level.
I have a colleague who attended an all-girls school from kindergarten through 12th grade and loved her experience. She said that she had just as much (if not more) peer pressure than co-ed schools like the ones her brothers attended. One point she mentioned was that oftentimes certain teachers are known to play favorites with one sex over the other, but that could not be in effect at her school since all the students are girls. While her school had a "brother school", the daily social interaction with boys was limited from an academic standpoint. Only social activities, sporting events, and community happenings were times when both sexes were present on either campus. All in all, she had a positive experience and she even wants to teach at an all-girls or all-boys school.
I often wonder how different my life would have been had I been placed in an all-girls school. How would I interact with guys if my daily interaction with them was limited to family or church? Would my grades have improved or worsened based on female peer pressure vs. co-ed peer pressure? (Sometimes I would try harder if there was a cute boy in my class that I wanted to impress.) What would I have done every Friday night instead of being at a football or varsity boys' basketball game? What would my relationships now look like having had different experiences? As with anything, I only know what I know because of how I was raised and how I interacted with my environment. I need to maintain an open mind and be willing to accept other ideas and try new educational strategies in hopes of aiming my students for success...even if that means it may be harder or different than I did it before.
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