DEVELOP GENDER NEUTRAL LANGUAGE:
Unknowingly, teachers seem to favor the use of "he" and "him" when presenting examples, instead of "she" and "her". Does the teacher do this purposely? No. However, a teacher needs to alternate between male and female examples. All learning material needs to be scrutinized to ensure there is gender equality. If examples contain all males, this can lead to a type of thinking that males are dominate because they are always the ones presented doing various activities. It seems like a silly thing, however it can have a serious impact on the minds of children.
USE THE LATEST BOOKS AND MATERIALS:
There are new books/materials that have been conceptualized by the NCERT and other publishers that use positive female and male examples. In past years, textbooks have always made males out to be the doctors, and females to be the nurses. Furthermore, they have made the females out to be the ones who clean, and males the ones who work. Therefore, females have begun to feel that there are some occupations they are NOT meant to do. They develop an attitude that they are inferior to males, and are inhibited from doing various things. We don't want our children to begin questioning if girls can be pilots, bus drivers, or police officers. Also we don't want boys to ask if they can be dancers, nurses, or hair-dressers. Newer textbooks and materials present males and females in positive examples that break down stereotypes.
DO NOT SEAT BOYS AND GIRLS SEPARATELY:
Segregating boys and girls, so that they sit with the same gender is not a good idea. Especially if the teacher plans to hold and create various discussions, this could be detrimental. Girls are often shy, and teachers need to call on them to participate. Boys don't hesitate to participate, and they often spark the discussion. Therefore, incorporating boys and girls together will prevent the girls from remaining silent and letting the boys take the lead. This mixed-gender seating arrangement is meant to make the classroom feel equal. If teachers segregated the sexes, she may focus on one sex more than the other. In addition, you don't want create a tone in the classroom that boys are "different" than girls. Both girls and boys needed to be looked at and treated alike.
GIVE EQUAL ENCOURAGEMENT ABOUT EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, ETC:
More often than not, society views that males should play sports and girls shouldn't. However, there is no law that says what girls can do and what boys can do. This attitude has been created by society, and it can easily be torn down. A boy shouldn't feel like a "wimp" or "sissy" if they want to participate in theater. Also, a girl shouldn't be seen as "masculine" or a "tom-boy" because she likes to play various sports. Teachers need to be mindful of their students interests and they need to be encouraging. If a boy expresses they want to draw and paint, there is no reason a teacher should act negatively. In addition, if a girl is interested and loves football there should be a great amount of encouragement. Teachers need to be unbiased when it comes to their students interests. They need to encourage them to follow their passions regardless of what society deems as masculine and feminine. The same goes for careers. If a boy decides he wants to become a dancer, there should be no hesitation from the teacher to encourage that.
In my opinion, I think gender inequality is a huge issue in schools. I believe our society has developed a cruel attitude towards genders. I really hate the terms "tom-boy", "wimp", "sissy", "baby" etc. I truly believe our stereotypical ways come from society's way of life in the 1930's to 1960's. In that time period, RARELY did women work. Women were meant to stay home, clean, cook and take care of the kids. Men needed to work to make a living, and they were known to be more educated. However, we are in a completely different generation today. There shouldn't be any restrictions, barriers, or stereotypes of what each gender can do. This time period is completely different. Biologically, we have different body parts, etc. That doesn't mean men can't do "feminine" things, and girls can't do "masculine" things. We need to STOP creating stereotypes for our children. Females shouldn't be made to feel inferior, just as men shouldn't feel superior. Teachers need to start treating their students as equals. I remember in my 5th grade classroom, my teacher would always call on boys to help her lift things or bring things upstairs. That just shows that she portrayed the girls in the classroom as weak and incapable. There is no reason she couldn't have chosen a girl. In the 5th grade, boys aren't insanely strong and muscular, they aren't even fully developed. Little things, such as this, is what creates various gender stereotypes.
Furthermore, I STRONGLY disagree with uni-sex schools and classrooms. Women need to work alongside men and gain the confidence. If we segregate males and females for education, we aren't preparing students for the real world. I think this type of schooling would further the gender stereotypes rather than reduce them. Men need to be able to recognize the abilities of women, just as much as women need to realize they can work alongside men. If women are segregated into one classroom, then what happens to their confidence when they need to work with men? They may be confident and strong in front of other women, but would this carry over when working with men? The same goes for men, would they be so confident and used to working strictly with men, that anything a women says is irrelevant? Segregation of the sexes is not the answer, we can't run away from the problem to solve it.
Gender Equality in the Classroom
Gender Inequalities in the Classroom
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