Boy Brains, Girl Brains - Are separate classrooms the best way to teach kids?

Newsweek ^ | Sept. 19, 2005 | Peg Tyre

[ryan71]

Three years ago, Jeff Gray, the principal at Foust Elementary School in Owensboro, Ky., realized that his school needed help—and fast. Test scores at Foust were the worst in the county and the students, particularly the boys, were falling far behind. So Gray took a controversial course for educators on brain development, then revamped the first- and second-grade curriculum. The biggest change: he divided the classes by gender.

[ahayes]

Wasnt aware that girls even HAD brains.

Funny, that's what I thought about boys during my whole time in elementary school.

[nmh]

Does that apply to your MOM too?

Your wife?

Me thinks you're in deep do-do ... .

[Publius6961]

Pragmatically this has been shown to be true, and it hasn't anything to do with brains.
Denial is a wonderful thing. There is plenty of time to learn to interact with the opposite sex after age 12.

It's not rocket science.

[pa mom]

Most have done away with recess? Not in our district public schools or in the school affiliated with our church or in our local private schools.

Some, I've heard, but most?

[Peach]

Didn't the Chancellor at Harvard get into trouble for suggesting that male and female brains were different?

[Old Professer]

Separate clubs work better; for the dumber kids you'll have to drive spikes through the clubs.

[Right Wing Assault]

Learning to interact with the opposite sex does not have to happen in the classroom.

Yeah, even the kids know that stuff is supposed to be done in the hallways, stairwells, cars in the parking lot, and those little secret hiding places kids know about. One school I taught at had a good number of babies conceived in the recreation room during lunch time.

[ryan71]

I think he even got fired.

I guess you can practice it but you can't say it.

[Teacher317]

I say if there's any division of groups, start with the kids who want an education from those who want to cause problems.

Give schools and teachers the authority to make such decisions, and scores will sky-rocket for those who actually care to learn... further widening achievement gaps... which will drive Rev. Jackson and the race-baiters insane. It'll never happen.

[Logophile]

Yeah, even the kids know that stuff is supposed to be done in the hallways, stairwells, cars in the parking lot, and those little secret hiding places kids know about. One school I taught at had a good number of babies conceived in the recreation room during lunch time.

I said interaction, not intercourse!

[Wonder Warthog]

"No. Kids need to learn to interact with the opposite sex."

School is for learning facts---not "socialization". Many studies show that kids of BOTH sexes learn better in sexually segregated classes.

[ryan71]

I'd have done much better in school had I not been distracted by those darned girls.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Now what do we do about teachers of one gender - oh, say, female for example - who are prejudiced against students of another gender - say, little boys, just for the sake of argument?"

Self-correcting. The ones who are prejudiced against a specific gender will, I'm sure, gladly volunteer to teach the other.

[ThanhPhero]

Now what do we do about teachers of one gender - oh, say, female for example - who are prejudiced against students of another gender - say, little boys, just for the sake of argument?

Singlesex classrooms obviate that. It ceases to be a problem.

[joesnuffy]

Yes..kids do not need to learn how to interact with the
opposite sex at a young age..

More appropriate well supervised forms of interaction
as they mature is a much more sensible approach as it is
painfully obvious the present approach in public education
is a miserable failure..

imo

[CatoRenasci]

The point in the article about frequent breaks is interesting.

When my kids were in school over the past 14 years, they had only one recess in the morning, and a twenty minute recess after (an early) lunch.

When I was in elementary school in the 1950's (when schools were more oriented to boys, I think by default) we had ten minute recesses every hour and a 45 minute recess after lunch. Our school day was an hour longer (8-3 where my kids were 9-3) but we always got out and ran around. Even if it were raining, we had breezeways in which we could play most of our playground games. I distinctly remember often being fidgety by the end of an hour, and very glad for the break. Came back ready to go to work. (if disappointed our games of 4-square, tetherball, tag, kickball or basketball were so short).

[ThanhPhero]

Now what do we do about teachers of one gender - oh, say, female for example - who are prejudiced against students of another gender - say, little boys, just for the sake of argument?

Single sex classrooms obviate that. It ceases to be a problem.

[vox humana]

Didn't the Chancellor at Harvard get into trouble for suggesting that male and female brains were different?

Yes, he did, because some faculty morons would not accept scientific facts that contradicted their PC beliefs.

[ryan71]

"Gray is part of a new crop of educators with a radical idea—that boys and girls are so biologically different they need to be separated into single-sex classes and taught in different ways."

RADICAL IDEA----BOYS AND GIRLS ARE DIFFERENT

The Lefties in our school systems want SO MUCH to believe we are all one sex.

[Trailerpark Badass]

No. Kids need to learn to interact with the opposite sex.

In class?