Edwina:
You make several good points. Here are a couple of things I urge you
to consider. You may have unconsciously gotten caught in some
stereotypical thinking that it is important for young girls to
confront. Important for all of us, in fact.
The "funny people" are most often identified as boys. They seem to
be given cultural permission to "be funny" in a way that is seldom
honored in girls. I encourage you and your friends to validate
those girls in your peer set who can also "be funny" and exhibit a
sense of humor in a broad group context. Girls should not be limited
to the role of being serious, studious, decorative, or nurturing.
You also expressed concern that a single sex class might be boring
because it would be just a "lot of yapping." Please do not feed
into the stereotype that girls are all social talk and filled
only with concern about their hair, clothes, etc. Often we have been
our own worse enemies in perpetuating stereotypes, or accepting them
unchallenged. Some girls "yap" all the time. And all girls "yap"
some of the time. But all girls to not yap all the time.
Your point about the two-sex society is very well taken. One of the
things that is most valuable in coed classes is the opportunity for
both sexes to discover that the stereotypes ("yapping" and "being
funny", as well as many more) do not have to hold true. With alert
teachers and young people who are emerging as enlightened men and
women, a coed class can be challenging and interesting. However, for
some girls, a single-sex class might provide them with the
opportunity to develop their confidence in their womanhood, as well
as the subject area before returning the coed arena.
In the shelter of each other, the people live. Gaelic Proverb
Karen M. K. Stanley K-12 Curriculum Specialist for Social Studies
Lincoln Public Schools, 402-436-1805 wk,402-436-1829 fax
<kstanle@lps.org>
**************************************************************
Message posted on EdEquity Girls Dialogue: The Voices of Girls
Hey, was up. This is Edwina you asked what are the pros and cons of having
boys in our classes, I never really thought about it but now that I am
thinking... let
me start out with the cons, boys can be childish, teasing, and rudeness but
they
don't always act that way. Now for the pros we live in a two sex society
no reason to block them out if school is getting us ready for the "real
world," right? You can have fun with boys (the funny people in most of
my classes are boys) they are friends just like girls. Those are the
pros and cons that came to mind. I would rather have co-ed classes
because I like the way things are and if we had single sex classes I
think it would get boring (just be a lot of yapping).
Edwina
Member of the Advisory Councils
Girls Initiative Network
<girlsinitiative@qwest.net>
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