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Excerpt to Curriculum- Grade the Teacher Exercise

Background Information:
Even though most teachers believe they treat all students in their classroom exactly the same, major differences do exist in the way many interact with girls and boys. Sadker and Sadker have labeled this treatment "subtle and insidious gender lessons, micro-inequalities that appear seemingly insignificant when looked at individually but have a powerful cumulative impact" (Failing at Fairness, Sadker and Sadker).

Find out if you're one of these teachers. Have the students do an unannounced survey of your student interactions sometime over the next few weeks. You might be surprised at the results.

If you're a student, choose a teacher to statistically examine what "subtle and insidious gender lessons" you might be under. Become aware of the lessons you're being offered in class and choose what you want to take home at the end of the day.

The Exercise

Over a week, count the number of times the teacher:

Calls on a boy to recite or perform
Affirms a boy's performance
Corrects a boy's performance
Stands close to a boy
Gives individual help to a boy
Praises a boy's learning performance. Note the reasons for the praise
Compliments a boy
Waits for a boy to answer the question before supplying the answer (note the amount of time the teacher waited)
Listens attentively to a boy
Physical touches a boy (arm or shoulder)
Provides clues and/or a higher-level question to help a boy respond to a question
Corrects behavior of a boy in a calm, courteous manner
Expresses courtesy and respect in an interaction with a boy

Count the same activities, during the same week, for the teacher's interactions with girls. What are the differences? Discuss the numbers and what they mean in class.

[D. Grayson and M. Martin, Gender/Ethnic Expectations and Student Achievement: Teacher Handbook (Earlham, Iowa: GrayMill Foundation, 1988).]

The Results:

Across the U.S., the students most likely to receive teacher attention are white boys
The second most likely are boys of color
The third, white females
And the least likely, females of color

The results of these differential teacher treatments and expectations can lead to girls, and to boys of color, performing at a lower level than white boys.

For example, African American girls tend to be active and assertive in the primary grades, but as they move into elementary school, they become the most invisible students in the classroom. They are the least likely to receive clear academic feedback from the teacher. When a girl of color's achievement is on par with that of a white boy's, the teachers tend to assume the girl's success is due to hard work and don't encourage her further, while they encourage white boys to work even harder.

[S. Damico and E. Scott, "Behavior Differences Between Black and White Females in Desegregated Schools," Equity and Excellence 23 (1987): 63-66; L. Grant, "Black Females 'Place' in Integrated Classrooms," Sociology of Education 57 (1984): 98-111; J. J. Irvine, "Teacher-Student Interactions: Effects of Student Race, Sex, and Grade Level," Journal of Educational Psychology 78, no.1 (1986)]

The above excerpt was from Raising the Grade, a curriculum about Title IX. It is available from WEEA in the Spring of 1998. Call 800-793-5076 to order.

		This site is no longer active. TITLE IX Title IX and Education Policy Home \| Resources to Infuse Equity Home Contact Us Excerpt to Curriculum- Grade the Teacher Exercise Excerpt to Curriculum Background Information: Even though most teachers believe they treat all students in their classroom exactly the same, major differences do exist in the way many interact with girls and boys. Sadker and Sadker have labeled this treatment "subtle and insidious gender lessons, micro-inequalities that appear seemingly insignificant when looked at individually but have a powerful cumulative impact" (Failing at Fairness, Sadker and Sadker). Find out if you're one of these teachers. Have the students do an unannounced survey of your student interactions sometime over the next few weeks. You might be surprised at the results. If you're a student, choose a teacher to statistically examine what "subtle and insidious gender lessons" you might be under. Become aware of the lessons you're being offered in class and choose what you want to take home at the end of the day. The Exercise Over a week, count the number of times the teacher: Calls on a boy to recite or perform Affirms a boy's performance Corrects a boy's performance Stands close to a boy Gives individual help to a boy Praises a boy's learning performance. Note the reasons for the praise Compliments a boy Waits for a boy to answer the question before supplying the answer (note the amount of time the teacher waited) Listens attentively to a boy Physical touches a boy (arm or shoulder) Provides clues and/or a higher-level question to help a boy respond to a question Corrects behavior of a boy in a calm, courteous manner Expresses courtesy and respect in an interaction with a boy Count the same activities, during the same week, for the teacher's interactions with girls. What are the differences? Discuss the numbers and what they mean in class. [D. Grayson and M. Martin, Gender/Ethnic Expectations and Student Achievement: Teacher Handbook (Earlham, Iowa: GrayMill Foundation, 1988).] The Results: Across the U.S., the students most likely to receive teacher attention are white boys The second most likely are boys of color The third, white females And the least likely, females of color The results of these differential teacher treatments and expectations can lead to girls, and to boys of color, performing at a lower level than white boys. For example, African American girls tend to be active and assertive in the primary grades, but as they move into elementary school, they become the most invisible students in the classroom. They are the least likely to receive clear academic feedback from the teacher. When a girl of color's achievement is on par with that of a white boy's, the teachers tend to assume the girl's success is due to hard work and don't encourage her further, while they encourage white boys to work even harder. [S. Damico and E. Scott, "Behavior Differences Between Black and White Females in Desegregated Schools," Equity and Excellence 23 (1987): 63-66; L. Grant, "Black Females 'Place' in Integrated Classrooms," Sociology of Education 57 (1984): 98-111; J. J. Irvine, "Teacher-Student Interactions: Effects of Student Race, Sex, and Grade Level," Journal of Educational Psychology 78, no.1 (1986)] *The above excerpt was from Raising the Grade, a curriculum about Title IX. It is available from WEEA in the Spring of 1998. Call 800-793-5076 to order.*
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