Posted: 11/9/05
By Patrick Tepoorten
The North Branch school district recently began year three of an experiment with fourth grade students, based on the idea that boys and girls learn differently and could benefit from single gender classrooms.
It was teacher Sue Howard who proposed the experiment to fellow teacher Dave Balzer, years after a staff development day in which the topic of brain research had been discussed by a woman speaker whose name is long since forgotten.
ìShe was talking about the hard-wired differences between boys and girls. It always stuck with me,î she remembered.
Balzer and Howard sought, and received, the approval of administration and the school board to give the idea a try. Thus began a journey into the minds of boys and girls that continues today.
How are boys and girls different?
Many of the differences between boys and girls could be considered common sense conclusion. Girls and boys mature at different rates, boys are more competitive, boys are louder while girls tend to be quiet and reserved. But research has shown that the differences may actually run much deeper than that.
For instance, it is now known that boys and girls hear and see differently. Study after study has shown that girls actually hear much better than boys, especially in the frequency ranges most closely aligned with speech. Researchers Barbara Cone-Wesson and Glendy Ramirez have found that infant girls hear the frequency of speech (4kHz) at levels 10 decibels lower than boys.
Separate classes
That difference, in the genetic makeup of boys and girls, can have ramifications in the classroom. It may explain why boys get fidgety in the classroom of a soft-spoken teacher, or why girls might be intimidated by louder voices.
Further studies have shown that there are even differences in the ideal temperature for the two genders. The ideal climate temperature for a girl hovers around 75 degrees, while boys are much more comfortable at around 69 degrees.
Balzer chuckled about how that difference is visible not just with students, but with his fellow teachers as well. ìMost of the female teachers in this building say that the school is too cold, but it feels just perfect to me.î
Boys and girls also view the world differently. Boys eyes are more attune to action while girls are more attune to color. The differences are so apparent in fact, that researchers have been able to determine the gender of infants, almost without fail, simply by observing infants visual priorities.
Howard and Balzer recently conducted an experiment that demonstrates just how differently boys and girls see the world. Each class was tasked with drawing pictures. Each was provided the same tools and an invitation to draw whatever comes to mind.
With the exception of about four kids per class, the end result of the experiment was exactly as researchers predict. Boys used far less color, less than six varieties revolving around gray, black, and silver, and drew intricate depictions of action.
Girls primarily drew nouns and boldly used up to a dozen colors in pictures.
Strength used to address weakness
The physical and psychological differences between boys and girls are being used by Howard and Balzer to tailor the education of both. Even something as simple as the seating arrangement is vastly different in each classroom. Howardís girls are situated in circular groups of four or five desks to take advantage of the benefits girls receive from working together.
ìGirls work well in groups,î said Howard. ìThey would rather help each other than compete.î
Boys, on the other hand, thrive in competition and have more restless personalities. Those traits are reflected in their seating arrangement, as boys sit side by side in an inner and outer horseshoe pattern. Balzer seats his more restless students in the outer ring. ìThatís where I put my stander-uppers,î he said, where they can feel free to fidget some without disrupting the class.
Studies show that boys and girls excel in very different areas of learning, and not surprisingly, those differences tend to be the direct opposite of one another. While girls may struggle more in the areas of science, spacial thinking, and math, boys tend to struggle in the areas of reading, writing, and verbal communication.
Howard and Balzer believe that splitting the genders has resulted in a situation where both the boys and the girls are able to use their strengths to address their educational weaknesses. Perhaps most importantly, with the boys and girls separated, ìNo one gender outshines another in their weak spots,î said Howard.
Howard goes on to explain how she came upon the realization that both genders run the risk of being overlooked in their weak spots. ìIt was our first year, and the girls were split into groups to solve a math word problem,î she explained. Howard was surprised to see how long it was taking the girls to solve the problem. ìThe boys would have had it done like that,î she said, snapping her fingers.
That observation led to another. ìIt had never taken a co-ed class this long to find the answer. That was when I asked myself, had I been calling on boys every time?î
What both teachers realized is that there is a natural tendency to call on students who raise their hand first. With boys and girls excelling in different areas of education, that tendency might work against each genderís educational weaknesses.
Now, there is no gender competition and Balzer and Howard are very pleased with the results.
ìEven the quietest girl in my class has a voice,î said Howard, while Balzer noted that the boys are thriving with a ìtribal feeling, a ìsense of belongingî that boys tend to crave.
Both teachers feel that playing to the strengths of each gender is having a positive impact on the education of each.
ìWe have made tremendous strides in reading,î said Balzer.
ìIt has exceeded my expectations,î added Howard.
ìMine too,î responded Balzer.
Breaking down gender barriers
Another advantage of splitting the genders, and one that might not be quite so obvious, is that the classes are able to focus more on gender specific learning. And, while the girls in Howardís class may be learning to be more assertive, Balzerís boys may be learning what it is to be a ìgentleman.î
While critics may allege that separating boys and girls runs the risk of cementing stereotypical gender roles, research on the subject shows the exact opposite.
For instance, girls that are taught separately from boys are more inclined to play competitive sports and study subjects like computer science. Boys, on the other hand, tend to show more interest in art and music, and are able to boost scores in the areas of English and foreign languages.
In other words, educating boys and girls separately has had the affect of breaking down gender roles, not reinforcing them.
A fresh start
The experiment that Balzer and Howard are conducting has had another affect as well, one that has nothing to do with the kids. Both teachers, 30 plus year veterans of the education system, comment on how invigorating the experience has been.
ìItís a real shot in the arm and gives us a new challenge,î says Balzer, as Howard shakes her head in agreement.
Different, not better
Both Howard and Balzer were quick to point out they donít believe the approach they are using to educate fourth graders is in any way superior to what colleagues are doing in co-ed classes. Just different. ìWeíre not trying to top anybody,î said Howard, who noted that the district has an excellent teaching staff and that coaxing kids to excel can be accomplished in many ways.
At the same time though, the enthusiasm the two teachers have for the program and the desire they have to see it continue, and perhaps even expanded someday, is apparent right away. Both are hoping that the interest level of the district will remain high in coming years, allowing the program to continue indefinitely.
©ECM Post Review
6448 Main Street
North Branch, MN 55056
Telephone: 651-674-7025
Fax: 651-674-7026
E-mail: editor.postreview@ecm-inc.com