Boys will be Boys...

When I think about learning styles, I usually think of the familiar categories: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. The seminar today discussed these different ways students may engage in learning, but what stood out to me most was the conversation about how boys and girls can be treated differently in the classroom. It made me realize that learning isn't just about how students learn, but also about how teachers perceive them.

One idea that really stuck with me was how the same behaviour can be viewed differently depending on whether it comes from a boy or a girl. For example, when a boy is loud, energetic, or acts out, it is often brushed off as “just being a boy.” When a girl behaves the same way, she may be seen as troublesome, difficult, or disruptive. This made me think about how easily teachers can develop expectations for students based on gender without even realizing it.

I also found myself reflecting on my own experience growing up. I have always loved sports and was definitely an active kid. A lot of my interests were associated with boys, and I often found myself connecting with the boys in my class through sports. I wonder if this also affected how teachers perceived me. I wasn't necessarily the stereotypical quiet girl, and being involved in sports gave me a different way of expressing myself that I think was sometimes more accepted because it fit into what was expected of boys. This made me think about how important it is to avoid putting students into categories. Learning styles can help us think about different ways students engage with learning, but students are much more complex than a label like “visual learner” or “kinesthetic learner.” The same is true for gender. A girl's interests or behaviour shouldn't determine how teachers interpret her in the classroom, just as a boy shouldn't automatically be given more room to be loud or energetic. 

As a future teacher, I think this is something I want to be more aware of. It is easy to carry assumptions into the classroom, especially when we have grown up seeing certain behaviours as “normal” for boys or girls. This seminar reminded me that getting to know students as individuals is just as important as understanding how they learn.

LaraJ@OTU