tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4309868682539752362.post482358212531052218..comments2015-10-21T07:55:20.285-07:00Comments on Melissa's SED 561 Blog: Why Gender Discussions MatterAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801144633841585289noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4309868682539752362.post-51268277488602238532015-10-21T07:55:20.285-07:002015-10-21T07:55:20.285-07:00Melissa
Your links were excellent, I thought the i...Melissa<br />Your links were excellent, I thought the information in each was right on target, and expands what we covered in the text for this week. Although I think we would all like to believe that we do not reinforce traditional gender roles and expectations, in reality, if all of us in the ASTL cohort spent 100% of our time rallying against them, we would still fall far short of the messages our students get through the media and society at large. I think what we can do is provide some balance, and some counter-intel for our students (and children...me too) and demonstrate some acceptance and understanding, especially when it is challenging. Our job descriptions and contracts do not include lines items for life coach, role model, morality development, etc, but maybe they should.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00696402900596847183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4309868682539752362.post-10020332621212178112015-10-20T15:42:50.465-07:002015-10-20T15:42:50.465-07:00Melissa, you stated "Students are constantly ...Melissa, you stated "Students are constantly labeled in gender specific language, and it is so entrenched in our collective memories that we might not even realize we are using this type of language." I agree here. Since taking Dr. Bogad's class, I am forever thinking about the language I say to students. I do not want to limit anyone. I remember the one scenario I had with students about gender and sexuality and feel like I could have handled it differently. This made me more in tuned to how I need to stay 'gender neutral' and not to impose the social construction of gendered roles/beliefs. It is challenging because we need to be careful of what we say and what students need to hear from us. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4309868682539752362.post-3876491818853953052015-10-20T08:21:57.062-07:002015-10-20T08:21:57.062-07:00There are so many conflicts that I see between the...There are so many conflicts that I see between the messages that adolescents/adults get on a daily bases about gender, gender identities and gender roles. One article you posted shows how though the work place is filled about 50-50 now with males and females that the science/field only has 26% female employment. Another article said starting in middle school boys begin to disengage in education because it is seen as sissy, or school is seen as a girls realm. It is all so complicated and complex.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08746901113531508961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4309868682539752362.post-81452697673516803832015-10-20T07:05:41.091-07:002015-10-20T07:05:41.091-07:00Melissa, that's so interesting. My parents, to...Melissa, that's so interesting. My parents, too, were very much opposed to even the idea of a biological male identifying as female (and vice versa), and our conversation about it brought up echoes of the past, when they uttered phrases such as, "that's not what a lady does" to me and "toughen up, be a man" to my brother. I, too, noticed huge differences in the ways we were treated, albeit I was the first-born and the first to go through things in a country and culture that was different from the one they had grown up in and were familiar with, so I'm sure that played a small part as well. But going to the school dance and then out with friends after was a huge debate (just talking to my dad about going to the dance was enough to cause me anxiety), while for my brother he was encouraged to go and have fun and even to go out afterwards. These differences were noticeable when I went to college (I was STRONGLY encouraged to stay home and work while going to school) and when David went to college (he was encouraged to get out of the house and live at school). I could go on and on, but truthfully, I wonder now how this will affect both of us as we get older and have our own children. I know that as a teacher, I try to provide for my students an opportunity to explore and discuss things that they might not be able to at home (I could NEVER have had a discussion about a transgender person growing up in my house), and to provide a safe space for those who are struggling to figure out who they want to be from day to day. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01517944097694268207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4309868682539752362.post-37664830843873267592015-10-19T16:28:37.124-07:002015-10-19T16:28:37.124-07:00Melissa - It's a unique perspective that you h...Melissa - It's a unique perspective that you have as a classroom teacher and a mom to a boy and girl. I'm curious what types of conversations you have had with Gwen and Zach about gender identity...and their responses too (and how those have maybe seeped into your classroom discussions). As a woman, do you identify more with Gwen? Do you compare Gwen to your other female students? I guess I'm curious about how our ideas about gender in one context affect our ideas about gender in others... Brittany Richer Ahnrudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12777477783602958216noreply@blogger.com