Summary Of The Gender Gap At School By David Brooks

942 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The gender gap at school analysis

If the average adult was asked who they believe is smarter: a boy or a girl, chances are that the answers would be evenly distributed. The unfortunate truth is that girls have an unfair advantage in learning at their schools because of the way that curriculum is set up. In his piece “The Gender Gap at School” David Brooks explains how male students are not given an equal opportunity to maximize their learning potential in school and how we can fix this issue. This is a very concerning issue that if not fixed, could end up destroying future male generations. This trend can be fixed by separating male and female students into different classes, by rewarding students with positive reinforcement, and by teaching different curriculums.
Male and …show more content…

It has been proven that “Women use both sides of their brains more symmetrically than men”, therefore teachers should also alter their methods of teaching to accommodate this (Brooks 391). Brooks states that boys wouldn’t be falling behind in school “… if teachers devised different curriculums to instill an equal love of reading in both boys and girls” (391). Currently, the curriculum favors females because “reading rates are falling three times as fast among young men as among young women” and “… men are drifting away from occupations that involve reading and school” (Brooks 391-392). As of now, the curriculum is set up in a way that girls are reaping the benefits of the system while boys are slowly losing interest and hurting their future. Sax states “that men and women can excel at any subject. They just have to be taught in different ways” (Brooks 392). The current construction of the curriculum is in dire need of change because “It just turns many of the[m] [boys] into high school and college dropouts who hate to read (Brooks 392). Some may say that it is the boys’ problem that they aren’t learning at the rate of the girls, but shouldn’t the teacher be at blame for not being able to relate and accommodate to all the student’s needs? Does it not feel like if a specific gender is performing at a higher level than the other gender that there is some type of bias in the instruction method? These issues would be fixed if we introduce two different curriculums that excite students and allow them to strive for their best

Show More
Related

  • Gender Inequalities Essay

    962 Words  | 2 Pages

    The critical rank for reducing gender inequalities should be education, labor force participation, and lastly, wages. There are obvious differences between men and women whether it’s anatomically, financially, and so forth. The gender inequalities women face compared to men is alarming and saddening. Gender stereotypes reinforce gender inequalities because stereotypes can often be internalized which results in biases against either sex. These biases against a person can result in negative results. Gender inequality has been within our society for a long time especially amongst women.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay: Say Yes To Single-Sex Education

    1228 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is a common phenomenon in coed schools that when an instructor asks a girl to answer a question in a science or math class, some boys always interrupt and answer that question correctly. Many girls at that moment may feel embarrassed, frightened, and even want to be invisible. In many cases, instructors do not punish the boys for their rude behaviors. As The learning environment and teachers’ attitude make girls feel pressure and decrease their Learning enthusiasm. As a result, girls and boys receive a different education even though they have the same class. In the U.S., the discrepancy in academic performance persists across gender. In order to close the gap and provide an equitable and quality education

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Gender Gap At School

    1399 Words  | 3 Pages

    Do humans let their gender define their capability to learn? In the “The Gender Gap at School,” David Brooks talks about how “Male reading rates are falling three times as fast as among young women’s” (Brooks 391), because teachers are not providing equal reading interest in both genders. However, gender does not play a role in males capability to succeed in their education for reading. “The problem with gender is that it prescribes how we should be, rather than recognizing how we are” (Adichie).

    Read More

  • Gender Roles in Little House on the Prairie

    2315 Words  | 5 Pages

    Sadker, Myra, David Sadker, and Susan Klein. "The Issue of Gender in Elementary and Secondary Education." Review of Research in Education 17 (1991): 269. JSTOR. Web. 14 Mar. 2012.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Gender Gap At School By David Brooks

    742 Words  | 2 Pages

    Brooks argues that male and female brains work and experience things differently. He suggests that this theory is also the reason as to why young girls are surpassing their male counterparts in school settings. He incorrectly assumes that by separating males and females, males will be allowed to break free from gender stereotypes. Brooks strengthens his argument with results of brain research on sex differences. But, Brook’s argument is unpersuasive. He categorizes all young males, and suggest that single sex-schools are the best solution for them. He wants to apply a black-and-white solution to something that is just not that simple. While Brooks uses comparisons and surveys to convince the reader, his argument simply does

    Read More

  • Primer To The Gender War

    826 Words  | 2 Pages

    An Educator’s Primer to the Gender War Gender wars has been a very controversial issue in modern day society. The topic has become even more intense due to the beliefs that schools may hinder gender wars within their students. Gender wars is Some people believe that gender wars should be eliminated and the attention should be reared toward gender roles and the expectations being held by each gender in a social standard. The article “An Educator’s Primer to the Gender War” written by David Sadker discusses gender war in classrooms. The article also takes a look on report card differences between males and females involving grades and tests, academic enrollment, special programs, health and athletics, career preparation, family, and parenting.

    Read More

  • Single-Gender Classrooms

    1358 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is no secret that, in general, boys and girls differ in their learning styles. Capitalizing on these differences could advance classroom performance. With on-going concerns about student success in school, any changes in the classroom that could increase student achievement should be considered. Recognizing the learning differences between boys and girls, one of the changes that could be instituted is single-gender classrooms.

    Read More

  • Sex Segregation Classrooms

    515 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sex-segregated education begins to clog up the minds of those in charge of education allowing the resources that should be used to improve the education of all students to be diverted elsewhere and affect the overall classroom environment. a. People are hyping the overall idea of gender separated classrooms as a fantastic “new discovery” regarding intellectual and genetic differences, however they are rather new versions of old stereotypes. b. Sex-segregated programs limit their education to only “scientifically proven” approaches in the classrooms for both boys and girls when ideally every student learns in a different manner.   c. Several facts support how sex-segregated classrooms often emphasize the struggles both boys and girls have regarding learning abilities rather than attempting to help each individual student on their unique performances. III.

    Read More

  • Same Sex Schools

    1630 Words  | 4 Pages

    Same sex classes make it possible for teachers to cater to student needs in a more efficient way. In general boys benefit from hands on learning, but girls benefit from calm discussions (Mullins 3). Girls tend to doubt themselves while boys think they can do anything. Boys need to be brought down from the clouds while girls need to be dug out of a hole (Mullins 3). David Chadwell says, "Structure and connection are two key concepts when examining gender in the classroom. All students certainly need both, but it seems that teachers need to consider the issue of structure more with boys and the issue of connection more with girls" (7), and Kristen Stanberry’s research has shown, "Some research indicates that girls learn better when classroom temperature is warm, while boys perform better in cooler classrooms. If that's true, then the temperature in a single-sex classroom could be set to optimize the learning of either male or female students" (1). These observations further support the idea that same sex classrooms can cater to student’s...

    Read More

  • Rose Guilbault's 'The Untranslatable Word Macho'

    1068 Words  | 3 Pages

    Girls are seen as caring, nurturing, quiet, and helpful. They place other’s needs above their own. Girls get ahead by hard work, not by being naturally gifted. Boys are seen as lazy, but girls are seen as not capable. In class, teacher will call on boys more than they call on girls. Boys are seen as better at math and science; while girls are better at reading and art. This bias is still at work even out of the classroom. There are more males employed at computer firms than women. The ratio of male to female workers in STEM fields is 3-1. In college, more women major in the humanities than in the sciences. In education, women are often seen as lesser than; even though 65% of all college degrees are earned by women. Women are still often seen as needing to be more decorative than intellectual, as represented by the Barbie who included the phrase, “Math is hard!” and the shirt that JC Penneys sold that said, “I’m too pretty to do homework, so my brother has to do it for me.” While there was a backlash on both items, it points out that there is a great deal of work to do on the educational gender bias to be

    Read More

  • Essay On Gender Issues In Education

    551 Words  | 2 Pages

    Women, Girls, Boys and Men today face a variety of different issues in contemporary american society. Many of the problems that they face are regarding gender and cultural issues. Today we say that both genders are equal but in reality they are really not. We have both girls and both falling behind in school because of these cultural issues. According to David Brooks article titled “Honor Code,” the reason why boys especially, are falling behind in education is because of the way the education system is set-up. He states that schools today proclaim that they are diverse, but in fact they have become “homogeneous,” they only cater to students who are “nurturing, collaborative, disciplined, neat, studious, industrious and ambitious.” He says that those who do not fit in with those categories are left behind, they become disconnected and eventually withdraw completely from their education. It has become a huge problem in the U.S, where colleges are lowering their admission standards just so they can admit more men. Mr. Brooks says the problems with boys is that they are naturally aggres...

    Read More

  • The Educational Journey

    2172 Words  | 5 Pages

    Teaching the subjects in the curriculum to a coeducational class may be difficult because boys and girls learn differently. Dave Thomas, who wrote an article, called "The Mind Of Man" argues that boys and girls learn differently point vehemently. He believes girls often have a difficult time in the classroom because the boys do all the talking (121). From person...

    Read More

  • Single-Sex Education and Co-ed Education

    1049 Words  | 3 Pages

    The proponents of single-sex education argue that boys and girls have differing needs and that their styles of learning are different. Education which respects personal differences must take this into account. ( Mullins 124) Single-gender schools seem logical, than, to a public that accepts that gender differences are real and likes the idea of expanding choices. (Silv...

    Read More

  • The Benefits of Single Sex Education

    1844 Words  | 4 Pages

    This problem occurs in schools everywhere and is starting to become more evident in today's society. The problem is that boys and girls learning potential are not being reached when put into the same teaching atmosphere. Girls seem to be out smarting boys in many classes. While boys excel in math and sciences and girls seem to be better in English. The styles in which boys and girls feel comfortable with are extremely different. The learning styles of girls usually contain socializing and context. For instance, most girls like to talk in small groups about the current discussion. They also like hands on activities or real life situations to compare things to. Boys are confrontational and formal. They need to be challenged by their teachers to help motivate them to become better students and be prepared. In contrast girls do not like to be confronted by teachers who are asking for an immediate answers. In most cases, girls seem to be more reserved and modest than boys about their intelligence ("What are someÉ) are. Their differences may not seem evident but make a difference to reaching their highest learning potential.

    Read More

  • Analyzing Education Gaps: Why Boys Fail

    1214 Words  | 3 Pages

    The reality that boys are failing, especially through elementary, middle, and high school, strikes many as news. Richard Whitmire, author of Why Boys Fail, cites teachers’ experience that have noticed distinct differences between boys and girls. He presents multiple witnesses of boys’ and girls’ education, one of which is Kenneth Dragseth, the superintendent of schools in Edina, MN. In 2001, He noticed the disparity between the participation of girls and boys in education. He first noted the recipients of almost all academic achievements and scholarship awards were girls. Dragseth initiated specific research into the disparity between boys and girls, and discovered even more details. In a study, he further discovered that girls earned honors awards far more than men, while boys earned suspensions far more than ...

    Read More

More about Summary Of The Gender Gap At School By David Brooks

Open Document