Boys in the Classroom
In Jedadiah’s class there are 24 children, 13 girls and 11 boys. I was struck by the fact that there are 2 more females than males. I wonder why this was done.
Why not 12 girls and 12 boys?
Well, remember the student who was vomiting last week? Well, he vomited again on Thursday in the cafeteria. He had told him mom several times that he didn’t want to go to school and didn’t like the cafeteria. He mom was sitting with him either in the office or in the cafeteria to keep him calm. Well Wednesday and Thursday, she was told to leave extra clothes in the office for him. When she picked him up on Thursday, she noticed that his shirt had been changed, and he was holding a plastic bag in his hand. Friday I didn’t see him in the morning and then asked about him when I was in the classroom later on that day. Sra. Mendoza said he had dropped from the program. I feel so bad for him and his sweet mom. I can’t imagine starting all over in a new kindergarten class, in English. He will be so lost for a few weeks. I feel sad for the parents because of their unfilled dreams for their son. This incident made me think about the fact that there are only 10 boys in his class now. How many males will complete the program in the sixth grade?
As far as I know, Jedadiah is the first boy in his class to pass lista una. I heard the teacher tell a couple of the other boys to tell their moms that they needed to study more.
As an educator, I know that there are gender differences in the classroom. It is a fact that boys and girls learn differently. Most elementary school teachers are female and tend to teach in a style that is stereotypically more “feminine.” Another issue is that learning now requires communication, which most males do not excel. There are many articles on the internet about learning strategies for boys and how boys are now dropping out of school. It is a dismal situation for boys in many, many classrooms in this country.
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