Originally Posted by ScandalAndy (Post 367637)

A is for Apple, B is for Boy... a gendered term is right in the beginning of the ABCs, but that is not the point I'm trying to prove, it just happened to pop into my head.



When you address your class, do you say "alright boys and girls, it's time for snack"? Are boy's cubbies and coathooks delineated by nametags with trucks and frogs on them, while the girls' tags have butterflies and flowers? Do any of your students have "boyfriends" or "girlfriends"? I think gender and its associated roles are present in your classroom whether you know it or not. You are a teacher, and what you teach is very important to youngsters (i commend you for being a teacher, it is a difficult and absolutely necessary job). I remember my 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Love, she taught our class about diabetes because we were curious about why she needed to use that plastic box on her finger every day. Treating it as something normal that she did was enough to de-mystify it for us, help us accept it, and educate us about something that we could have viewed as scary (blood = scary for some people). Along those lines, I absolutely think teachers should validate all genders while teaching genderless concepts such as mathematics and language.

As a side note, all language (with the exception of english) is gendered. Crazy!

You are right, it doesn't matter what gender anyone is, but that's a concept that needs to be taught.

Originally Posted by LaneyDoll (Post 367496)

Now, one thing that I am hopeful about-if parents are sending their children to this school, then surely, they are teaching the proper values at home to support the lessons learned at the school.



:sparklyheart:

Originally Posted by iamkeri1 (Post 367863)

I think the gender neutral school is a great idea.
Smooches,
Keri

Originally Posted by iamkeri1 (Post 367863)

I think the gender neutral school is a great idea.
Smooches,
Keri

Originally Posted by tapu (Post 367867)

Great, what is it? I mean, when it's not just an idea. (This isn't just to Keri.)

What does this kindergarten look like?

Originally Posted by tapu (Post 367714)

Really now? I would say that it's the fundamental question to be answered in the context of this thread. It's stepping back and questioning your assumptions.

Originally Posted by Chazz (Post 367886)

Nah.... I'll leave that to you.

I'm too busy questioning the wisdom of this gender neutral business.

In the spirit of gender and cultural neutrality, perhaps the school officials could have the kids wear their hair like this ----> :rainbowAfro:

Originally Posted by tapu (Post 367722)

I'm only insulted if you sincerely thought that I meant female toy soldiers were the full solution. I'll gladly receive your remarks as condescension. >:-)

But, at what point can we march the female toy soldiers in? You speak in ideals. Wonderful. Give me something concrete that backs up your flowery language. What would you DO?

Originally Posted by ScandalAndy (Post 367890)

I'm sorry that you think this topic is so goofy that you choose to invalidate it by making a mockery of it.

Originally Posted by Chazz (Post 367900)

I'm sorry you see it as a mockery. But, to be precise, I said the idea of gender neutral classrooms is goofy.

I don't want to live in a gender neutral world. I just want there to be a multiplicity of gender expression that isn't hierarchical, sexist, or falsely dualistic.

I think we've pretty much exhausted our exchange at this point.

Originally Posted by Heart (Post 367644)

That's interesting... what exactly is "gender-neutral," how is it achieved, maintained? Does it validate multiple gender experiences while reducing stereotypes or does it erase/minimize/police gender? Is it liberating or stifling?

Originally Posted by Chazz (Post 367893)

Tapu really, and in keeping with the theme, that sounds like a homework assignment. I'll pass on the directive.... :)

Originally Posted by Chazz (Post 367914)

Exactly....

Your post conjures memories of my days as a Catholic School student. It was stifling as a female and as a butchling. Talk about being erased, minimized and gender policed. YIKES ! ! ! !

I remember perceiving the nuns as sexless and genderless (they wore habits at the time). The experience left me with a sense of barrenness and sterility that is vivid, even now.

Originally Posted by tapu (Post 367916)

So... nothing. It gets a lot harder when you're talking about real things instead of nebulous constructs like ideas. I don't think of the practical application and implementation as the homework, exactly. More the groundwork. That's how the higher level idea is informed, refined, and possibly achieved.

Otherwise, it's like politics. Many, many ways to sound great while saying nothing.

Originally Posted by tapu (Post 367920)

Sounds like you're bailing on us! >:-(

Originally Posted by tapu (Post 367720)

Either it's new and thus an experiment; or, it's established enough to support your claims about its value to more levels. Sounds like it's still experimental to me (1 year) and so who knows what its relationship will be to anything else.

Originally Posted by Chazz (Post 367578)

I suspect it would only take one catastrophe (natural or man-made) to cause liberal societies to revert back to caveman dynamics in a wink.

Originally Posted by JustJo (Post 367941)

Just reading this thread, and not sure exactly what I think yet...but this sentence stuck in my head.

When my son was in elementary school, we attended a school carnival...complete with games, bouncie houses and a gigantic inflatable slide about 2 stories tall.

There were hundreds of kids and their parents, all roaming around the play fields, eating, drinking, talking, playing.

Suddenly, there was the sound of many children all screaming.

Evidently, the inflatable slide was poorly designed...with a stairway going up only one side. The people managing the slide had evidently not staked it down properly, and had also allowed children to fill the stairway rather than go up a few at a time.

I, and a few hundred parents, all looked up at the same time...to see the 2 story slide rolling over slowly...with the children ready to be pinned underneath.

Without an alarm, a sound, or anyone organizing anything...we all simply reacted...limbic brain...no training...just instinct.

About 10% of the adults froze in place. The other 90% dropped whatever was in their hands - food, drinks, purses - and ran towards the tipping slide.

Without exception, every male bodied person ran to the slide, braced themselves, lifted their arms and held the slide up off the children.

Without exception, every female bodied person ran underneath the mens' arms, and started grabbing children, pulling them away from the slide, setting them down just past the mens' legs and saying "Run!"

By the time the children were all safe, and the slide started to roll back into an upright position, there was a fair amount of laughter....when we all realized that every woman had planted her ass against the crotch of the man behind her to brace herself in a crouch....the only way to reach the kids.

I'm an independent, tough woman who has always supported herself...and I always felt like gender roles were taught. But ever since that day....I've wondered.