The other day I was leaving to go towards my 10th grade classroom when I noticed two of my students talking to Kristin. She later shared with me that these two students, both females, were just sharing that they missed Mrs. Leclaire, a female, in front of the class.
Then it hit me, students choose their teachers, especially at a 10th, 11th, and 12th grade level based on a variety of factors – one of them being sex of the teacher. Both of my cooperating teachers are female, which is really interesting because I am obviously male. It has made me reflect on the fact that because I am a male how the classroom has changed.
I really began to consider how do I connect with my male and my female students? It seems like I have a better time connecting with my male students in Kristin’s classes and usually the females in Anne’s classes. Explain that one!
It has been really interesting hearing about the conversation that those two female students told Kristin. How I deal with both female and male students in the future will be one of the things that I, a male teacher, will need to pay closer attention to in the future.
