At a primary school in a small town in the east of South Carolina, second-grade teachers Garneau and Lynne are convinced that separating elementary-age boys and girls produces immediate academic improvement in both genders . David Chadwell, South Carolina's expert of single gender education says, "Boys and girls learn, hear and respond to their surroundings differently.We can teach boys and girls based on what we now know." Male and female eyes are not organized in the same way, he explains.The organization of the male eye makes it sensitive to motion and direction."Boys understand the world as objects moving through space," he says. The male eye is also drawn to cooler colors like silver and black.It's no accident that boys tend to create pictures of moving objects instead of drawing the happy colorful family, like girls do in their class. The female eye, on the other hand, is drawn to warmer colors like red, yellow and orange.To attract girls, Chadwell says, the teacher doesn't need to move as much as in boy's class.Using descriptive phrases and lots of colors in presentations or on the blackboard gets their attention. Boys and girls also hear differently."When someone speaks in a loud tone, girls understand it as yelling," Chadwell says."They think you're mad and can shut down." Girls are more sensitive to sounds.He advises girls' teachers to watch the tone of their voices.Boys' teachers should sound more forceful, even excited. A boy's nervous system causes him to be more cautious when he is standing, moving, and the room temperature is around 69 degrees Fahrenheit.Stress in boys, he says, tends to increase blood flow to their brains, a process that helps them stay focused.Girls are more focused when seated in a warmer room around 75 degrees Fahrenheit.Girls also respond to stress differently.When exposed to threat and conflict, blood goes to their guts , leaving them feeling nervous or anxious. These differences can be applied in the classroom, Chadwell adds."Single gender programs are about making the best use of the learning." What is David Chadwell's attitude toward separating elementary-age boys and girls while learning?
Supportive Worried Concerned Uninterested