“What kinds of benefits do our students get when playing different Gender role?”
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Playing with Gender (Rethinking Early Childhood Education)
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This story “Playing with Gender” from Ann Palo, it kind of bothered me a little, especially this part, When three 4-year old boys was playing a role: “Nicholas declared, it’s time to have our babies! One by one, each boys pulled their babies from their shirts and cradled them tenderly for a moment before they leaped into action, cutting the babies’ umbilical cords, wrapping them snugly in small cotton blankets, and holding their babies to their chest to nurse.”
Don’t get me wrong, I respect all females who went through and will go through giving birth to a baby. As a man there is no way I can imagine going through this kind of pain. So, my hat goes off to all you mothers and soon to be mothers ;-D! Now, back to this story, it still bothers me “Big Time!” call me old fashion, but as a teacher, I can’t teach this lesson to my students who are boys. Help me understand what kind of benefit would the boys gain by playing this role?
Through-out the reading, they talked about unexpected challenges, claiming our cultural perspectives, and our journey continues. It’s great if I had the time to do these kinds of children’s play, but I don’t.
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Miles of Aisles of Sexism (Helping Students Investigate Toy Stores)
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It’s interesting how toy stores are persistently opposed to change in sex-role stereotypes in toys. Big corporations like Toys ‘R’ Us is not in it for only providing products that brings smiles to children face, they are in it for the “MONEY” too. Our culture believes in this: “boys are into blasting, crushing, striking, and pulverizing and girls are into cleaning, diapering, and primping through theirs during playtime.”
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Now, if research shows that children playing these gender roles helps with their identity, then here’s my question: “How can we implement these kind of children play into our lesson plan with the limited time we have?”
Hi Gary,
ReplyDeleteI am surprised by your discomfort with boys playing with roles outside of the usual gender construct of males. Think about it from this perspective -- when we consider another person's view on the world, do we gain something to help us build a stronger relationship? Can males playing in female roles better understand what it means to be a female and further support females in the world? What would this mean for equality?
I also wonder about those children who may not fit into a heteronormative framework. Safe and supported exploration beyond heternormativity may give children more support in develop their identities. How can teachers move past their own discomfort in order to support all children?
How can your own reflections on this subject help you to further develop your narrative?
Jeanne
HI Gary,
ReplyDeleteI can understand your feelings since I am going through them right now with my husband. I think it may not only be your old fashioned thinking it can also be from the culture that you have been raised in. My husband is comes from a Japanese family and I have grown to know man of the Japanese traditions some I enjoy and others I need to question. With so many cultures teaching that a females place is in the kitchen and tending to the house how can they not teach that to their children. I know that you are not the first male to feel this way and I know that you will not be the last.
Hi Gary,
ReplyDeleteI believe children's play were something that the children initiated. The teachers were even curious about why the children were playing this game. The teacher's hypotheses was stated in page 68 of our reading. As it turns out the mom of one of the boys had a baby. I think children play out roles that they see and sometimes things that give them some type of connection to the event. I think following children's interest is the best key in implementation of any types of lesson planning. This benefits the children because it is not something imposed to them. I am curious to know what types of children's play you meant that you did not have the time for?