Can you help me make sense of why this conversation annoyed me?

Really? Put Rhonda Rousy against GSP in an MMA match and we know who will win

Men are naturally stronger and as such suited to certain jobs

I don't envy you, OP. You're going to have to say something but he sounds such a hidebound sexist you'll be lucky to get through. I suppose getting him to substitute other groups for women might make a glimmer of light dawn. That Helen remark was just ignorant. I'd be asking him where he got that information.

I'd guess making him aware that in your opinion he's not performing well and that you'll say so is the most likely way to make him listen. I'm surprised one of your students hasn't said anything. We can but hope.

You sound like an ace teacher OP. Gary sounds like a misogynistic Dick.

Gary doesn't even know his Greek mythology

Why was Gary chipping into your lesson? Undermining you? Doesn't he understand that his role is to observe, not behave like a member of the class?

What subject will he be teaching?

Helen of Troy is a great example of how women were (and still are in some countries) chattels of men to be fought over, rather than human beings with rights. What a sexist thick prick. As pp have said.

Vegan and vestal hit the nail on the head.

But i agree, whatever you teach sounds great!

Any facts regarding the issues he raised you can fling my way would be great for me to bring up in our chat

Op, you may be a great teacher, but I doubt you are going to undo years of sexist crap "Gary" has learned. As for bringing up an at best apocryphal character as a proof of an argument . I don't know which is worse, bringing up Helen or not understanding the context of the Trojan war (as said previously she was fought over as a possession).

As a bloke I wouldn't want this clown near my DS or DD's.

I seem to remember aged 14 that our history teacher used the Trojan war as an example of myth versus truth in historical documents. It was almost certainly a war over who got to control the highly strategic waterway through the Dardanelles and had its origins in trade and economic pressures. The myth of Helen was bolted on after the fact. But even if you just think about the mythical version, either Paris caused the war by abducting her, or Menelaus by starting a military campaign to get her back - she did not start the mythical war.

If nothing else Gary needs to understand that his role is as a teacher not a pupil. So he should can it while you're teaching. He's there to observe you, not to give you the benefit of his manly opinion.
I suspect Gary has a problem with being trained by a woman though.
I would at the very least give him poor feedback on equalities awareness and receptiveness to observation and learning.

DJ - you're right in your interpretation of the story of the Trojan War (fought over Helen not by her) but there's no strong evidence it ever happened in the way described. The events are supposed to have happened in the 11th century BC, i.e. 3000 years ago. Gary would have been better pointing out that Princess Leia started the war against the Galactic Empire.

Ask Gary why he is so threatened by women.

And also show him last weeks's episode of SAS Ultimate Hell Week in which about five men dropped out as opposed to one woman, with the result that there are now more women than men remaining in the competition.

As others have said, though, in all seriousness, I'd approach it from a teaching point of view. First, the factual inaccuracy of his reference to Helen of Troy. Secondly, the insistence on promoting his particular point of view over the more valuable learning opportunity of encouraging the students to discuss alternative points of view. Ask him what evidence he can use to support his point about men just being more qualified for some jobs, rather than unsupported assertion. Ask him what resources he would use to teach the topic of the gender pay gap which would allow students to evaluate both points of view.

If he is a trainee on placement, I would certainly raise it as a formal concern with his supervisor. He sounds as if he will make a very, very poor teacher. In my experience (over twenty years of it) teenage boys rarely need their sense of male privilege shored up. Rather, they need to be encouraged to challenge and examine it.

Gary has internalized misogyny; he doesnt question his views at all.
Helen of Troy did not start a war. A war was started over possession of Helen of Troy.
He assumes men belong and doesnt question them.

This page from the European Commission goes through the basic flaws in the 'women take time off to have babies and thus earn less' argument, with jaunty music and graphics that Gary may (or may not) be able to comprehend.

The pay gap is also a comparison of hourly rate, so full or part time doesn't skew it in the way he imagines it does.

Give him a ticket to Washington - love this suggestion. Going off Betty de Vos' performance in her confirmation hearing as (lack of) education secretary, they'd get on like a house on fire.

As Gary can't distinguish between history and mythology and Gary is quite clearly a galloping sexist, I strongly suggest Gary pack a bag and get the first flight to Washington. The Trump Administration will have him wailing on CNN about the Bowling Green Massacre ("ordered by Helen of Troy") before you know it.

I would agree with PP, speak to a supervisor before Gary gets to turn this into bitter strident feminist doesn't like to have her views questioned. But also use him as a teaching aid for the class. So:

• Gary's premise is that the reason why there is gender imbalance in executive positions in government is due to a lack of qualified women competing for the roles. What evidence do we have to support or disprove this theory?

• Gary believes front line combat roles require a level of physical strength that no woman can achieve. What can we find out about the qualifications required of both male and female combatants? What can we learn from the Israeli Defence Force?

When Gary refuses to change his mind, I would then ask him whether he thinks his attitudes would be acceptable in a school if they were about people from different religions or races (and who knows, you may find he has those beliefs too). I'd ask the students what they think about teachers and how their personal beliefs should intersect with their responsibilities to their students (one of mine defended apartheid to us - I think based on the standard bollocks of the day which was it was necessary to keep the tribes living apart from each other in order to keep the peace).

You could exact revenge through his assessments but that wouldn't be professional.

Let him know that his comments are being construed as sexist, and as such set a poor examufor impressionable students.

Isn't Helen of Troy a myth? So not even a real world example. Having to resort to fiction to try and prove his point... Sexist and not very intelligent. Are you sure he's "qualified"?

There's a fb page called Man Who Has It All, which does a good job of flipping sexist comments round. I think that's a good test to show how absurd something is.

m.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=845933925525600

Which subject do you teach?

Gary sounds like a dick. Gary is also wrong. Helen of Troy was kidnapped.

Gary needs his arse kicked.

What is Gary going to be teaching? Trying o teach.