Mist if you encounter a student you know nothing about, do you make any educated guesses about how they need teaching based on their sex?
Of course I do or could but I've been speaking in extremely general terms, on averages determined from huge numbers. It isn't really my job to guess (educated or otherwise) as to a students needs nor is it the teachers. We can do a very brief assessment but much of our school's assessment is formative, ever changing and adapting to suit the child;s needs.
If they subsequently demonstrated a different set of abilities to those you normally expect of their sex, can they access an appropriate education?
'Yes', although this is an oversimplified answer. Each and every child can access an appropriate education.
My school streams for the core curriculum from Year 3 upwards. We keep the 'sets' extremely fluid and I question teachers if children don't appear to be swapping around their group. Styles of teaching are personal and as I have the luxury of appointing staff from large number of applicants, I usually appoint teachers who can adapt their style for each and every student, not simply one method for 'girl brains' and another for 'boy brains'.
Do you think that expectations and socialisation has any effect on the apparently innate tendencies of girls and boys?
Expectations have an effect on children. Students are more likely to rise to a challenge. Tell them their destined for mediocrity and that's where they'll usually end up. This isn't anything to do with boys vs girls.
Socialisation has an effect too. Children from high achieving social circles tend to achieve more themselves.
Are you talking more about girls / boys being told they'll be shite at something because they're a boy / girl. I'd imagine this has an equal effect on either sex and again isn't a feminist issue. That comes down to parenting / social influence. I think the days of girls being sent off from boys to do 'girl activities' are long gone. The choice is there and I think the reason girls tend to do things traditionally seen as for girls is not patriarchy in action, it's because they choose to do so. Children experiment. The mud kitchen, 'house' role pay area etc in our pre-school are equally occupied by boys and girls. Boys tend to grow out of wanting to play mummies and daddies and like more physical activities like who can bounce highest on the trampoline / competing with one another on the monkey bars whilst girls enjoy social interactions more and understanding their own emotional intelligence.
Ami
Do you think the IQ test is a perfect way of measuring intelligence? Or do you think it favours certain 'intelligences'?
It's by no means perfect and I said so myself a few posts ago. It is a good general indicator though.
I'm sure it does favour some "intelligences".
I'm not sure about different intelligences but it suits some styles of examinees more than others. Boys usually perform better than girls in the pressure of an examination with this reversed in coursework.
And how much of that is 'innate' and how much of that is down to social expectations?
We're finally going to get to the bottom of nature vs nurture and make MN famous?
I think a lot of it (more than half) is innate based on what I've seen from many different cultures, social backgrounds and generally large numbers of children.
You do though seem to think that there is [typically a] difference between male and female brains
Fixed that.
Absolutely. I see it each and every single day. I think those who don't are holding back women. We aren't the same. Embrace it and play to your / our strengths. This applies to each and every individual as opposed to diving people between the sexes.
I'm extremely organised (TF) , good at managing people and being assertive when necessary (TM) and understanding what makes them tick (TF). I enjoy the performance aspect of teaching (N?). I didn't fall into my career. It isn't a vocation for me. I looked at what suited my skills as well as something I'd enjoy enough to do for 30+ years.
with more extremes found in male brains where as female brains are more in the middle. A wider range in male brains compared to a narrower range in female ones.
Yes. This is proven fact.
As a headteacher, do you treat and expect the same from all your pupils
No. I treat each and every child differently and expect different things of each of them. The Primary Student of the Week last week was an autistic boy for 'commendable behaviour' by which I mean, he hadn't tried to throttle a classmate who was winding him up. This isn't a praiseworthy achievement for most children at the school.
do you expect boys to do better in certain subjects?
I do (if by 'expect' you mean 'think to be the most likely outcome) but my expectations have no effect as the children are encouraged and pushed to succeed in whatever they can.
M0stlyHet
because if she really is a headmistress she's fucking up the chances of a whole generation of girls going through her school.
Ignoring the doubting my occupation, three girls last year from a graduating class of 47 went to top Universities. One Oxford, on UCL and one Yale. 1 into medicine, one PPE and one Law-based course. One boy went to Oxbridge. There graduating class was pretty much 50:50 22 gir;s, I think.
I've been their head since they were first year of secondary. I think I'm doing okay.
The points difference is minimal for both A Levels or IB and GCSE as subjects are averaged out and the children play to their strengths but boys do tend to do better in traditionally male subjects and there are larger numbers of them there, the same for girls.
Blind marking also benefits boys as troublemakers were notably given worse grades by teachers who'd encountered their behaviour. I'm not sure what your point was. Are you?