This week’s readings in Adolescents at School focused on trying to identify the differences in learning styles and academic success between boys and girls. Yet, as each piece seemed to conclude, these broad generalizations about gender do not apply to every student. I chose this week’s MVP precisely because it went against what I experience as a student:

“Boys have a natural learning tempo that is more action oriented and hands-on than girls,’ Pollack says, but because most curricula require students to work independently and quietly, many boys end up feeling like failure.” (Galley, 87).

From a personal standpoint, I feel like I fall into Pollack’s “minority” of girls whose learning tempo is more similar to boys’. I have always enjoyed dynamic, interactive lessons rather than lectures or independent work. I enjoy working with classmates, contributing to discussions and having the ability to learn by hands-on or kinesthetic means. Long lectures or independent work usually mean I lose focus, even as a 25-year-old masters student.

Based on my reaction to this passage, I realize the importance of avoiding these overarching generalizations based on gender. Sure, boy and girls face different pressures in society and are subject to different expectations, but claiming that most girls would not also benefit from a “action oriented, hands-on” lesson seems like a detrimental assumption. I think engaging and interactive lessons, interspersed with meaningful independent work, can benefit all our students.