Over the years I've read many books to help me in my parenting and teaching. I have completed a bachelors degree in elementary education and taught in various settings. I thought I had read the best of books and touched on all the topics of good teaching, but recently I read one that was packed with "aha" moments which confirmed that there's always more to learn in becoming a better teacher.For me, reading Why Gender Matters, by Dr. Leonard Sax was like the times I'm caught up in a fiction book by one of my favorite writers. I sat curled in a chair reading for hours at a time, then I went to my husband and gave him highlights of the really good stuff. We talked about how the things Sax wrote apply to real life. It was so enlightening that I didn't want to put it down and wanted more when I reached the end. Thankfully, Sax did a great job of citing his sources and I can look up his research and get more.
Why was the contents of Why Gender Matters new to me? I think it's because I am a female. Sure, I've read books about boys, such as James Dobson's Bringing up Boys, but this one is differerent. Sax presents scientific information about how boys and girls are different genetically. As a female home educator teaching two boys, I haven't always related to them as "boys", but as students. Now I can understand that the methods I've used to teach and/or the expectations I have had of their behavior is in conflict because our gender. The dialogue with my husband helped further my understanding of the male - female differences.
The key to becoming a better teacher does not lie within the content being taught, but knowing how to relate to the student. Why Gender Matters can help parents and teachers understand the genetic differences in boys and girls and how and why they learn differently. Sax addresses topics that will help parents/teachers relate to the very young all the way through the teen years.
If you want to be a better teacher, I highly recommend you read Why Gender Matters by Leonard Sax. For effective parenting or classroom teaching, Sax shows how to recognize the gender differences and use them to help every boy and girl reach their potential.
5 minute interview of Dr. Sax.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXqiJLZm-DI
http://www.whygendermatters.com/
