Gender Friendly Classrooms

©Sandra Sunquist Stanton NCC, LPC

Celebrating the Challenges Conference-Alberta, Canada
October 15, 2010 3:30-5:00

Welcome! Thanks for your efforts to understand and meet the needs of both boys
and girls in your teaching and learning environment. Please note something that
you will plan to put to use right away when you return there after recharging your
own power at this conference.

Sandi

Brain Coaching: Tapping Body and Spirit to Max the Mind

Chromosomes, Not Culture – Nan Brien

Boys are ―Systemizers‖

Space

Systems

Language

Vision

Emotion

Stress

Connections of the Heart LLC

www.ourbrainbuddies.com Page 1
 Gender Friendly Classrooms © Sandra Sunquist Stanton NCC, LPC

So What for Boys?

Girls’ are Empathizers

Vision

Social

Language

Emotion

Stress

So What? For Girls

All Kids Together

Detective Work:
―Behind every challenging behavior is an unsolved problem or lagging skill (or
both)‖ Nan Brien

Memory Systems:
2|©Connections of the Heart LLC
 Gender Friendly Classrooms © Sandra Sunquist Stanton NCC, LPC

What – Semantic

Where – Episodic – Location

When – Episodic Stories

How – Procedural

Now- Automatic

Wow – Emotions Glue or Block

Movement

Active Brain on the Brain – Brain Coaching for Kids:

(Adapted from Jeff Haebig, www.wellnessquest.com)

Excite the Dendrites

Turn on the Neuron

Fat on the Axon

Peek Through the Synapse

Shine

3|©Connections of the Heart LLC

 Gender Friendly Classrooms © Sandra Sunquist Stanton NCC, LPC

From Connections of the Heart LLC:

―Pay attention!‖ It turns out there’s a reason even for their fidgeting, fiddling and
incessant talking. They don’t get up in the morning choosing to make us crazy,
even if it sometimes seems like that’s what happens.

While we must consider each child’s individual uniqueness, some oversimplified

generalizations may be helpful as we take a closer look at boys and girls brains
to understand how they learn differently.

Keynote speaker, Nan Brien formerly of the Wisconsin Council for Children and
Families spoke at the B.R.A.I.N (Brain Research Awareness Integration Network)
Team’s Gender and Learning conference, and has granted permission for us to
share some of her research from her presentation It Begins in Utero.

She cited the biology which shows us that chromosomes—not society--create the
differences between boys and girls in Utero. The combinations of their X and Y
chromosomes predispose girls to seek out faces and attract boys to things that
move and systems. In a study at England’s Cambridge, one day after birth 102
babies were presented with faces and mobiles. Not just a statistically significant
majority, but every one of the boys turned toward the mobiles and girls turned
toward the faces.

Brain Coaching helps us understand boys’ and girls’ different processing styles
and allow teachers to plan comfortable learning activities for all children. It’s
possible that providing for their unique ways boys of learning may make it easier
for them and for us. The keys may found in systems and relationships.

Girls are empathic. Their brains have more mirror neurons which help them to
discern other people’s emotions and respond appropriately. Language and
relationships are their domains. Partner sharing may help them sift through tough
concepts as they find application and relevance in their everyday lives. In any
case, talking things through in a small group usually helps them learn.

According to the National Institute of Health,

 6:1 (ratio of boys : girls) are misdiagnosed with ADD and ADHD
 9:1 are labeled with a behavioral problem

Boys are systematic. They are drawn to analyze, explore, and construct a system
to explain how things work. If-then thinking creates patterns for them. Existing ―in
space‖ describes not only their behavior, but also the way their minds and bodies
work. They actually need more space to move around in to be comfortable and
learn. When they appear distracted, those objects they are playing with may
actually be helping them focus and learn. Asking them content questions may
surprise us, showing that they’re absorbing and tracking the lesson.

4|©Connections of the Heart LLC

 Gender Friendly Classrooms © Sandra Sunquist Stanton NCC, LPC

Auditory processing differences may have a physical component for many boys.
Because of the range of pitch they are able to hear, the teacher’s voice may be
more difficult for them to understand when she stands in front if they are sitting in
the back of the classroom. I was surprised to learn that many boys also hear
better through their right ear. If we are able to confirm that it’s true for particular
boys, arranging accommodation for that seems easy enough to arrange. Much
more information on these topics can be found in the following books which Nan
Brien referenced in her presentation:

The Essential Difference by Simon Baron-Cohen,

Spark by Dr. John Ratey
Why Gender Matters by Leonard Sax

Movement is important for all children’s learning, because their Vestibular system
coordinates the process. Looking at right and left brain dominance, we see more
reasons why the freedom to move is even more important to boys than girls.
Some schools are providing standing desks and stability balls (with little feet to
keep them in place) to replace classroom chairs. Students earn the ―licenses‖ to
use the balls, which is temporarily revoked when rules are broken. The balls give
‖movers‖ an important sense of control and the opportunity to meet their own
needs without creating problems for everyone else. Check out www.wittfitt.com to
find out more about the balls and programs to use them effectively in schools.

You are invited to sign up at www.ourbrainbuddies.com to receive free monthly

Brain Coaching Community Newsletters for Educators through Connections of
the Heart LLC A third grade teacher’s perspective on Stability Balls and
photographs were featured in our August issue, available through the Constant
Contact archives.

Sandra Sunquist Stanton NCC, LPC is a Nationally Certified Counselor and

Licensed Professional Counselor, holding current Wisconsin Dept of Public
Instruction Certifications as Teacher, Counselor, Principal and Director of
Curriculum. She served as Teacher and School Counselor for 25 years
beginning on an Air Force Base in Germany and ending at an NICS school in
Kunming China. A member of the collaborative B.R.A.I.N Team for Eau Claire
County since 2000, she presents Brain Coaching workshops for families, parent
groups, churches, and adult education seminars in Wisconsin and nationwide in
the US. Her website www.ourbrainbuddies.com offers Facebook, Twitter, Linked-
In, Newsletter links as well as publication credits, scheduled presentations and
educational products. She serves on the Advisory Board for UW-Stout School of
Education and the Health Ed Network continuing education company.

5|©Connections of the Heart LLC

 Gender Friendly Classrooms © Sandra Sunquist Stanton NCC, LPC

Bibliography:

Paul and Gail Dennison, Brain Gym, and Brain Gym, Teacher’s Edition –Rev.
Ross W Greene, Lost in School
Michael Gurian, Boys and Girls Learn Differently
Michael Gurian, Strategies for Teaching Boys and Girls-Elementary Level
Carla Hannaford, Smart Moves: Why All Learning is Not in Your Head
Mel Levine, A Mind at a Time
Leonard Sax, Why Gender Matters
Leonard Sax, Boys Adrift
Leonard Sax, Girls on the Edge
The Secret Life of the Brain
Chip Wood, Yardsticks

Websites:
www.ourbrainbuddies.com Connections of the Heart LLC
www.brainconnection.com Scientific American
www.braingym.org Edu-Kinesthetics
www.wittfitt.com Lisa Witt - Stability balls-classroom chairs)
www.moveintheclassroom.com Julian Reed
www.whygendermatters.com Leonard Sax
www.johnratey.com/newsite/index.html John Ratey-SPARK
www.wccf.org Wisconsin Council for Children and Families
www.wellnessquest.com Dr. Jeff Haebig

+++++

I appreciate your presence and participation in this workshop! You will never
completely realize the tremendous impact your work has for your students’ lives,
but I thank you for them. Taking this time to take care of yourself and sharpening
your own tools will help them ultimately reach their potential.

Thanks for inviting me to Amazing Alberta! Please let me know if there is

anything further I can do to help!

Sandi

6|©Connections of the Heart LLC