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ESL forum >
Concerning worksheets > What about all the boys?
What about all the boys?
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libertybelle
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What about all the boys?
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The boys in my 7th grade complained to me today about some of the worksheets I�ve made and also downloaded here from ESL.
Their main compliant was that many of the grammar sheets are too "girly".
They think the images with little bears and things are too cute and
aren�t really geared for "guys".
I have to admit - they do have a point.
I�ve just made a ws about sports which is really a grammar sheet disguised
as a "guy" worksheet.
So, just so you know - perhaps we ought to choose some images that appeal to the younger guys too.
Hugs
L
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15 Jan 2009
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Zora
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I agree, I think that we should sometimes think of using more "gender neutral" clipart like Snoopy, Garfield or just things that aren�t so "cute" all the time. I try to keep my worksheets as "clean" as possible with just a touch of "pizazz" like a few fun images that are "neutral" - like objects, stars, symbols, people doing things, etc...
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15 Jan 2009
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mena22
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Good evening my dear friends! So nice to log in and find you still here! 
I agree with both of you! And I�m definitely guilty! I don�t know why, but when I look for images, I�m not attracted by boy things, I mean I don�t find them cute most of the times!! maybe I�ll have to spend more time looking... But that one thing I�m going to ask my male 8th graders tomorrow! I�m not sure i�m going to like the answer though!! 
Have a good night sleep!
Hugs,
mena
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15 Jan 2009
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mena22
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With the 3 of you! Sorry Zora, When I wrote my answer yours wasn�t there yet! |
15 Jan 2009
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libertybelle
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I agree - It�s ok with the cute images for the girls - but we seem to lack some more images for the boys to identify with.
I didn�t really think it mattered until the boys made me award of the fact.
I�ve even made identical worksheets but changed the images for the boys - and it was a huge success.
They really need images to identify with.
Many of my boys play an online game called World of Warcraft and other games
like this filled with fantasy images - which they love.
My good friend is an author of fantasy books and she says her publishers
are very selective with the images used in her books.
They have to support the text and if the books are written for boys, then
the images have to geared to young boys.
It�s good with a little feed-back once in a while!
hugs
L
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15 Jan 2009
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crisholm
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I�ve thought the same for some time now. I teach in secondary school with lots of false beginners, and there are some very good worksheets I do not download just because they have lots of bunnies or childish cartoon characters on them. Perhaps their makers live in a country where children achieve an intermediate/higher intermediate level at an early age. This is not my case, however. So, I just choose what is suitable for my needs (roughly).
I remember someone posting a message in the same sense some time ago - mainly, please avoid being so childish with the images you use-. It wasn�t received very kindly, I remember. If I remember correctly, most of the active members of the community reacted by saying that it was a matter of free choice - which I think is all too true. It�s right. If you are lucky enough to live in a country where you can teach past modals and intermediate reported speech with bunnnies and Garfield, well, I must confess I envy you. For me, it�s a matter of presenting suitable materials for 16-to18 year-olds who are very anxious to look cool and who would sneer at Garfield and company (while silently loving them, mind you - something they would never confess in public!).
So, as the previous controversy showed, it is all a matter of choice and circumstance - we teach different things to people of different ages. And we should not forget that we upload things we use with our own students which might be useful to other teachers - but our circumstances are different. Therefore, I encourage everyone to go on uploading the worksheets they have made for their own students, bunnies or not, because levels are different everywhere and teachers need all sorts of help.
There is one exception to all of this, I think. Even if you are very, very tired and you have more than 200 pupils (an undesirable situation many teachers may encounter here), DO NOT SPEND A WHOLE LESSON PAINTING A CARROT, PLEASE!!!)
All the best and all my thanks to everyone on this site who not only has made my life easier, but also taught me lots of things about creating meaningful ways to learn! |
15 Jan 2009
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