They Treat Girls Differently Don't They?

Marlee Evans
Danielle Bowlden
English 101
23 September 2014

Reading Summary

     In this excerpt, Timothy Harper addresses gender bias in the classroom. He poses the question, "They treat girls differently, don't they? Harper sought out the opinions of parents and educational figures in search of a general comply.

     A majority of the educational figures believed they had no involvement with gender bias or classroom stereotypes. The quoted teachers stated something along the lines of; if boys get more attention then they are asking for it-they're more disruptive and outspoken. If girls are being overlooked then they aren't asserting themselves.

     Harper then questions if girls have girls been conditioned to be submissive in an academic setting? Parents being quoted had broader comments, from expressing the favor of single-sex schools, to simply encouraging their child to be more involved and enjoy participation.

     The overall message of Harper's writing is not to blame anyone, but to raise awareness of gender bias in the classroom. He goes on to list helpful tools for parents to address the issue with their children and for teachers to evaluate the diversity of their attention.