Is this teacher sexist?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
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<p>Getting him fired is not necessary, and no one said that was the goal. Getting him to change his behavior is the goal. </p>

<p>If you are afraid to complain directly to the teacher, just write down what he says and does and turn it over to your counselor. Do it with no comments, just his own words and his own actions. When it is all put together like that it can look pretty bad. The teacher does not need to get fired. He needs to change his behavior. Making a joke once in awhile is fine, but if he said lets have all the whites over here and the blacks over here, that would be wrong, or Jocks here and Band Members there, don't you think that would raise some eyebrows. Or, everyone with an income over 100,000 on this side, the rest over here. Making jokes is one thing, trying to prove his point that boys are smarter than girls is another, which is what he is doing by seperating the sexes that way.</p>

<p>Yes it can affect learning if it constant, at it sound like it is done often. Yeah, just chill and take deragatory remarks. Yes you can do something about your boss. That is the law. </p>

<p>I am not above slipping the teacher an anonymous note, just to the teacher though, with just the quotes and actions, saying it makes you uncomfortable and you are pretty sure it probably makes others uncomfortable. No threat, no going to the administration yet,no fear of reprisal and no getting someone in trouble anonymously. Just letting the teacher know he needs to be more aware of what he is doing. Even put in the note that hope the teacher will be more sensitive.</p>

<p>Northstarmom is correct. The teacher should be modeling behavior. Joking around is one thing, seperating kids all the time based on one characteritics is wrong. Acting on his bias like he does is wrong. Commenting on it often is wrong.</p>

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<p>You will meet bigots and sexists all of your life. You better get used to it.</p>

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<p>That doesn't sound like too sensitive of a teacher, but I have another question.</p>

<p>Earlier in the school year (in history class) we had an assignment where we were able to draw a political cartoon, or write an editorial about the American Revolution.</p>

<p>In class, my teacher held up a drawing that was very well done.
One girl commented "That has to be a girl's picture, no boy can draw that well"
My teacher then held up an essay (a very, very well-written one) and said "This has to be a boy's essay, no girl can write this well"</p>

<p>How appropriate is that comment? Should this teacher be burned at the stake?</p>

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<p>
[quote]
How appropriate is that comment? Should this teacher be burned at the stake?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Jeez, its a joke in response to a joke. Theres no point getting so riled up over it</p>

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<p>lol I know it was a joke i was just wondering though...</p>

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<p>my english teacher last year was sexist. or at least im convinced he was. the first day of school he passed around this sign that said "women should not speak" or something like that. i was like what is your problem? the entire year he would comment on how some girls were so attractive and there was this couple in our class and he said that the guy was really lucky to be dating the girl. that actually happens alot, i guess our teachers are involved in our personal lives. but i hated that english teacher.. plus he was training to be a priest so he always talked about christianity. not like i have anything against it, but when you are given a note card to write about your beliefs and questions you ahve about them, it p i s s e d me off. like what are we your crazy sunday school class? </p>

<p>oh theres this teacher that always hits on girls no joke. wear a skirt/low cut top and youre all set. and i had a teacher in middle school who was also like that. really pervy.. he married one of his students. and i remember one day i had to dress up adn i wore a skirt, and he had these carpet squares (who has carpet squares in their closet???) and he said he would put them under my feet so he went under my desk and did that. (i was wearing a skirt!) sick. wow i got off topic. im rambling sorry. but yeah i think what your teacher is doing is sexist, but really, there's no point in complaining to administration unless you really feel like you should. keep in midn the repercussions of complaining, other students who may like your teacher will get upset, other teachers will find out, etc.</p>

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<p>As a parent, what I have found out is that going to the administration with legitimate, documented problems gets results. In addition, my kids have not been retaliated against when I have done this. In fact, I think they have gotten better treatment. I also have heard from an administrator who is a parent that many parents don't complain because they fear that teachers would retaliate, but the contrary is what typically happens.</p>

<p>Elusivestranger: What you described happening in terms of the teacher apparently peeping up your skirt, and the other teacher passing around the sign was very unacceptable behavior. It is too bad that apparently no complaints were filed. Without complaints, twisted teachers like you describe stay in the system. </p>

<p>It is not normal or expected that teachers act the way that you and some others describe. However, until some students and parents have the guts to complain, the inappropriate teachers will continue their behavior.</p>

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<p>Yes you will meet bigots and sexists all you life, and you can get away from them, where as that teacher has power in your life. I would choose not to work for a bigot, I would not have friends who are bigots, I would not want my Husband to be sexist</p>

<p>When someone has power in your life, ie teacher who gives grades, they have a responsibility and a code of ethics. They have a higher standard. What they say outside of the of the classroom, who cares. But in a classroom, they are PAID to be fair, not sexist, not raqcist, not bigots. </p>

<p>There are ways to complain with out everyone finding out. And when and if you or your parents to say something, you can make that point perfectly clear.</p>

<p>It is scary to me that all these girls, while upset, are too afraid to go to the administration. Believe me, it would and should be handled where the teacher is made aware that his behavior needs to change without the names of the girls being brought into it.</p>

<p>And any teacher that takes a group of students, black, white, male, female, skinny, not so skinny, whatever and judges them like that will also judge papers that way.</p>

<p>And if a teacher is commenting on hot girls or whatever, that teacher is just opening themselves up to some serious problems. When people are willing to say things outloud like that....well, it shows there could be something going on or he wants something to go on....not always, but.....</p>

<p>I am curious, all the posters who say no big deal, have you ever had anyone make fun of you because of race, sex, whatever? It is amazing what people consider acceptable behavior by a teacher.</p>

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<p>northstarmom- i understand where you're coming from. i was weirded out when the teacher did that, but he did that to other girls in our class too then. also, i was warned about him by older students, so i guess i didn't notice much. the teacher that passed around the sign really upset me, but throughout the year i learned his personality. he was the kind of teacher that to do well in his class, you had to get on his good side, and just because i challenged his opinons etc, i wasn't on his good side. well, i think he really disliked me. but i'm just not one of those students who will (for lack of a better word) suck up to get a good grade. another thing is, my highschool is well known etc, and he has been head of his department for the longest time now, i think with such a well known established teacher, (this is the one who passed around the sign), students just think it's his personality etc. </p>

<p>citygirlsmom- i have had plenty of teachers that have commented on girls. my economics teacher always does that, he also comments on drinking etc. ive heard people in my grade discuss drinking with him (apparently parents do complain to him because he always gets in trouble with the administration, but it's more "joking" because he has also been around our school for so long) plus, he's friends with greg mankew (the guy who wrote our textbook) hahaha. sorry off topic. but yeah, i understand what you mean about teachers judging students, but they do. i think in highschool alot of kids (or at least for me) know how teachers work. you'll have those teachers that the only way to do well is to suck up to them. i dont know, i hope this made some sense.</p>

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<p>"ummm a pattern of behavior, all having to do with gender is a problem. A one time comment is one thing, a pattern of comments putting down a class of people is another. So, unlucycharms, when does it become a problem, how many comments, how many shide remarks does it take before you would consider it something to be addressed? 3, 5, 10, 100?"</p>

<p>No, it takes only one sexist remark for it needing to be addressed. However, my point was, that I don't consider any of the comments pointed out here to be particularly sexist (in reference to OP). In this ridiculously politically correct world, it seems that more and more people aren't even listening to comments that are said, but just listen for key words and automatically make an assumption.</p>

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<p>To the OP if your teacher's behavior is creating an environment where you don't feel comfortable then go to the administration. The incidents you described are a pattern of behavior and that behavior is not acceptable especially in a school environment. More than likely your teacher will be reprimanded for his comments and not fired. If you don't want to go to the administration then I would suggest having one or both of your parents schedule a conference with the teacher to discuss his behavior. I have had teachers who have commented on the differences between guys and girls they have had as students but never anything that could be deemed sexist. The line between sexism and humor is a fine one and your teacher's behavior has crossed that line. At my school the girls are very outspoken about being treated fairly and have complained about the behavior of a teachers and have gotten the administration involved. I know of one teacher that was fired but that was because of other things and the complaint about his sexism was the last straw.<br>
Commenters who suggest that you should acquiesce to his comments are the problem with the system. While I agree you should know when to choose your battles, this is not the time to sit idlely by and do nothing. Simply accepting the status quo would have been the downfall of this country and many of the freedoms we enjoy today would not exist. I know that sentence was a little pedantic. Your teacher's behavior is inappropriate and should be addressed immediately in whatever way you feel most comfortable.</p>

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<p>citygirlsmom,
I very much agree with you. What I find disturbing about many of the comments on this thread is that it's 2005. Back when I was in high school, in the late 1960s, the term "sexual harassment" didn't exist. It was "known" that girls didn't do well in math and science, and girls could be rejected from difficult math and science classes and from engineering and medical schools simply because they were female -- even though they had grades and scores higher than males who were accepted.</p>

<p>I thought that the women in my generation who marched for equal rights ended these problems for the succeeding generations. It is very sad to see young women posting about being degraded in class, and to also see that they feel powerless to address these serious problems.</p>

<p>As you stated, if a teacher seems to lack respect for women, one also can assume that the teacher's grading reflects those prejudices. The same is probably true of the teacher's recommendation letters.</p>

<p>I remember that when I was in college, my roommate, who was premed, was upset that the professor whom she was doing research for wrote a med school recommendation for her that sounded like it was recommendation for cheerleading school. He emphasized her beauty and charm. No thanks to him, she graduated with honors from an Ivy's medical school and now heads a department at a well respected medical school. It is very unfortunate to think that high school girls now are facing the same kind of sexist attitudes that she had to face.</p>

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<p>totally sexist. WEll my math teacher gave me a C in freshman year. The weird thing was she mixed up my grade with another girl. My teacher REFUSED to correct it. Then i went to my principal to protest then my teacher comes and says that a C i got on ONE test dropped me to a C! One 100 point test cannot drop a person from an A to a C. (there was total of 1540 points for the semster.)</p>

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<p>Sounds like he's just joking around. It's normal. He's being insensitive and a dumbass, but I wouldn't call him sexist. Most of my female teachers have said a few things about men in the past, and everyone found those comments funny. Doing it the other way around is not a smart idea, but it's nothing to crucify him for.</p>

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<p>I don't think anyone would approve of a teacher being sexists, but things are out of control these days with people sueing everyone over just about everything and others complaining everytime something doesn't go thair way. Our society has gotten to the point where we need to blame someone for everything and we think everyone can live their own perfect lives. Well guess what, its not going happen no matter how much people complain. We are now in the "self-esteem" generation. It has gotten to the point where teachers arn't even suppose to tell students they are wrong anymore. Now its "good try, you are realy close, keep at it and I am sure you'll get it." Anything that could possibly hurt one's self esteem shouldn't be done. People need to just deal with certain things in their lives. Thing of much more productive we would be if people spent more time working and less time complaining. Instead of complaining about your sexist teacher giving you a bad grade, you should work harder to prove to the bigot that you can do the work as well and even better than the guys. Do you think amelia earhart just sat and wimpered when men told her that women can't fly planes? Of course not, she took that time to prove them wrong. If your in high school and still let these petty things get to you i think you have bigger problems. Just grow up and deal with "like a man."</p>

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<p>Well, it's math class so it doesn't affect my grade (since grades are so blatantly straightforward, you either got the correct asnwer on the test or you didn't) and I'm not going to let it affect my grade, of course, it's just that it creates an uncomfortable environment and if there is a way to get him to stop, I'd like to pursue it. I think I'll either stay after class next week and ask him about it, or put an anonymous note in his box. He is a decent guy, and I think that once he finds out he's making people uncomfortable he'll be more careful. He's actually the kind of teacher who won't think twice about staying after school to help kids or staying in at lunch. As for "dealing with it like a man"- I'd rather deal with it practically- what if other girls are being offended, but can't "take it like men?" and the fact that sometimes the boys chime in and join him in his jokes-a lot of them look up to him because he's the football coach and a former wrestler- I don't want them getting the message that it's ok either.</p>

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<p>Plagmayer, they are not petty...and you saying Amelia Earhart didn;t just sit and take, she didn't take it, she complained!!!, she stood up for herself and she did it, but why should she have had to fight certain battles because she was female; your saying "take it like a man" is absord. If blacks in the 60s said, well whatever, we will just take it, where would we be, if women in the 70s said, hey, we'll just take it, if the Irish in the 1800;s in America said, hey, we will just take and not try and fix it. </p>

<p>THis is not an issue of self esteem, that is just hogwash. It is a matter of fairness, a matter of treating people with respect, and being a good teacher. If people just stood back, the problems would be worse. You can have women doing great jobs, blacks doing great jobs, but with bigotry and sexism so prevelant, no matter how well they do, it won't matter. These girls could do phenomanal work, but it won't matter, because the teacher has already prejudged them. Someday, you will see that just doing the work and doing it well are not enough sometimes when you are dealing with certain people.</p>

<p>SO, if I read you correctly, its okay if the teacher give you a bad grade because you are female, and a female should have to work better and do better than a male to get treated fairly. Interesting.</p>

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<p>if i were you and i went to talk to him, i would put an anonymous note or i would have my parents come with me or something. and to everyone here who said that we are allowing ourselves to be degraded, i really dont feel i am because it doesnt just happen to me it happens to many other girls. and like a few people mentioned, the female teachers also sometimes make comments about the guys in our class too. however, when one of my teachers went really far (this wasnt a sexist thing, he asked if i was being abused.. but see the thing is, he asekd because i had ONE bruise on my arm from dance) i was very upset and my parents called the school. however, there really isnt anything the school can do besides talk to the teacher, which can be a good thing cus your teacher might stop, but he might not and claim he is just joking around or something. just my two cents on this.</p>

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<p>I don't see anything wrong with a teacher asking if you're abused when the teacher saw a bruise on your arm. Believe it or not, there are many students, including high school students, who are horribly abused by their parents, and, unfortunately, often the abuse continues because teachers and others turn a blind eye to things that indicate abuse.</p>

<p>I would rather have a teacher who asks questions about abuse than to have teachers who are too disinterested or to fearful to ask such questions. </p>

<p>Meanwhile, when it comes to sexist comments, "I was just kidding" does not excuse such behavior any more than it would be an excuse if a person made racist comments. Males can be victimized by sexist comments just as females can be. Saying that the same thing happens to boys, who are made fun of by some female teachers, doesn't make such comments acceptable.</p>

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<p>---"your saying "take it like a man" is absord."
That was oblivously a joking, and yes probably sexist comment, just to prove my point of how serious people like you take misguided statements. If there is a serious problem like the blacks, women and irish had, actions should be taken. I am not saying that those thigns were ok, sorry if i didn't indicate this. You applied my way of thinking to much bigger and widespread thinking. i am not supporting that those groups don't take action, just like i think if all the girls in class are getting bad grades, someting needs to be done. What i am saying is that you need to use discretion. I don't have empathy for someone who recieved an 92, and they think they would have gotten a 93 if they were male. Just like i have no empathy for someone who has to put up with a few sexist/racist comments. Untill it gets to the point where your grade is being significantly affected or the comments become frequent enough that it has an affect on your ability to learn. People just need to lighten up and stop complaining when there is nothing to complain about.</p>