<p>I am the parent of a girl who would make a light saber out of anything and a boy who thrives on the structure of a calm and orderly classroom. My daughter is completely disorganized and messy. My son is neat and always makes his bed. One of my friends has a daughter who has been in trouble for fighting at school. The girl’s brother is polite and well-behaved. Another friend has a daughter who, at age six, is self-confident, defiantly colors outside the lines, and would ride roller coasters if she were allowed to. The girl’s brother is quiet, shy, meticulous in his coloring, and scared to get on a merry-go-round.</p>
<p>These are only a few examples of boys who thrive in traditional school environments as much, if not more so, than their sisters – many of whom can’t sit still or who get in trouble. I could name dozens of such situations, my teacher friends could name hundreds, and my friends across the country could name thousands.</p>
<p>Why do people insist on perpetuating stereotypes? If there is a problem in schools with addressing certain students’ learning styles, talk about it that way rather than labeling certain behavior as “boy behavior”. I’m a strong believer in nature being just as influential as nurture, but nature doesn’t mean there is inborn “girl” or “boy” behavior, just that there is some amount of inborn behavior, period.</p>