FROM THE HEAD& the Heart

Nat Wilburn, Head of Schools

INSIDE: Single sex education - why it works at SHS!

Sacred Heart Schools

FROM THE HEADand the Heart

Nat WilburnHead of Schools

Sacred Heart Schools has been educating Chicago-area children in single gender classrooms for 137 years. For the first 59 of these years, it was in all-girl classrooms. But in 1935, Hardey Prep was born, and for the

subsequent 79 years, single sex education for both boys and girls has thrived on Sheridan Road. While this type of education has gone in and out of fashion, and arguments for and against are found throughout the popular press, we have remained stead-fast in our conviction of the benefits of “our brand” of single gender education on a coed campus. When it comes to the single gender environment, Sacred Heart students benefit from what we like to call the “best of both worlds”. Studies continue to demonstrate, one after another, the academic advantages of a single gender classroom on student achievement for both genders. Research also dem-onstrates that single gender education helps students to broaden their interests and not be constrained by common gender stereotypes. Yet the spirit of the Hardey boys and Academy girls together in our hallways, lunch room, playgrounds and in extra-curricular activities also demonstrates their social skills and deep friendships. Our teachers have seen these advantages first hand. They speak eloquently in this issue on how gender specific rooms allow them to best support the individual learning styles of boys and girls. They share some of their “tips” for engaging boys and connecting with girls. I am always struck when our graduates come back for a visit and tell me that, among the things they miss most in high school from their time on Sheridan Road, is the single gender classroom. Our students on campus also voice their thoughts on single gender schooling. Long live the excellence of the Academy of the Sacred Heart for girls and Hardey Prep for boys!

Nat Wilburn, Head of Schools

Single Gender Education

WINTER, 2014

Teachers on single sex educationGet their insights and classroom strategies...........................p. 4-5

A man’s perspectiveSHS male teachers share tips on teaching boys.......................p. 6

Where does Advisory fit in?A safe haven for tech talk and more......................................p. 6

The boys’ perspectiveMrs. Betsy Fallon and Mrs. Jill Renn polled Hardey 1 & 2 on the advantages of single sex education. They reported the boys’ consensus:

We learn differently. We need to get up and do stuff.Boys have more in common with each other than girls.We would want recess all day….girls wouldn’t. We have a loft. That’s so cool!

At left: Johnny Simoncic H1 jumps on a trampoline between units, while Biruk Chane H2 perches on one of the classroom balls while conferring with Mrs. Renn.

What do the students say?

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They weigh in on single sex education...

We learn differently than girls, so it’s good to have a class full of friends that are boys too. Charlie Beard H2

It’s easier to be honest with each other when it’s just boys in the room. Nati Biniam H2

Single sex classrooms help me focus and not get distracted in class. Also, they are important because you can talk about things you would not be able to in a coed classroom. Eleanor Buchanan A8

Girls and boys tend to behave differently. Therefore, it allows teachers to “specialize” in teaching that gender. It is an advan-tage to teachers and their students. Ryan Clark H4

It is better to have single gendered classes because boys get along with boys a little more than boys with girls. Dawit Couture H4

The best thing is that there are no boys to distract you. Boys should be with boys and girls with girls so they are more com-fortable and can speak up…and the boys won’t laugh. Maeve Daley A4

The best thing about a single gender class is everyone can get along better and teachers can learn how they learn. No girls talking. Oh yeah! Jimmy Dukes H4

Our learning styles are different. Luke Grisko H7

Teachers can satisfy both boys and girl interests. Tivas Gupta H5

If we are sad, it’s nice to have girls around who understand. Chloe Kozlowski A2

Girls are a little more comfortable around girls and boys around boys. I prefer to be around girls. Plus, I think boys can get a little wild. Annie McIntyre A4

I know I can trust girls and sometimes boys are a little pushy. Girls are not. Pushy in the physical and vocal sense. Girls are more quiet; boys are really noisy! Diana Mejia A4

Boys are more comfortable being boys. Patrick Milito H5

I think that kids tend to work better when they are separated by gender. Since girls’ brains function differently than boys’ brains, I think it is good for boys and girls to be split up and to learn in a way that they learn best. Ally Powrie, A8

We can feel more comfortable and free in class, and we have the confidence to speak up. I am not afraid to say what I am

thinking or to contribute my ideas because I know everyone here and we are all comfortable with each other. Mila Saha A8

Our class is like having a family of all girls. Alana Shannon A2

Resources & studies:

single sex education

Diana Mejia, Annie McIntyre, Maeve DaleyRyan Clark, Dawit Couture, Jimmy Dukes

A growing number of studies support single gender classes.In a three-year study in the mid-2000s, researchers at Florida’s Stetson University compared single gender and mixed gender classes at an elementary school. When children took the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, the results were striking: Only 59% of girls in mixed classes were scored as proficient, while 75% of girls in single sex ones achieved proficiency. Similarly, 37% of boys in coed classes scored proficient, compared with 86% in the all-boys classes.

A 2008 Department of Education study found that “both princi-pals and teachers believed that the main benefits of single sex schooling are decreasing distractions to learning and improving student achievement.”

Books & Articles:Boys and Girls Learn Differently! A Guide for Teachers & Parents by Michael Gurian

Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys by Michael Thompson

Your Fantastic Elastic Brain by JoAnn Deak book

Why Gender Matters, Boys Adrift, Girls on the Edge –three books by Leonard Sax

Where Girls Come First by Ilana DeBare

All girls - better grades (2009):

Marina Jiménez, from The Globe and Mail, reports on a large-scale study from the University of California that concluded that graduates of all-girls schools have higher SAT test scores and greater confidence in math and computer skills.

The Trouble with Boys: A Surprising Report Card on Our Sons, Their Problems at School, and What Parents and Educators Must Do, January 14, 2009 – Author Peg Tyre provides an overview of the debate about why boys are falling behind girls in school.

Ally Powrie, Mila Saha, Eleanor Buchanan

Single sex education is at the heart of Sacred Heart – one of the Schools’ core values. Innumerable recent studies have supported what the Schools have known all along…that the single sex classroom best meets the needs of students. For 137 years, Sacred Heart Schools has educated children in single sex classrooms, first all girls, and then in 1935 boys also. There is a resurgence in popularity for single gender teaching, as current studies increasingly support its effectiveness. SHS has found that separating boys and girls into gender specific classrooms beginning in first grade allows classrooms to be structured in ways that best sup-port the individual learning styles of boys and girls. This strategy is complemented by many opportunities for boys and girls to interact throughout the day, including lunch and recess. A 2008 Department of Education study found that “both principals and teachers believed that the main benefits of single sex schooling are decreasing dis-tractions to learning and improving stu-dent achievement.” Sacred Heart teachers agree with this analysis. Betsy Fallon H1 teacher, noted, “Boys are naturally distractible, so we empower and embrace this natural distractibility by adding movement into the curriculum to keep them engaged.” Social & emotional benefitsTeachers went on to cite a range of benefits to single sex classrooms. Sev-eral teachers shared their observations around risk-taking. Nick Murawski H2 said “Students are free to take more risks when they are among their immediate peers. When students feel supported and free from judgment, amazing things can happen.” He adds that teachers are part of the equation. “I feel like students feel pro-

tected and understood not only by their classmates but by their teachers. Students can comfortably learn at a more uniform pace.” This viewpoint was affirmed by Kris-tin Lesser A5: “Single sex classrooms tend to have a sense of community. Students are willing to talk openly about their feel-ings and issues that they might be having socially.”The ‘cool’ factorThe importance of com-munity-building is also facilitated by the single gender classroom. “I think for both genders, single sex education provides an opportunity for greater exploration with-out as many fears or anxieties,” said Justin Nixon MS Music. “Girls aren’t worrying what the boys are thinking of them and vice versa. It takes off some of the pres-sure and need to be ‘cool’ to impress the opposite sex.” Although it’s been almost 20 years since the publication of Reviving Oph-elia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls by Mary Pipher, which shone a light on a range of serious issues among girls, many

SHS teachers praise the benefits of single sex education

4

Boys & girls learn different ly

‘Students are free to take more risks when they are among their immediate peers.’ – Mr. Murawki

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Mrs. Lowry chose Ashes of Roses for her Academy class because of its strong female protagonist.

educators still wrestle with ways to best support girls in the classroom. Judg-ing from the comments of several Sacred Heart teachers, single sex education is very effective here. “I think that girls are more willing to answer questions or speak up because there are only girls in the class,” said Kris-tin Lesser. “They might be more reluctant to ask a question or share their insights if there were boys in the classroom,”

Katie Lowry MS Humanities noted, “While teaching Academy ladies, I notice girls debating issues and digging in deep to areas that typically would not happen in a coed environment. Additionally, I see girls taking risks to answer questions and share opinions without thinking twice.” She adds, tellingly, “It is truly remarkable how quickly that changes when they are in a mixed gender environment.”Bouncing boysIn recent years, researchers and educa-

tors have come to some new understandings about how boys learn (see back page). “After years of trial and error we know that boys need movement to keep their brains engaged,” summed up Betsy Fallon. “Through trial and error we have formulated strate-gies that have proven suc-cessful. It is reassuring to read the research that sup-ports what we do every day in our own classrooms.” Both Fallon H1 and Jill Renn H2 have presented

their classroom strategies in na-tional workshops, most recently in a conference in San Francisco. They shared some specific techniques they have found useful, including

learning through movementrice snakes, wedges, yoga balls headphones, privacy shieldsbody spelling, dancing exercises, wiggle breaks.

Sacred Heart educators as a whole en-courage a higher level of movement in boy classrooms. “In a classroom of all boys, I encourage and promote move-ment along with a higher tolerance for noise levels. There is a lot of physicality to our classroom environment,” explained Murawski. In music class, the same holds true. “Generally speaking, my boys are more active. We use more instruments, more drumming. This physical activity helps to engage their learning to a greater de-gree,” said Nixon. Conversely, he notes, “The girls are able to sit and sing more and accomplish more difficult vocal/aural challenges.”Targeted teachingSingle sex classrooms allow for sophis-ticated innovation and differentiation, with gender differences dictating specific approaches. “Writing is one area in which sin-gle sex education is particularly effective. Boys tend to be more action-orientated rather than feelings-orientated, as girls tend to be. Therefore it is easier to get boys to write based on ‘what would you do?’ rather than ‘how does that make you feel?’” said Brian East H4. “To teach girls, I need to be much more caring and compassionate towards them. Boys are all about action, getting it done. Also, boys require more directions and more model-ing of what is expected in order to get the results you are looking for. Girls want to

please the teacher by doing exactly what the teacher wants. Boys want to finish first, and worry about meeting the expec-tations second.” This seems to hold true in the gym as well as the classroom. “In the gym, the girls need more support and guidance, where the boys just want to go,” observed Andrew Pronto Primary School PE. “I also try to limit the competition for both genders to minimize conflicts and avoid withdrawal for those who are not com-fortable in competitive-type games or in the physical arena.” Sometimes, content selection makes a difference. “One of the ways that I adapt my teaching in Middle School is by choosing novels that appeal specifically to girls. The novels often have a female character as the main protagonist and tend to be more relevant and relatable to young girls,” said Lowry. Because in music, boys’ voices are changing while girls’ are not, teachers fo-cus on the challenges of a given gender at this very inconsistent time in their vo-cal development. “Certainly in reference to male education at this stage, the voice is changing drastically. This allows me to target this development as everyone in the room is either going through it, has gone through it, or will at some near point,” said Nixon. Andrew Pronto concludes, “To-ward the end of Kindergarten, the boys and the girls realize they will be with only girls and only boys. Both sides are typi-cally very excited about this notion!”

SHS teachers praise the benefits of single sex education

5

Boys & girls learn different ly

‘Students are free to take more risks when they are among their immediate peers.’ – Mr. Murawki

Mrs. Fallon leads her Hardey 1 boys in “getting the wiggles out.”

Mrs. Lowry chose Ashes of Roses for her Academy class because of its strong female protagonist.

FROM THE HEAD& the Heart

Nat Wilburn, Head of Schools

All Guys HereLearning

opportunities

created when

male teachers

teach boys

In a society where approximately 75 % of teachers are female, Sacred Heart’s male faculty have a special op-portunity to create unique learning environments in

their all-boy classrooms. They offer some perspectives:

Nick Murawski H2 says: “I think there are limitless advantages to being a male teacher in an all-boys classroom. It’s been awhile, but I know what they are going through. It is so important for boys to see a reflection of themselves in their teachers… especially in the primary grades.” “The boys seem to respond to me well,” says Andrew Pronto PS P.E. There is a respect level that is there. They think I ‘get’ them or can relate to them better.

Brian East H4 acknowledges the benefits this way: “Boys relate well to male teachers, I believe. I allow the boys to be boys, to move around, stand up when they need to, and I understand that boys need more physical activ-ity than girls. I allow them the freedom to move around because I know they will then be calmer when being calm is necessary.” Mark Anderson 7th & 8th Grade Math said, “Stu-dents have told me they have a higher level of comfort in a single gender class. I teach the same things in both the Academy and Hardey classes, but do find that the boys are louder and the girls quieter. Justin Nixon MS Music adds: “In regards to music and dealing with the changing voice, I have first hand experience in this process. I went through it. I believe they view us as being more relatable. They trust me and this can add real-world experience to my discussions.”

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Editor: Diane Fallon

6250 N. Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL www.shschicago.org

‘I understand that boys

need more physical

activity than girls.’...

Brian East

Single Sex education:

The social, emotional advantageTeachers at Sacred Heart have found that there are both social and emotional benefits to single sex education. They have cited the Advisory program as being especially helpful in these areas. Katie Lowry MS Humanities, weighs in. “Specifically, since I teach Middle School I see issues that arise in all-boy or all-girl classes that would never be discussed in a mixed gender classroom. Our advisory program is a wonderful place to have these socially-emotionally relevant conversations.” With the proliferation of smartphones, tablets and 24/7 digital communication, technology has become an omnipresent issue. It is one that is tailor made for single sex discussion. “Recently I have been part of conversations with the students around technology and specifi-cally what they share on their personal accounts,” notes Mrs. Lowry. “With the accessibility our students have to technology and how ever-present it is in their daily lives, these single gender class settings give us ample opportunity to discuss issues that arise as a result of technology.” The Advisory Program at Sacred Heart Schools has been providing a safe haven for these conversations for many years.

Andy ProntoBrian East