English teacher Katie White put her head above the proverbial parapet this week and suggested that when it comes to classroom management and behaviour,
pupils should be treated according to their gender. 

She says that, in her experience, girls do work harder, do complete their homework and do mess around a lot less than boys. Of course, not every girl is of the Matilda Wormwood ilk, and, equally, not every boy lets loose his inner Dennis the Menace at every opportunity. But, more or less, the stereotype holds true, says White. 

And therefore, as a teacher, in order to get the best out of the entire class - and keep your sanity in check - you should use different tools to manage the different sexes’ behaviour. 

She says that girls have a natural desire to do well and please their teacher, and that they learn best through discussion and practice.

“When it comes to managing their behaviour, I find that a lot of dialogic discussion, silent writing and maximum praise is the key to a productive classroom experience,” she writes. 

Boys, however, need a slightly more controlled approach.   “More and more, I find myself deploying vastly different teaching and behaviour strategies for the boys,” says White. 

“They need crystal clear instructions, shorter and more focused tasks, and specific sets of requirements seem to work better for them. They respond
to competition and praise.

“Once it has been made clear how high my expectations are, they do reach them and they do exceed them. They will, however, try and get away with doing the least work they possibly can at the start. I don’t have the problem with girls.”

Is she alone her view? It’s a controversial one, White admits, but she remains firm: as a teacher, once you accept that girls and boys need different behaviour management, your life becomes much easier.