Tim L.

Education 2500
Gender Issues Project Reflection
As I am not sure what I am supposed to reflect on in this paper, I
will reflect on three points. The first, being how I felt in performing this
project to the class. The second how I felt about the project. Lastly on
where I think improvements could be and lessons learned to apply to
the micro-teach.
I was quite surprised about the amount of nerves I had in
presenting. I felt unprepared, despite running through it many times
the night before, stuttering and mispronouncing words. Even giving up
on the pronunciation of a word and allowing the class to fill in the blank
themselves. I was also very surprised on how I struggled with the
presentation, but how easily the activity came. Maybe as I just found
playing devils advocate easier then presenting the actual material. To
provoke and prod discussion by looking at the different facets of the
issue, and allowing each persons point of view to have a time was not
much of a struggle. The biggest struggle of the presentation I felt was
classroom management after the discussion began.
My thoughts on the project were quite sporadic as grey areas in
many of the problems were presented. For example, how to provide
safety for all students needs Physical, emotional and, mental. The
privacy rights of: minorities/majorities, or the inclusion of all fringe
members of the student population. I do not believe there is one
perfect way to solve these problems. For every solution there is at
least one person dissatisfied. For having members of the physiological
opposite sex in your change room is a weird thought to someone who
has always had the genders segregated. Does this trans person have
equal rights to change with the gender they feel is theirs? One way to
solve many of these issues is to have non-gendered washrooms and
change rooms, but does this no ostracize the cis-heterosexual
community?
I mentioned earlier the biggest problem I think that my group
and me experienced was time. We helped to facilitate the debate and
had many of the issues be discussed quite thoroughly. This will be the
biggest issue for the micro-teach as there is only 20 minutes to give
the presentation. Being succinct will be key. I also think that the
differences of material will make the micro-teach much easier. By that I
mean, the gender issues had many if any ambiguous answers, the
curriculum that I will be working on will have concrete fundamental
knowledge. There will be no need for discussion. It is more fact than
opinion and defense of that opinion.

Tim L.
Education 2500