Sexism in RHS Classrooms Hurts Everyone, Let’s Change That
From their first day of kindergarten to their last day in the workforce, many women will face
some degree of sexism. I believe for many women, sexism begins in the classroom. These biases, often subtle and ingrained, set the stage for real-world issues like the gender wage gap and unequal treatment in professional settings.
At Roosevelt High School, an estimated 49% of students identify as female. Despite this near equal gender representation, many disparities exist in the classroom, affecting nearly half of our student body. So, how does sexism show up in our classrooms? Often, it can be found in the smallest everyday inter-
actions.
One common experience I have faced involves group work, where it’s assumed that I, the female student, will take on more passive roles, such as writing or organizing. In contrast, the male student will typically take on leadership roles, such as presenting. This in itself does not attribute sexism, however the automation of assigning roles based on gender does.
At Roosevelt, many of our issues with sexism occur in “normal” cross-peer interactions. There is an unaddressed and harmful bias that exists within our classroom dynamics. Anna Lai ‘26 shared her experience with group work dynamics in the classroom, “[There are] a lot of ideas that generally girls are going to be the one to do the work and make the project pretty, and boys receive more leniency. And so when you look
at projects, a lot of girls are put under a lot of pressure to do all the work and go the extra mile to get that ‘A.’”
Over time, these small inequalities accumulate, reinforcing the expectation of what a female student’s role ‘should’ be in the classroom. This expectation is further influenced by the prevailing belief that boys are inherently better at subjects like science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), a notion that takes root
early in education.
While many girls demonstrate significant interest in STEM fields, the lack of female leaders and educators
in these areas remains a persistent challenge. When girls don’t have the opportunity to see other women leading, it becomes discouraging to the student. Lai highlighted the significant deficit in the number of female educators involved in Roosevelt’s robotics program, “A lot of non-male people are going into [Robotics] now, showing interest in it. But, there is a roadblock.
If you don’t see anybody like you in a leadership role, that makes it a lot harder to pursue it as a career and
past high school.” Though female students are just as capable as their male peers, they are often steered away from STEM fields or other traditionally male-dominated areas. According to an article by the American Association of University Women, this early influence not only stifles students’ potential but also perpetuates gender stereotypes in adulthood.
Sexism in the classroom doesn’t just affect the students who experience it – it impacts the entire school environment. The assumption that boys are naturally more suited for leadership or technical fields, while
girls should take supportive roles, is damaging for everyone involved. Male students may overlook a significant point made by a female peer. In addition, when a male student automatically asserts himself in a situation, he misses the opportunity to develop empathy and understanding for others in his community who may hold different perspectives. So, how can we move closer to change as a school?
Awareness is the first step. As students and teachers, we must critically examine our interactions and classroom dynamics. Ask yourself: “Is everyone being treated equally?” If the answer is no, it’s essential to speak up.
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