Treva Kent

Pop quiz: who prefers a warm, relaxed classroom environment with mood-lighting? Is it A) boys; B) girls; or C) both? If you answered B, you're correct. Now try this one: Who prefers fluorescent light, cooler temperatures and a stimulating, high-energy atmosphere? Yep, it's the boys.

"They've had more and more research come out saying that there is an actual physical difference between male and female brains," said Treva Kent, who will be teaching an all-girl fourth-grade class at Hilton Head International Baccalaureate next year. "The more you read, the more you become passionate about single-gender education."

Treva went through conventional co-ed schooling up until her undergraduate studies, when she attended the all-girl Meredith College in Raleigh. She found that she was much more comfortable in single-gender classes, able to focus on her studies without the physical distraction of the opposite sex. (Those distractions were welcomed later when the Meredith girls would go over to nearby Duke University to get their "socialization" time.)

"I felt empowered at Meredith," said Treva, who admits it wasn't uncommon for girls to come to class in their pajamas because they didn't feel the need to impress anyone. "I felt like I had a stronger sense of support. Without the boys, the competition wasn't there and the girls could be more casual with each other."

After moving to the island a year ago, Treva began to teach a standard fifth-grade class at Hilton Head Prep. With all the reading she was doing about the benefits of single-gender education, she felt compelled to implement some of these beliefs by offering optional writing classes-one for the boys and one for the girls. When an opening came up at International Baccalaureate to teach a single-gender class full time, she was eager to seize the opportunity.

But don't be fooled; Treva won't be painting her classroom pink or putting frilly curtains up over the windows. This is about documented scientific research. For example, studies show that girls at this age naturally have a longer attention span than boys and can go longer without taking a break to engage in some sort of vigorous physical activity. Females also seem to respond better to soft voices, encouragement and collaborative work in small groups, whereas males need louder instruction and more competitive challenges. Then there are the traditional ideas about which gender excels in which subjects, notions that Treva feels can perhaps be thrown out if teachers only change their methods.

"We used to stereotype and say that boys were better in math and science and girls were better in language," she said. "But through research we've learned that girls just develop their language skills earlier than boys, and that there are ways we can teach math without the girls feeling like they're not good at it. It's basically a matter of understanding how boys and girls learn."

Staying up on the latest science, Treva plans to teach the fair and gentler sex according to a method that is better suited to their needs. "I'm really excited," she said. "I'm ready to dive into this. I want to create an atmosphere where girls can't wait to come to school every day."


Up Close

Hometown: Kinston, NC Education: double major in art and early childhood education from Meredith College; master's in reading from Radford University Family includes: husband, Lew; daughter, Taylor, 11; and son, Colton, 6 Hobbies: art, basketball, and reading Favorite way to start the day: getting a snack of grapes and cheese and crawling back into bed to read to Colton Favorite children's authors: Patricia Polacco and Robert Munsch Most enlightening book about teaching: Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know about the Emerging Science of Sex Differences Guilty pleasure: Mountain Dew; she once tried to quit, but gave up after a very concerned student said, "You can't teach without your Mountain Dew; that's what makes you so peppy!" Natural high: "To teach a lesson where the children are excited and you feel like they got it. You're on top of the world when that happens."