Single Gender Sailing Classes

[SailSolomons]

We're thinking about running some single gender classes at our school this year. Any thoughts about advantages/disadvantages.

[Plumper]

I think it is pretty well understood that men and women learn differently. Should be a score. The is a woman here on Vancouver Island who makes a good living teaching women to sail. Take out the testosterone and the sailing becomes fun for them.

[chucklesR]

How does the boat move is the skipper isn't yelling and being an ass?

Seriously - always a good idea to teach in a manner in which the student can learn.

[nolatom]

Do it, nothing to lose really.

I teach generally co-ed classes, sometimes all guys, less frequently all girls. Do I change my approach? Maybe a little, I don't really know. Big overgeneralization: men want to feel they're "mastering" the elements, women want to feel they're acting in harmony with them. In terms of teaching, I don't have to do that much different for either approach, and will take a slightly different attitude with each student. So far it's worked okay with each student. Essentially, it's a "one-room schoolhouse" out there. You have to pick your students, and figure out how to capture their interest for each one.

Usually it clicks, sometimes less so. I think I can teach equally effectively in one-gender or mixed, but am willing to learn if there are some new insights...

[Plumper]

It would be better to hear from students who have taken both mixed and single gender classes rather than instructors. I have also taught both, individually and together but maybe it would have been better if a woman had taught the female classes. The two genders certainly learn differently in my opinion.

Gaz

[sck5]

I took ASA 101 with all women and 103 with another guy. Nobody was out there exercising their testosterone - In fact, we were all happy we were out on the Bay and not at work. I dont know what the instructors would have done differently in either case - They were both very laid back and very knowledgable. All the students wanted to learn and though one of them had a harder time I wouldnt have chalked that up to any gender difference. The wind and the boat didnt know or care who had their hand on the wheel or the sheet.

[GySgt]

Same here, I took ASA 101 all male and ASA 103 had 1 female in a class of three. No difference. I personnaly think that single gender classes are more set up for the students perference vice the instructors.

[sailingdog]

Generally, if it is a couple, I highly recommend that they take separate classes. This is so that the dominant partner in the couple doesn't "do" stuff for the couple and prevent the non-dominant partner from learning as much as possible. Single gender classes are often very good for women, as they will generally learn better in a class designed for their specific learning needs.

[eherlihy]

Amen to what SD said. I learned a long time ago that you cannot teach a SO to Ski, Sail, operate a motorcycle, and probably shouldn't try to teach them to drive.

What would be great would be a set of parallel courses designed to get each member of a couple to the next level, and then compare notes. It could look something like this: Split them up for 3/4 of the day (this is an arbitrary figure - just as long as they are split for a major portion), have each learn with a group of people that are interested in the same aspect of sailing. Then for the final 1/4 of the day, encourage them to go out on the same boat - give them an opportunity to show each other what they have learned. This could work with sailing teams of 2, 4, or 6.

[sailingdog]

I like the idea, but implementing it would be a bit tougher...since you'd effectively have to market the courses to only couples.