A snippet from _High Strides_, no author listed.
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"WATCH WHAT YOU SAY"
"Before assessing students' participation in class, teachers should be
aware of the different ways that females and males, minorities and
whites communicate.
According to _The Difference It Makes_, a resource book on gender for
educators, written in 1988 by Anne Chapman, males argue, posture
verbally or speak in monologues in order to assert dominance.
Females, on the other hand, use "we" and other plural pronouns in their
speech.  They also speak in "false starts" such as "isn't it?..." to
avoid stealing attention from the speaker and keep discussion going.
When they interrupt a teacher, they ask for clarification.
Teachers appear to appreciate comments delivered in the "male style."
If they are outnumbered in a classroom, females speak less often in
class than males.  When they are interrupted, females feel discouraged
from participating further in the discussion.
Different styles in speaking also extend to minority groups.  According
to the book, blacks prefer speaking out without raising their hands.
Asians and latinos, especially females, generally do not speak out in
class.
Culture and gender can also dictate whether a student makes eye contact.
"Looking at the speaker while listening occurs least frequently among
white females.  All of this has obvious implications for teachers who
are apt to measure attentiveness or respect through eye contact,"
Chapman writes.
_The Difference It Makes_ is available from the National Association of
Independant School in Washington D.D. by calling the publications
department at (202) 973-9700.  The book is $15 for members and $20 for
non-members."
_High Strides_, volume 6, #3, May/June 1994.
... "Uniforms?  It's a socialist plot to kill my social life at school."
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