Webb-Chapter 3

After reading Webb's chapter 3 on gender, I was a little disappointed. As always, I enjoy Webb's personal experiences within each chapter, however I didn't find this particular chapter very useful to me. I don't know if maybe it is because I have taken a Women in Literature course here at Western, or the fact that I am a female but I was not intrigued. I can relate to the fact that taking a course based on women in literature takes a different spin than the average literature course. Since it is based on women, the idea of gender roles, feminism, and women's rights issues do come about throughout discussion.
When it comes to teaching women in literature in the secondary schools I am definitely not against it. Although, I do think there should be a great deal of literature written by men as well. Basically, I want to find a happy medium within my classroom setting where the class can read a certain amount of literature by women, as well as a certain amount of literature written by men. This is allow students to see both sides of the spectrum from a woman's perspective as well as a man's perspective in writing.
As far as gay and lesbian studies go, I definitely want to promote this type of literature in my classroom as well (in a safe and comfortable manner that is). The way I feel about teaching women in literature, is exactly the way I feel about teaching gay and lesbian literature. It is a good learning experience and to have a healthy, diverse balance of homosexual themes in the classroom is something that can also be controversial, but a good education for many in the process.