Female/male Lab Dynamics

[Sheri Huerd --]

L.M. Madsen's post prompts me to ask a question of my own along the 
same lines:
        I am a teaching ass't for a class of 31 students, 2 females and 
29 males.  The class is in Weed Science, and most of these students are 
doing fine.  But at least 10 people in the class could use some help in 
the greenhouse IDing plants and pressing plants.  I have office hours 
that all students said they can make at least one.  Nobody comes.  Lots 
of questions are asked to me in the hall that would benefit the entire 
class.  Is this a result of my being female and the class being almost 
all men?  Should I be doing something (teaching-wise) differently?

P.S. to L.M.Madsen--the prof and co-TAs to my class are male, and YES, 
I think that there is not only differential treatmentment, but 
expectations of the work load I have and theirs--the Agronomy 
Depart. is (unwittingly?) producing men who think women have less to 
do, couldn't possibly be doing lab research that might take time, and 
have free time to revise experiments (better typing skills???).  

Sheri Huerd
Ecologist--but in the Iowa State Agronomy Dept.
Ames, IA--