Saturday, June 21, 2008

Boys in a Nutshell


Ideas to support…

Identity
· Be positive towards boys
· Find out what the boys in your class like to do – their interests and strengths
· Use their interests and strengths to establish connections between school and their lives outside school
· Provide educational experiences that suit the characteristics and needs of boys (once you’ve established what they are!)
· Encourage boys to set personal goals – allow for difference!
· Allow them to take responsibility for their own actions (and be consistent with consequences)
· Provide a supportive environment with positive male role models

Relationships
· Give compliments often (7 compliments for 1 negative comment)
· Have fun
· Be real
· Negotiate rules
· Encourage cooperation and collaboration (and teach the skills necessary for success in groups)
· Remind the boys of the rules regularly and reward good behaviour regularly
· Watch out for and comment on positive changes in behaviour
· Don’t back boys into a corner
· Develop positive relationships between student and teacher

Learning
· Choose topics and units that they are interested in or identify with
· Set high standards and work to maintain them
· Decrease the teacher talk - give quick explanations and instructions
· Change activities within each lesson
· Involve movement as much as possible
· Play games, as they teach social skills
· Have students evaluate their own work
· Cater for a variety of learning styles
· Apply flexible use of time, space and resources
· Have strong consistent classroom management and discipline policies
· Celebrate the achievement of boys

No comments: