Boys Don't Try? Rethinking Masculinity in Schools

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Schools may not be able to change the world, but they can challenge, encourage, and widen horizons.” As an English teacher and a feminist, I like to think that I’m quite attuned to the ways in which language reveals certain social assumptions. I’ve spent hours patiently discussing the problems with language like “That’s so gay” and questioning the nature of ‘banter’ with frustrated students who didn’t see the problem. Yet, just in this blog, I’ve used phrases like “challenging boys” and described a low set without mentioning the gender divide, assuming the unequal gender divide of bottom sets to be implicit. As a new HOD, I have tried to ensure that we teach some non-stereotypical texts, but unlike Pinkett, I don’t currently make an effort to use homonormative pronouns in the classroom. I can imagine the way that my classes might respond to his example “Why might a man write his boyfriend a sonnet?” and have been somewhat unwilling to disrupt learning in this way. Although I regularly have the kind of “Why do we assume his love is a woman?” conversations about literature, I definitely haven’t yet normalised the ‘no song and dance’ approach that Pinkett advocates. What we do know is that for some boys, public praise is not welcomed, because being praised publicly, in front of other boys, could damage their valuable masculine status. To get boys putting pen to paper, teachers need to have relentless high expectations when it comes to what you want them to produce. Be sure also to give boys a taste of success. Contrary to popular belief, it is success that begets motivation, rather than the other way round.

Hi Hannah, thanks for your comment and for sharing the video. I think Laurie A. Couture’s new book sounds really interesting. A “good student” is seen as a compliant one, with boys more frequently sanctioned and girls spending more time on homework. In fact, an Australian study by Josephine Infantino and Emma Little found that of 350 pupils sampled, 78% felt that a private rebuke was the most effective method of dealing with inappropriate behaviour. Positive climate: Try a variety of teaching methods with active involvement from students and move away from punitive discipline into a more positive school climate.

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We often hear teachers saying that boys respond well to praise. Actually, this isn’t always the case. What about the boys?’ is a common refrain in education circles when discussing academic achievement, particularly in English. Chapter 8: Violence– Some really thought-provoking questions asked as part of a suggested approach for dealing with violence in schools: Explanation – Reflection – Expression (E-R-E). This could be particularly helpful re playground incidents. I also appreciated the highlighted need for conversation and support for those who walk away from a confrontation as I hadn’t considered the impacts of this before. Dozens of studies have been conducted along these general lines, including studies using materials more like those used in classrooms, and overall the theory is not supported. Matching the ​ “preferred” modality of astudent doesn’t give that student any edge in learning.’ As aresult, Roberts states that ​ ‘boys continue to wander and fondle for no good reason.’

Boost their 'cultural capital': It might be tempting to get boys in a sports-mad school to write essays about big match finals, but it can be better to open up students' minds to the world and help them find interests and passions they may never have known of.Stephanie Keenan is head of English at Ruislip High School. She blogs here and tweets @HeadofEnglish If we can encourage boys to really value formal education, help them see it for themselves, it goes a long way to helping them to meaningfully engage and embrace it.” The Research Schools Network is anetwork of schools that support the use of evidence to improve teaching practice. Whilst listening to Hadley Stewart’s contribution, I was surprised to learn how recently Section 28 (a law which effectively prevented teachers talking about homosexuality, even in cases of bullying) was still a feature in schools (2000 in Scotland, 2003 in the rest of the UK). Chapter 3: Peer Pressure– I enjoyed listening to this during an early morning walk in the snow. I need to look up Kate Myers’ research.

Chapter 7: In the Classroom– Practical tips for the classroom. The seating plan section made me laugh… creating a seating plan really should feature on teacher education courses!

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Sandringham Research School is no longer active. We are continuing to support schools in the region through the wider Research School Network. This book is easy to read, but hard to listen to. I’m reassured by the solutions, but frustrated by all the mistakes we’ve been making for so long. Fear of failure, they write, is a deep psychological threat that can lead to self-sabotage: the person’s motivation to avoid it exceeds their motivation to succeed. It is essentially a fear of shame, a paralysing emotion. The fact is, these myths, like all myths, are totally fallacious. If teachers really want to improve outcomes for boys, then they need to build positive relationships with them. We recommend the following steps to getting boys on side: 1 | Avoid confrontation