I have heard Micheal Gross on a number of occasions and he is talking at our Independent School's Conference this year. The thing I like about Michael is that his ideas are not revolutionary but just plain common sense. I hope you enjoys this short presentation by him.
Boys are wired differently to girls. They think differently and about different things than girls.
They mature more slowly, particularly when it comes to language development, social skills and their fine motor skills.
They are organisationally-challenged as well. They are more boisterous, more self-conscious and more awkward than girls…particularly as they move into adolescence. Managing-Self is a big drive at Huntley and this term, for example, we have worked on getting boys to look after their gear (With mixed results!) and making sure they are on time to class and have books out and ready.
Loyalty is a high driver for most boys. Many will get into arguments and even fights to back up their mates, or because someone said something nasty about their little sister. This is not always a bad thing when channeled in the right way. Look at how Huntley boys cheer on another boy who is struggling as witnessed at the triathlon. The pride they have in the school is another example of a positive attitude towards loyalty. The way they support one another, especially the godfather/godson relationship.
The abiding wish of all boys from school-age through to adolescence is to fit in and be part of a group. They are group-oriented by nature. This is why boarding appeals to boys at this age. They love being part of that boarding community.
Approval is at the heart of working successfully with boys. They will walk over broken glass or hot coals if they sense you like them… which is an important message for teachers too. This sis something I have based my career in teaching on. Show boys more loyalty then you expect to recieve yourself and it pays big time in classroom results. That is why I have a number of boys I mentor and check up on from time to time. Funnily enough these are still the boys that contact me once they leave Huntley.
Boys need specifics. Here are some examples:
They like limits and boundaries. They help them learn. They also like to push against them too so you had better have a backbone if you are raising boys. That is why the boundaries and routines at Huntley work so well for boys.
Boys also respond to think language. If you want to know how a boy feels, just ask him how he thinks... and he’ll probably tell you how he feels.
Boys generally are more impulsive than girls so strategies that help boys think and reflect on their behaviour are really beneficial.
Boys embarrass easily and they generally respond better when they are praised in private, rather than publicly.
I hope you enjoy this little video clip:
Enlightening!
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