Re: Boys in school- thougts about this?

On 12/27/11, Sara wrote:
> On 12/27/11, Mrs. B in CA wrote:
>> This TED talk is all about how we, in elementary schools,
>> are failing to create a culture that responds to the way
>> boys are - how they think, what they like to do, how long
>> they can pay attention. It's not long, and might provoke a
>> good discussion.
>
> I think there are many things we get wrong in education - I
> think in general the inherent nature of children - not just
> boys - is not well served by mainstream education. Perhaps boys
> and their energetic ways are less well-served than girls even.
> But every so often, someone writes a book contending this or
> that and then another book comes out taking issue with the
> first book. Does anybody remember the book Reviving Orphelia
> about how we did not serve girls well in education?
>
> Likely not but that's my point - these books create a temporary
> sensation at best and then everyone forgets them and they bring
> no real change to education.
>
> We have so many things on our plate right now in schools -
> increasing issues with bullying, high stakes testing, the
> general malaise that seems to be taking over our country, the
> breakdown of the family a trend which does not look like it
> will reverse anytime soon...
>
> If we approach our classrooms with some compassion ( a word
> rarely heard anymore) and some flexibility - and if they can
> keep our class sizes to 25 and less (even less would be best)
> then I'd say we're doing a pretty good job in these interesting
> times in which we live.
>
> I do allow any student - girl or boy - to celebrate a right
> answer. I know some of my girls would prefer it if I rode the
> boys harder and in fact, made the boys as quiet as some of the
> girls are. I wish my principal would put kids together in
> classes in a different way - he makes sure one very lively boy
> is in every class rather than putting them all together. That
> insures that all of us get one of the 'hard to handle' boys and
> that every girl and boy has to tolerate a 'hard to handle' boy
> in their class every year