Written by Adam Glodowski

I started thinking about boys in school when my first son was entering kindergarten. He was a very active child who preferred running around outside to sitting and coloring. He would rather play with his Hot Wheels^® than sit still and write on paper. It seemed he would rather do anything than sit still! Sound like any young boys you know?

The following figures (Gurian & Stevens, 2004) do not tell an encouraging story for the boys in American schools:

• Boys earn 70 percent of Ds and Fs and less than 50% of A
• Boys account for 66 percent of learning disability diagnoses.
• Boys represent 90 percent of discipline referrals.
• 80 percent of high school dropouts are male.
• Boys in the U.S. are three times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls.

When we think of the typical American classroom, we picture rows of desks and students sitting in them working. I realize this may not describe all classrooms or even what classrooms are like all of the time, but in my experience, many of our classrooms still function like this. So, as my son headed to kindergarten, I wondered: Would he be successful in this environment?

I believe he can be. In fact, I believe Christian schools are uniquely qualified to recognize the blessings each gender has and teach them accordingly—so both boys and girls can experience success in our schools.

Gurian (2005) explained, in general, male and female brains are noticeably different at the biological level. He laid out how these biological differences impact the ways boys and girls access the world, and how these differences help explain why boys as a group are currently not benefiting as much from our educational system as girls.

• Male brains tend to produce higher levels of dopamine in the bloodstream than girls. This affects impulse control and makes it harder for boys to learn when sitting still.
• The neural connectors in the sense memory and listening centers of male brains tend to be weaker than those in girls. Boys therefore absorb less information verbally than girls do, and boys are more stimulated by visual and tactile input than girls are.
• Male brains get about 15 percent less blood flow than female brains. To compensate, brain activity is compartmentalized, which means boys tend to fare better when able to focus on a single task.
• Between tasks, male brains like to go into a rest state, which is characterized by reduced neural activity. A female brain at rest is much more neurally active than a male brain.

So what can educators do to help boys learn? How can we make sure boys do not become one of the statistics mentioned earlier? While we shouldn’t lower standards or accept less from boys, there may be ways we can engage the boys in our classrooms so they achieve what we demand of them.

According to the OCED report (2015) about gender and education, “boys download music, films, games and software from the internet more than girls.” Boys are also more likely to upload their own content (which means they’re creating content) and more likely to read news online. This report sheds light on what may be of value and interest to the boys (and some girls too) in our classrooms.

The report also provides recommendations:

1. Give students greater choice in what they read.
2. Allow some video gaming, but require that homework come first.
3. Train teachers to be aware of their own gender biases.
4. Build girls’ self-confidence.
5. Help students look ahead.

Both boys and girls would benefit from these recommendations. We need to acknowledge the differences with which God has blessed boys and girls so both can experience success in our schools.

Adam Glodowski (’05) is teaches grade 7-8 and serves as principal at Trinity-Kiel WI. He’s pursuing a Master of Science in Education from MLC with an emphasis in leadership.

REFERENCES
Fink, Jennifer. (2015) Why schools are failing our boys. Washington Post.

Gurian, Michael & Stevens, Kathy. (2004) With boys and girls in mind. Educational Leadership, 62(3), 21-26.

Gurian, Michael & Stevens, Kathy. (2005) The minds of boys: saving our sons from falling behind at school and life (1st ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

OECD (2015), The ABC of Gender Equality in Education: Aptitude, Behaviour, Confidence, OECD Publishing, Paris.

Sax, Dr. Leonard. (2005). Why gender matters. Three Rivers Press. New York.

Sommers, Christina Hoff. (2013) How to make schools better for boys. The Atlantic.