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So let’s get into it. Engaging boys in the classroom: Pollock says that if you want a boy to learn the life cycle of a frog, he has to be able to touch the frog. So, look for ways to provide hands-on lessons, visual cues, storyboards, making videos – tactile experiences. Learning experiences are really important for engaging boys. Theoretical knowledge does not tend to work as well with boys. They are very kinesthetic. They need to pull stuff apart to understand it. Look for ways to get their hands dirty, get their hands involved in what you are trying to teach them. Tap into competition. Boys love competition, so create competition in the classroom. Use a clock to get them racing against the clock, give them opportunities to beat the teacher.
I have a competition in my class called “Mr Stevenson versus the class.” I give points to the class for good behaviour and I give points to myself for negative behavior. So the class is competing against me. Help them to beat their personal best. Create friendly class competitions or point systems, boys love to compete. If you use that to your advantage, you will actually find that you get more work out of them. Boys can not sit still, boys are built to move and so you have got to really incorporate regular movement in the classroom, give them opportunities to think in motion. Boys think spatially in motion. It is very hard for them to sit still. That boy that taps the pencil on the desk constantly which drives you nuts, what he is trying to do is, he is trying to activate the other side of his brain and understand what he is thinking. That is because he needs to think while in motion. Create opportunities for physicality. Move the desks around regularly, send them for a drink break if they are getting restless, make them run around the oval before class, provide opportunities to stand or fidget.
If you have standing desks, allow boys to stand while working. There are also great little fidget toys that are quiet and non-disruptive. Bluetack is the greatest fidget toy in the world because it is quiet and it is easy to access. You just need to create some rules around the use of blue tack so they know how to use it but it can be a really good way of helping boys to think when you are talking and they are learning. If boys are fidgeting it is activating both sides of their brain and so sometimes that can be a really powerful way of keeping them engaged.
Boys have siloed brains. They only switch between left and right so you have to take time to help them understand. One of the things you have to do is talk less. Do not give them long lectures or long drawn out instructions. Give them really precise, very straight to the point instructions, give them visual cues, so if you say it, put it on the board so they can reference it as well. Use gestures, make hand and eye contact with them. Give them one instruction at a time; do not give them a string of instructions. Write the instructions on the board so they can follow up with you afterwards.
Most importantly, do not talk or give instructions when they are not listening. Have some kind of attention grabber like a bell or a raised hand. Make sure they are not working when you are instructing because they can not work and listen at the same time. This is true for girls as well. So make sure that they are focused on you when you are giving instructions. If you communicate more effectively they will take more in and be able to learn more from you.
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