By Contributing Author, Janet Allison of Boys Alive!
In ancient times, being able to read and write was considered heroic. Kings, wise men, and religious leaders were the only ones considered worthy to have the time devoted to learning these skills… skills that were highly revered.
(When is the last time you’ve seen a superhero reading or writing?)
Long before school became required by law (in the U.S. in 1852), Plato, the Aztecs, and the Talmud all wrote about the benefits of compulsory education.
However, boys – then and now – want their learning to be relevant. Consider how boys learned before 1852:
- Hunting and learning the many ways to hunt from elder tribesmen
- Planting, harvesting, and storing crops
- Acting as pages and squires to knights and lords
- Learning hands-on skills as apprentices
- Caring for livestock and property
- Laboring in fields and factories
Now, its SIT STILL and LEARN…which girls can adapt to and boys, generally, rebel against with every fiber of their being. In fact, discipline referrals in schools hover around 80% males.
So, as the year begins…how can you make it different and better for your son? Often there is little choice in where he goes to school but you can make a difference in how he goes to school:
1. ACTIVE! Send him outside to play, shoot hoops, or jump on a mini-trampoline for 10 minutes or so in the morning. Raining out? Bring the mini-trampoline inside, get a chin-up bar, or hang a trapeze from a beam in the basement. Park a few blocks from school and walk with him. Get a bike riding group together and ride bikes to school.
2. HYDRATE & FEED! Water dilutes cortisol and adrenaline (the stress hormones) in less than 5 minutes. Water will reduce anxiety and help him calm down (works for you, too!). Protein is essential before school. It delivers a steady flow of energy through the morning, rather than having a blood sugar crash midway through.
3. CALM! It is never too early to begin to help your son (and daughter) develop strategies to calm themselves. A squeeze ball is a great way to release excess tension and help him focus on the teacher’s words. Teach him about deep breathing and how he can use it to calm himself before a test or any time he is feeling anxious.
And finally, there are many simple strategies your teacher and school can adopt to make learning a better fit our boys (plus girls benefit from them, too). Boys Alive! Bring Out Their Best is a good starting place to understand the different learning styles of males and females. Michael Gurian has written: Boys and Girls Learn Differently and also Strategies for Teaching Boys & Girls – Elementary and Secondary Levels. Filled with quick tips and teaching strategies…any of these books would make a great “welcome back to school” gift for your teachers!
In addition to her work with parents as the founder of Boys Alive! Janet Allison is a Gurian Institute Certified Trainer and brings a wealth of knowledge – both theory and practical strategies – to provide teachers with enlivening professional development.
Our boys are failing in school at an alarming rate – we’ve got to make our educational system work for them – and we can help them on their way by giving them an active, well-fed morning!
Have a great school year!
About the Author: Janet Allison is Founder of Boys Alive! (www.boysalive.com) and Director of the Gurian Parenting Community (www.michaelgurian.com). She is a veteran teacher and author of Boys Alive! Bring Out Their Best! She helps parents and teachers understand gender differences and what boys need to be successful at home, in school, and life!
Photo of Boy in School by TBC Photo
