School and boys: they need our help

Screencap of USA Today story "Boys in crisis: Schools are failing young males. Here's what needs to change in classrooms" with headline, still frame of video running with story of Mike Wimmer, a student who completed two years of high school and two years of college in one year at 12 years old

When this sort of article appears in USA Today, you know the problems boys have in school are getting noticed – FINALLY! “Boys in crisis: Schools are failing young males. Here’s what needs to change in classrooms“ If you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, you’ll know that everything said here is … Read more

The post-Covid classroom

photograph of classroom with desks separated by six feet, whiteboards with material on two walls, window in the background

One of the terms I’ve heard a lot lately is “post-Covid classroom.” This makes the assumption that the pandemic is over, and we are back to normal. Nothing, as we all know, could be further from the truth. My friends in boarding schools, where everyone lives on campus, are actually teaching in a close to … Read more

Education Post-Pandemic

two boys, one Black and one White, reading together in a room with shelves

There are several effects of the pandemic on education that have fascinated me. If you’re a regular reader here, you know that I did teach in high school for 30+ years, but now I teach in a community college. I love teaching and this gives me the opportunity to stay connected to education. Last year, … Read more

Concussions

photo illustration of person with head pain

Now that your son is allowed back in school and has the opportunity to play with his friends, the chance of head injuries will increase. It won’t surprise you that most children who are diagnosed with concussions are male, and those with serious concussions are overwhelmingly male.  However, recent data indicates that those who sustain … Read more

Gender – Boy to Man

image of brain drawing at top, with finger pointing to it saying gender is here, finger pointing down below it, saying not here

Last month, I promised you that the next post here would discuss gender, again. Why? An article that appeared in The Atlantic in December, titled The Miseducation of the American Boy, that discusses the problems boys are having with becoming men. Last month, we covered the issue of sex (the noun, not the verb), making … Read more

What kids really need … is structure.

cartoon image of older couple coloring with young children, with adults looking on

Around a decade ago, I visited a friend whose grandchildren were staying with her for a couple of weeks in the summer. The children were young, one was two and the other almost five, and they had been there for over a week. When we sat down for lunch, the older child leaned over and … Read more

Boys will be boys

two boys scuffling - illustration by Frances Tipton Hunter

How many times have we said, when looking at our boys jumping around, wrestling on the grass, or shouting at each other to do something, “Oh, well, boys will be boys.” We understand that the behavior is typical of boys, that no one taught them to do it, and it usually does not end well … Read more