In the United States and throughout the world, it is well-documented that even though boys score as well as girls on standardized tests, they are less likely to receive good grades, take advanced courses, and att end college. When combined with stati sti cs that report boys account for 70% of failing grades, 90% of disciplinary referrals, and 80% of child ADHD diagnoses, the failure of the educati on system to account for boys’ learning styles comes into stark focus.

Since the educati onal reform movements of the 1970s, major eff orts were made to promote girls’ improvement within the educati on system. Unfortunately, instead of creati ng an equal learning environment, classroom teaching styles heavily favored female students at the cost of the success of their male cohorts. Now, boys are an average of 1.5 years behind girls in reading ability, a gap that persists through college and even upon entering the workforce. Extensive research is being conducted to identi fy characteristi cs of positi ve learning environments for boys and methods for introducing those fi ndings into schools across America.

Active Classroom EnvironmentThe environment a teacher establishes in the classroom is a major contributor to how eff ecti vely students learn.

Traditi onal classroom environments, in which all children are expected to sit quietly while following along with the teacher, presume that all children learn in the same way. Those who have trouble with the format may fall behind despite their capacity to learn. Additi onally, this isn’t necessarily a structured environment, nor is it necessarily an engaging one that will foster a passion for learning.

To engage all students, teachers should instead employ an acti ve learning environment. This type of setti ng sti mulates self-moti vated learning within a fl exible yet disciplined atmosphere. By teaching students learning strategies (a writt en record of assignments, note taking strategies, ti me management techniques, and study methods), educators teach students how to learn or “the process of learning,”

and students become empowered to pursue knowledge more eagerly and successfully. An acti ve classroom also demands that the students are presented with choices. By having the freedom to choose between projects, students are more willing to take on the challenges that learning entails. By having a say in their educati on, students not only take on the responsibility of learning, but have a more meaningful and lasti ng experience while doing it.

In an active learning classroom, students learn more about themselves and what subjects or type of work moti vates them. They also gain a deeper understanding of the people around them. By seeing what their classmates are interested in, they learn to appreciate these interests and develop compassion for the needs of others. In having an acti ve voice in the classroom, students will feel not only more responsible for their learning, but also for their behavior, parti cularly if they help create a classroom consti tuti on or discuss appropriate classroom behavior. Instead of feeling helpless and distracted in the classroom, students become willing parti cipants and are more able to exercise self-discipline.

“Guide on the Side” MentalityTraditi onal classrooms are structured to follow a teacher through

exercises, skill acquisition, and learning curriculum-mandated materials. In this model, someti mes referred to as “sage on the stage,” all responsibility for the children’s learning is placed squarely on the teacher, and students are more or less passive recipients of knowledge. In contrast, Grand River Academy has created the “guide on the side” model, challenging students to take a highly acti ve role in their educati on. In this type of classroom environment, the curriculum is based on questi ons students have on a given topic, and students work together to answer these questi ons. Within this structure, students experience a marked shift in how they interact, behave, and focus. Because the classes are essenti ally designed by the students, the curriculum fi ts the learning preferences of all the students, and stereotypical classroom behaviors disappear. Curiosity and inquisiti veness are encouraged and fostered in this environment, setti ng them up to be lifelong learners.

Despite the shift in responsibiliti es, the role of the teacher remains criti cal in the classroom. While students are eager learners, most have not experienced the extent of self-organizati on, pati ence, and collaborati on required by this classroom format. To keep the class moving forward, teachers act as a resource for leadership and guidance as well as informati on. They also parti cipate as members of the group, posing their own questi ons for students to investi gate. In this way, teachers sti ll have a guiding hand in the curriculum while also creati ng an environment of acti ve learning and engagement.

Collaboration and CreativityA major component of applying a “guide on the side” philosophy is encouraging collaborati on among students and allowing them the freedom to work and solve problems creati vely. Classroom exercises oft en require that students sit quietly and complete work individually before sharing. Relying on this style has the potenti al to create dead ti me, during which att enti on drift s and students are no longer engaged with their work. While independent study is appropriate at certain ti mes, the classroom gives students a unique opportunity to interact with peers and educators to culti vate a deeper understanding of the material. By instead using classroom ti me for collaborati on, children can help each other through common problems, develop ideas through peer contributi ons, and inspire one another with questi ons about the material. In a creati ve and fl exible environment, students have the freedom to explore new areas, coming to a deeper understanding of new material through the shared explorati on of personal questi ons.

“ To engage all students, teachers

should instead employ an active learning environment...”

freedom to work and solve problems creatively

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Emotional DevelopmentEven today, society imposes the “Boy Code,” as Dr. William Pollock identi fi es it, onto boys starti ng from a very young age. This is the idea that masculinity demands that men don’t complain about hardship, but rather act “tough” in the face of it. In the classroom this atti tude translates into a familiar scenario: when boys have trouble and can’t keep pace with the curriculum, they don’t seek help from teachers — they act out. Teachers reacti ng to this behavior will oft en approach the issue as a disciplinary problem rather than a scholasti c problem. As this situati on conti nues to repeat itself, frustrati on and depression begin to characterize the child’s experience at school. Tragically, Pollock also notes, between the ages of 10 and 19, boys are four ti mes more likely to take their lives than girls are, and over the last 20 years, these fi gures have increased 300%.

Fortunately, schools have incredible assets for promoti ng the emoti onal development of boys: their own staff . One of the most important factors in the emoti onal security of children at school is having a teacher, administrator, or adult with some level of authority whom they can go to and speak with in an open, non-puniti ve way. Forming “shame-free” connecti ons between adults and students helps boys deal with feelings of anxiety and depression as they navigate life at school.

Research c lear ly demonstrates that intelligent, energeti c boys are being left behind within the current educati on system. Unsympatheti c criti cs may point to men’s success in the workforce to justi fy inacti on. However, an uneducated, low-earning male populati on will not contribute to eradicati ng later gender gaps, and such an atti tude of retaliati on unfairly sacrifi ces the development and futures

of boys across America. Ulti mately, to ensure that young men have a fair chance at a producti ve, fulfi lling life, teachers must learn ways of creati ng equal-opportunity classrooms. When teachers adopt a student-centered approach to educati on, boys are given the freedom to express themselves, to explore material in a way that engages them, and to grow as individuals.

Grand River Academy is an all-boys private school located in a small rural community near Cleveland, Ohio. The school’s mission is to engage young men and moti vate them to achieve scholasti c, emotional, and physical growth. Through a structured yet fl exible and adaptable teaching approach, Grand River Academy prides itself on helping students att ain academic success, even when public schools failed to do so. For more informati on about how private school educati on can benefi t high school boys, contact GRA today.