Because boys are sensitised to failure it’s crucial they experience success and are recognised for their success even if those successes are small. By doing so boys will be encouraged. This is important because often struggling and underachieving boys have developed negative attitudes to school, and especially their learning and ability to learn and to be successful.
Alloway notes struggling boys often fail to see themselves as capable and because of associated feelings of unworthiness give up, fail to ask for help or put effort into succeeding.
Gurian explains boys are not natural readers or writers and notes many of the problems boys experience in learning spaces and classrooms occur because they are normal boys placed in settings not necessarily designed to meet their typical traits – robustness, loudness, high octane energy, aggression and competitiveness.
Educators understanding the needs of boys and who are able to tap into what boys naturally bring to learning through positive reinforcement, can be the difference between a life enjoyed at school and a life endured.
Research consistently shows teachers’ attitudes and expectations play a significant role in learners’ achievement. It is…
… to see more visit SLEUTH™ Field 2, Section 4.
Visit SLEUTH™ to read more on how Communicating for Boys’ – Positive Reinforcement skills can help grow your pedagogy and your learners outcomes….
SLEUTH™ ‘Quick Solutions’
Positive reinforcement
Use positive reinforcement statements (e.g. I really like the way you are …) to build the self-worth of struggling & underachieving boys (particularly in challenging situations when they might think they are bad people).
Authenticity
Ensure positive reinforcing statements (e.g. The way you did that was brilliant because …) are authentic, sincere & come from the heart (so that struggling & underachieving boys have no need to inference or make the mistake of misconstruing your messages as possible negatives).
Affirm effort
Affirm the efforts of struggling & underachieving boys (to encourage them to persevere for longer & to demonstrate grit).
Affirm improvement
Affirm any improvements struggling & underachieving boys make in their ability to persevere when encountering cognitive stretch….. to see more go to SLEUTH™ – Field 2 , Section 4
These are 4 of 20 Quick Find Solutions available on SLEUTH™ to help with Boy’s Learning and Positive Reinforcement
