Teaching Boys In The Jamaican Classroom
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Do Boys Learn Differently from Girls In The Classroom?
Effective strategies used to 'teach or reach the male brain' that could help other teachers who teach boys.
Male teachers speak...
Using what they like or their interest to teach them. Example, boys like cars, so teaching types of numbers in math boys will identify different parts on the car and the amount of parts and the numbers are used to identify the different types of numbers.
I do an interesting inventory in the form of a questionnaire to ascertain what my students like. In most cases the boys are interested in cars and sports, mainly football, therefore I plan lessons/activities that will pique their interest and motivate them to discover on their own. This also helps my male students to develop and/or apply relevant problem solving techniques.
Utilising class interest. If it is a class filled with footballers, make an effort to do some research and correlate the topic with the sport. Use hot topics of the media to pull students in.
Most of the boys in the inner-city long for a male-figure in their lives. I use my relatability as a male, in my lessons and build rapport with them. By getting on their level, this allows them to be more receptive to the lessons at hand.
Incorporate games and competition in learning activities. Use technological means such as videos and interactive powerpoint presentations