Ten things teachers can do to help boys learn

TEN THINGS TEACHERS CAN DO TO HELP BOYS LEARN

Talk Less
- Boys are not terribly good listeners. Cut the words you use down to the absolute minimum. Get boys active early in the lesson. Avoid a long preamble.

Get boys doing
- Focus on - what will boys do in this lesson? Most males are focused on action. It comes partly from their biology. And partly from what we expect of boys.

Use humour
- Use a joke now and then. It really helps to get boys on side and it discourages trouble from appearing because they are bored.

Get help
- Use a teacher buddy to help you watch underachievers who slide under the radar. Tell the class someone is coming in to give you a hand.

"Can you do it"
- Challenge boys more. Boys say school doesn't challenge them enough.

Competition works
- Get boys competing against each other, against themselves, against teachers. 

Help with writing
- Cut down writing tasks to what is necessary. Show boys how to write assessment items. Use guidelines, rubrics, models. Work on what interests the boy in front of you.

Being a man means
- Get boys talking about what it means to be a male.

Keep it clear
- Explain tasks simply, step by step. Put the steps up somewhere and refer boys to them.