Working with Boys’ Physicality
They are ’balls of energy by nature’ and we must harness their amazing vitality and verve!
As mentioned in my previous Messenger edition, research identifies that boys are three times more likely than girls to be quietly disengaged in their learning.
If they are not attuned to the needs of boys, teachers can think boys are learning, when really, in their minds, they are kicking a ball, climbing a tree, riding a bike, fishing, or playing a computer game.
Recapping last week, Michael Nagel (author and boys’ education expert) points out that to truly devise a plan for working with boys, we need to understand the following domains and how they work together:
- Working with boys’ physically
- Working with boys intellectually or academically
- Working with boys emotionally or socially
- Working with boys spiritually.
Perhaps no other aspect of boyhood confounds parents and teachers more than the physicality of boys and their seemingly endless source of energy.
Movement and physical activity are important for all children, but there appears to be a biological imperative for boys given their physiological and neurological make-up.
Daily, many adults recognise and witness a boy’s apparent need for movement, yet attributes desires to move and announce themselves physically as behavioural issues instead of biological imperatives. Movement is not only a necessity for boys but a key component of healthy physical and mental development.
Being physically active helps to keep a boy’s brain active, which is one reason why boys tend to disengage if they have long periods where they don’t move.
Arguably many generations of teachers were trained in believing that good students stayed ‘on task’, and being on task meant being quiet, sitting still and paying attention. The traditional belief that paying attention is best served while sitting passively with eyes fixed on a particular individual is one that is not only antiquated but also very detrimental to boys. There is evidence noting that boys react more physically to their learning environment than girls and use their muscles and nervous systems to think and express themselves as well. At times, boys who squirm can learn better than boys who sit still.
Parents and teachers need to act accordingly by giving boys plenty of opportunity to be active and use their energy positively whenever possible, while at the same time helping them redirect that boundless enthusiasm when needed.
As an educator, I like to remember that when a boy’s backside falls asleep, his brain soon follows. It reminds me that regular opportunities for meaningful movement built into a boy’s day are crucial.
Our teachers understand that incorporating movement-based activities as part of planning for lessons is just as significant as any other aspect of pedagogy and curriculum and should be considered an integral component for working with boys.
Parents should ensure all five to twelve year olds do at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day, with boys likely to require more. Establishing good afternoon exercise routines before and during homework are important for your son.
The benefits of increasing physical movement include:
- the releasing of pent-up energy
- the diminishing of discipline problems
- the stimulation of the ‘zoned-out brain’.
At Mosman Prep, we ensure boys have regular meaningful movement opportunities (often closely connected to their academic learning) and utilise strategies to maximise focus and identify disengagement.
In the end, failure to recognise, promote and support the various physical aspects of boyhood only sets boys up for failure, at a time when their bodies and minds are telling them to move.
Peter Grimes | Headmaster
Reference:
Oh Boy!: Understanding the Neuroscience Behind Educating and Raising Boys – Michael Nagel (2021)
