The Boy Syndrome

Are more boys under achieving or more girls over achieving? The great debate among educators suggests that a rise in ADHD cases among boys, the changing family structure and societal pressures are creating a generation of boys in school who are not making the grade. Eric Thomas principal at Aiken College and Career High School, in part agrees.

When I interviewed him about this story he embraced the theory that more educators are recognizing. And that is , boys and girls learn differently. What was once admonished as bad behavior is now looked at as a way to engage boys. In other words get them moving! Some boys need a lot more opportunities to flex those gross motor skills to keep them focused and connected to the material. Sitting at a desk memorizing isn't going to cut it anymore.

He also shared with me another observation. This generation of boys need positive male role models in the classroom. But they don't always have to come from the teacher. An innovative mentoring program at Aiken, that groups upper classmen who are making the grade with freshmen, has yielded some pretty impressive results. More boys are graduating and attending college. The program called M.O.R.E. ( Men, Organized, Respectful and Educated) not only supports freshmen in their academic goals, but helps upperclassmen develop leadership skills that will carry them through their high school career and beyond.

There are many ways we can start supporting our boys in school from early childhood to college. Congratulations to Aiken Career High School for recognizing that mentoring plays a part in supporting young boys from all sides. Helping them Make the Grade.