Friday 14 July 2017

Bringing up sensitive boys

The blog is written by Dr Swati Popat Vats President Early Childhood Association


Are we Supporting and bringing up  Children in a Gender- Friendly environment especially making our school curriculum ‘boy’ friendly?

 Reading about the increasing instances of teachers resorting to punishments and noticing that in almost all the cases it is boys that are involved we did an indepth research of material to find out if incorrect teaching practices can be leading to misbehavior in boys, could it be that boys need gender specific instructions and interactions? (n.a.e.y.c.org) Yes they do-

An important aspect that needs to be kept in mind both at home and school  is to ensure that we create a gender-friendly environment  in which boys and girls succeed. Boys don’t need tough environments , they too need sensitive handling. We were inspired from an article on gender friendly classrooms in YOUNG CHILD, the magazine of the naeyc and we thought of conducting our own internal research in our practices-

Two areas where we need to be extremely sensitive is

a.    In the handling of boys and their emotions and behaviour as boys are different than girls so if you have only one method it will harm rather than help either the boys or the girls.

b.    The selection of toys and how you guide kids to use all kinds of toys irrespective of gender bias.

In the handling of boys and their emotions we taught teachers the following-

1.    While every child is unique, boys tend to benefit from high activity, full-body learning. When teachers encourage all children to learn through movement, positive behaviors are the norm and challenging behaviors are less frequent. Teachers can follow these practices-  (King 2004): (Young Child  2013)

·         Follow a schedule that includes very active play (outdoors or indoors) as the first daily activity. Both children and teachers enjoy this time-and some-times work up a sweat. Maybe that is why PT was the first period in schools traditionally and now it is a quiet assemble, could also be one of the reasons of increased behaviour problems in boys.

2.    A gender friendly classroom should also keep the emotional needs of boys in mind and this can be done by (King 2004). (Young Child 2013)

·         Boys respond better to Humour to solve conflicts-  A teacher might kneel down to where two boys are arguing and say with a smile, “ oopps looks like Mr angry is sitting on your shoulder and has stolen your smiles, how about you put your friendly faces on so that Mr angry goes away and then lets discuss how to solve this problem.”

·         Boys get antagonized with threats and embarrassment. Threats end up in  power struggles and get in the way of positive teacher-child relationships.  Instead, offer the child choices. Then, accept whichever choice the child makes. For example, as privately as possible, a teacher might say, “Yash, you choose: Do you want to share the cars or climb on the jungle gym? Which will you choose?” Later, after emotions have cooled, the teacher can follow up by talking with the child about what happened and what he might do differently in the future.

·         Boys also need to talk about their emotions but don’t know how to-  Sometimes when boys appear to be angry, they are masking their true feelings of pain, embarrassment, or fear. Help boys learn a variety of words they can use to label their emotions. Encourage them to share their feelings with teachers and classmates. Acknowledge and accept emotions to let a child know you care. 

·         Boys need affection too but tend to pull away-  Boys need to be cuddled and held. They need kind words and unconditional personal regard. When they fall or when a friend uses unfriendly words, boys need you to respond in a warm, caring, and nurturing manner. Even when a boy is defiant or has hurt another child, let him know he is still a fully accepted and valued member of the class. He just needs to work on a few things. It is up to you to help him.

Incorrect teaching practices can lead to misbehavior in boys, as boys need gender specific instructions and interactions (n.a.e.y.c.org). Let the change begin with each class so that we can nurture more sensitive boys.


(Due credit for this article goes to Young Child magazine of n.a.e.y.c, visit www.naeyc.org  )

29 comments:

  1. Very interesting article. Teachers have to have different methods in handling children or it may harm rather than help either boys or girls.

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  2. Very well written Ma'am. Indeed at times we as educators struggle to understand why we cant fix behavior issues in boys and label them as notorious and trouble makers. Gender specific instructions are really important and helpful. Both boys and Girls tend to develop differently in different environments. Thank you for highlighting this very important area.

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  3. Very will explained Maam and thank you for highlighting the very important area of growing concern.

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  4. Thank you Ma'am for this article, it is indeed a growing concern amongst young children, as teachers we should and must understand both boys and girls and help them deal with their behaviour and emotions so that they grow and develop in the right way and are able to face the challenges and deal with it in the future.
    Podar Jumbo Kids
    Landmark

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  5. Very well explained about gender friendly instructions.Thank you and looking forward to more such articles from you mam.

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  6. Thank you ma'am for the article.great guidance for parents and teachers when children through their growing up years. Podar Jumbo Kids Landmark

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  7. Very well explained. Yes, it's very important to change the way we bring up boys. This would atleast to some extent help in eliminating gender bias in our society.Liked Mr. Angry idea to resolve conflicts
    Sunitha Jadhav

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  8. Well explained and informative will help in upbringing of boy.

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  9. A very informative article and understood the importance that Incorrect teaching practices can lead to misbehaviour in boys, as boys need gender specific instructions and interactions.
    Thank you

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  10. Thankyou ma'am , the article is very important to bring changes in the parent's appraoch towards their children. It is a very informative article which shows that specific instructions for a girl's nd boy's teaching practices. This will help in bringing up today's youth, and setting up a goal b for them in their career.

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  11. Maam,you have explained in such a wondeful way how to deal with sensitive boys .Iam sure that after reading your article it will help teachers like us and also as a mother to deal sensitive issues of boys.l even liked the way of Mr. Angry .This is infact a beautiful way to resolve conflict in a humour way.
    Regards
    Ms Saroj Rathore
    PJK ,Wagholi

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  12. Very interesting and informative article on gender friendly practices which could be adapted both by teachers and parents to help our children develop appropriately during their growing up days. Thank you ma'am for this article.
    Podar jumbo kids
    Landmark

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  13. Very informative and interesting article.This will help to grow today's youth... Thank you ma'am for the article. Podar Jumbo kids. Landmark

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  14. Thankyou ma'am for sharing this article
    Neha Rupasari. Podar jumbo kids . Landmark

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  15. Amazing article! Thank you so much mam for sharing. Regards

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  16. Very informative...A great help to correct the incorrect way we deal with the boy child.A great help to parents as well as teachers to deal with boys...Veronica Dcunha Podar Jumbo kids Landmark.

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  17. The nerves are likely starting to set in as your graduation date approaches and you prepare to step into your first preschool teaching job. It’s perfectly normal to be nervous. No amount of studying can fully prepare you for a classroom full of rambunctious toddlers.

    But with plenty of practice, hands-on training and some good advice, even corralling a classroom can be conquered. You’re already acquiring the knowledge and training through your formal education, and practice will come with time. As for good advice—leave that up to us!

    We enlisted a panel of preschool teaching pros to share some unique teaching strategies they’ve grown to know and love.

    Teaching strategies to consider …

    If you want to ensure your preschoolers are successful learners, you’ve got to hear from others that have gone before you in getting them engaged. Check out some of these strategies from other preschool teachers and early childhood experts so you can enter the classroom confident and equipped.

    1.  Logo/symbol labeling

    One way to promote everyday vocabulary is by having students verbally label common brands and symbols, according to Dr. Elaine Fogel Schneider, director ofTouchtime International. She explains that translating from picture to word helps in language development.

    She suggests making this activity more interactive by having the students and their parents take pictures of logos or symbols found around their neighborhood, such as street signs, car logos or clothing brands. Then children can bring the photos to the classroom where students can label them as a group.

    2.  Sound recognition & matching

    This activity will require a few large letters cut out of cardboard several small objects nearby that begin with those letters. For example, if your letters are “B” and “F,” you might have a pile of buttons and feathers. Start by having the child say the sound that the letter makes. Then, encourage the child to find an object beginning with the same sound and paste it to the letter.

    Schneider says this activity is a student favorite because it allows them to be hands-on in their learning. It also results in an art masterpiece with decorated letters that can be kept throughout the classroom.

    3. Photo flashcards of social scenarios

    Helen Meissner is an ECE teacher and recommends creating social flashcards using photographs of your students in real-world situations. These help foster discussions about how to treat others, working together and handling conflict.

    For example, she will take a picture of two children in conflict over a toy or working together to move a heavy object. She then shows the photo to the class asking what they see happening in the picture. She asks how person A is feeling and how person B is feeling.

    “These picture cards work well because often they remember the situation and can really discuss how it happened and what they could do to fix it,” Meissner says.

    4. Shared reading

    This is one of the most effective teaching strategies for early literacy skills, according to Susan Berkowitz, a speech language pathologist who frequently works with young children. She recommends reading the same book multiple times, encouraging students to focus on a new aspect each time. Asking open-ended questions while reading and doing follow-up activities encourages children to absorb new information each time.

    “Teaching preschool children new vocabulary, semantic relationships, sequencing events in the story and identifying story elements are all vital early literacy skills,” Berkowitz adds.

    5. Focusing on the process not the product

    “Allowing for art to be more about the process and less about the product opens doors to learning in the creativity and arts area,” Meissner says. She engages her students by teaching them about the medium they’re working with, how they can use it and how to care for the art supplies. Not only does each student learn about the process, but he or she also focus less on comparing their final products to their classmate’s.





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  18. Thank you so much ma'am for sharing such an informative and interesting article .I as a teacher understood that Incorrect teaching practices can lead to misbehaviour in boys, as boys need gender specific instructions and interactions.


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  19. Thanks Ma'am.... The article is informative and very well explained. Great help for teachers and parents for upbringing of boy.

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  20. Very interesting article.Thank you so much ma'am for sharing such an informative and interesting article .

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  21. Thankyou Swati ma'am for this article. It gives an insight into the handling of boys and their emotions. We as teachers and parents need to keep in mind to create a gender friendly environment.
    Sneha Khanna Podar Jumbo Kids. Landmark

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  22. Thank you ma'am for sharing this article it will give great insight to both parents and teachers hina shroff Pjk landmark

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  23. Thank you ma'am for sharing this article it will give great insight to both parents and teachers hina shroff Pjk landmark

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  24. Thank you ma'am for sharing this article it will give great insight to both parents and teachers hina shroff Pjk landmark

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  25. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  26. In the times of today where we are hearing about gender equality and focus on the emotional needs of boys too was important. Thank you maam for bringing out this amazing article which very nicely explains what and how should a teacher and parent keep in mind to understand every boys sensitive and emotional needs.

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  27. In the times of today where we are hearing about gender equality and focus on the emotional needs of boys too was important. Thank you maam for bringing out this amazing article which very nicely explains what and how should a teacher and parent keep in mind to understand every boys sensitive and emotional needs.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Thank you so much ma'am for sharing this wonderful article. It is very informative for us. It will surely help us to handle kids emotions and behaviour. Bijal shah, Landmark.

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  29. Thank you ma'am for sharing such a wonderful blog .It will really help as a teacher and as a parent also.It will help us to create a gendar free environment.
    Regards,
    Neeta Chopada
    PJK, Wagholi

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