<p>After reading some of the past posts, it appears that most suggestions to improve the school environment for boys involve more physical activities, more breaks, and less artsy-crafty projects. It seems we think boys cannot sit still. They need to run around, blow off steam and then they will do better. </p>
<p>I don’t buy it. Our colorless, boring school environments are not good for either sex. Adults would not be able to tolerate the environments our kids must endure. Girls tolerate it and do better because the environment is feminine. Boys are capable of handling a structured, disciplined environment. They don’t do well with nagging from a surrogate mother. Just look at some of the male organizations: the military, sports teams, the Catholic church, boy scouts. All are very structured and disciplined. </p>
<p>Grade schools are missing a male perspective and have very few male teachers/role models. Sure there is an occasional great male teacher, but very few. Many male teachers are content to work in a female environment and are not much different than the female teachers. It might help to consider how girls do in a male environment. Computer science and engineering programs are almost exclusively male with very few female teachers. Some tech schools, like MIT, do well and women are graduating in increasing numbers. Most do not do well. They are able to enroll many bright, capable women, but they have problems with retention and graduation rates. Many studies have been conducted to try to identify and correct the negative factors. It appears that tech schools might be too competitive. Expectations are high and grades are low. There is too much competition. You need to learn the material. Using verbal skills to bluff your way through does not work. Many women quit because they don’t think they can keep up - even though they are in fact doing well. Often success is a matter of confidence and expectations.</p>