Understanding Boys

The documentary Raising Cain explores the development of boys in the United States. It explains the ways in which boys develop differently than girls. I feel that it is extremely important for teachers to be aware of these developmental differences in order to support the specific needs of both genders to the best of their ability. According to the documentary, girls are one year advanced in cognitive and physical development in comparison to boys. Therefore the structure of our schools is easier for girls to handle as they can more easily sit quietly and focus than their male peers.

It is important that teachers be made aware of boys needs. Many boys struggle to sit still and focus for extended periods of time. This inability is not due to a lack of discipline or proper upbringing as may often be assumed. Rather, in many cases, it may be attributed to the fact that boys simply are not developmentally ready to sit still and focus in the way that schools demand. Boys should not be punished for their natural tendencies, rather they should be educated in environments where they are allowed to grow and blossom with structure and guidance that works with them rather than against their inherent natures. One teacher in the documentary did just this, one of his students, Kevin, was a bright boy who had a tendency to get off task. This teacher tried to work with Kevin rather than trying to discipline him into “behaving”. Whenever Kevin was beginning to be too disruptive for the classroom or was becoming frustrated and unable to focus, his teacher sent him out to walk around the building until he was able and ready to focus again. This teacher recognized the fact that Kevin was a young boy and as such needed to get up and move more frequently. By taking the time to understand Kevin’s needs, the teacher helped Kevin progress as was indicated by his improved grades and improved attitude.

Even by the age of 17 and 18 males are still psychologically boys. The pressures of society that constantly bombard boys to be tough, aggressive, to suppress their emotions and be men lead to reckless behavior as they try to fit into the role society has established for them. I think it is important that not only teachers but all people understand the needs and nature of boys. As teachers, it is important to work with boys and attempt to help them understand that it is okay to have and express emotions. Teachers must show them how to properly handle and recognize their emotions rather than bottle them up. As the documentary suggests, we should teach boys that being a man means being a caring and responsible individual, not an aggressive, dominating force.

To learn more and to view this documentary visit:
http://www.pbs.org/opb/raisingcain/.

Adolescent Brain & Alcohol Lecture

Last night I attended Karen Williams’ lecture on the effects of alcohol on adolescent brain development at the Decorah Middle School. I found her presentation to be very interesting and informative. According to Williams, the brain takes about 25 years to develop; the duration of brain development varies from person to person however and has been shown to take longer in males than females. Furthermore, the most sophisticated capacities of the brain such as ability to judge and identify risks, mediate conflict, choose between right and wrong, and exercise self-control, take the longest to develop. There are three peaks throughout a person’s life during which brain development peaks, these occur at the age ranges of 0-1, 1-6, and 12-18. At these stages, brain neurons are rapidly firing signals. If these signals are interrupted brain development is halted during that time which can have lasting consequences. Alcohol slows the brain’s activity and therefore it is crucial that adolescents do not consume it. The pre-frontal cortex and the Hippocampus are the parts of the brain undergoing the greatest development in the teen brain and therefore have the most rapid rate of firing between neurons. Interruption to these parts effects memory, which is the basis off new knowledge. Therefore the effects of interrupted brain development are not shown until later in life when learning cannot take hold, as new memories cannot be formed to hold and build upon new information received by the brain.

Williams also gave insight into the mood swings of teens, which research indicates may not be due to hormones but rather to be a result of the peak in brain development during the adolescent stage. Similarly the terrible twos land in one of the other peaks of development. In essence, the teens are crabby as a result of growing pains in the brain.

I found this information very interesting and essential. Having knowledge of how the brain develops is monumental. This information will aid in the understanding of developmental processes. Brain research is increasing our understanding of development. Knowing this information is crucial for educators, parents, and all people. It is important to know this and be able to protect childrens brains, especially during the most crucial periods of development.

To learn more about the research being done on brain development check out: http://www.loni.ucla.edu/~thompson/DEVEL/PR.html.