Teaching Boys Who Struggle in School: Strategies That Turn Underachievers Into Successful Learners

Rather than sounding false alarms about a genderwide crisis in boys’ academic achievement, here’s a book that cuts through the confusion to explain why some boys struggle in school and how you can effectively intervene without jeopardising the achievements of other, more successful, learners (boys and girls). Drawing from large-scale studies, recent insights on social and learning-style factors, and lesson plans and anecdotes from real teachers, Cleveland equips you with a flexible and practical framework for addressing the needs of struggling male students that:

• Replaces underachieving boys’ negative attitudes about learning.
• Reconnects boys to school, learning, and believing in being a competent learner.
• Rebuilds learning skills that lead to success in school and in life.
• Reduces the need for unproductive and distracting behaviours as a means of self-protection.

Instead of looking for a one-size-fits-all-boys solution, explore ways to identify and respond to specific reasons for underachievement among boys who fall behind and stay behind, boys who drop out too soon, and boys you just never seem to reach. This total solution helps you address

• The influence of non-academic factors on academic success.
• Factors contributing to the experience of school.
• How competence can enhance persistence.
• How the classroom’s physical arrangement affects a learner’s success.

Each aspect of this book’s approach offers you a way to move underachieving boys from a position of weakness toward one of strength—giving them the tools to succeed in school and beyond.

Table of Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Framing the Issue of Underachievement

The Pictures Within the Picture: The Style Dynamic

The Invisible Background: Cultural Expectations for Masculine Identity Building

A Long-Term, Integrated, Multifaceted Approach

Pathway No. 1: Support

Pathway No. 2: Guide

Pathway No. 3: Reinforce

Pathway No. 4: Adjust

Pathway No. 5: Ignite

Pathway No. 6: Empower

Epilogue

References

About the Author