Working as a middle school director is an interesting job to say the least. One of the challenges is communicating to such a long spectrum from a 6th grade boy to an 8th grade girl. If you have met both of those lifeforms they are about as opposite as they come…and yet each week I am the guy thats supposed to teach both of them effectively. Check out a post on the subject I found over at churchrelevance.com
Boys are different than girls. As previously discussed, boys prefer a dramatically different learning environment and style than how girls prefer to learn.
The social preferences of boys and girls are also sharply contrasted according to new brain scan research from the National Institute of Mental Health. TIME summarizes the research nicely. Essentially, girls want one-on-one close friendships, and boys prefer to interact in groups.
As girls progress from early puberty to late adolescence, certain regions of their brains become more active when they face a potential social interaction. Specifically, when an older girl anticipates meeting someone new — someone she believes will be interested in her — her nucleus accumbens (which is associated with reward and motivation), hypothalamus (associated with hormone secretion), hippocampus (associated with social learning) and insula (associated with subjective feelings) all become more active. By contrast, boys in the same situation show no such increase in activity in these areas. In fact, the activity in their insula actually declines.
This research combined with our knowledge of gender learning preferences, gives insight into how we can create youth ministries that maximize both a teen’s learning and social enjoyment.
For Boys:
So when teaching boys, keep the group large but controllable (i.e., 12-24 boys) and in even numbers for team competition. Stand and move around while speaking forcefully and realistically. Allow the boys to occasionally move and keep the room at 69 degrees Fahrenheit. Use cooler colors in your environment and teaching. Play sports and competitive games, so the boys can naturally bond via social competition.
For Girls:
So when teaching girls, keep the group very small and intimate and allow for one-on-one interaction or even mentoring. Sit in a circle with the girls and speak descriptively and in a nurturing tone. Keep the room at 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Use lots of colors, particularly warmer colors, and use visual and/or tactile textures. Create a secure yet stimulating environment where they can feel comfortable in taking risks that you encourage them to take.
For Discussion:
- If you teach kids and youth, what has your experience taught you about their preferences?
Mike
July 21, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Allow me to prove that I read your blog for a change Kurt, by leaving this comment: Quit whining, I get to figure out how to teach a freshman boy and a senior girl. Take that!
Karen
July 22, 2009 at 12:30 pm
This is both hysterical and brilliant. The only thing missing is a bowl of potpourri around which the girls can sit. I’d never thought about how difficult this particular aspect of your job would be…just the general difficult aspect of dealing with middle schoolers!
Mrs C
July 23, 2009 at 3:27 pm
So when teaching students, you should offer them chances to learn outside their comfort zones. It makes me unhappy to think that everyone [still] thinks that all girls need this kind of 1-1 interaction and all boys shy away from intimate scenarios. I say, make the boys do crafts with pink, orange, and yellow pipe cleaners and encourage the girls to create exercises or plays where they have to include the entire group. I appreciate the research you site – it could be helpful when you find that all-inclusive groups of boys and girls start to become unmanageable. Both genders can rise to most any occasion.
Melinda Groth
July 25, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Ditto what Mrs. C said!