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The W in We Teach Boys

Hi everyone!

Starting today we will take the title of our group to create the acronym... W.E.T.E.A.C.H.B.O.Y.S.

My hope is that in doing so we'll come up with some fun and helpful themes surrounding the nature of boys, how they learn and what we as their teachers can do to encourage them and be encouraged.

Boys are so many things. I can think of a thousand words that describe my four boys and all of their amazing and frustrating and fun and worrisome and delightful ways...but today and all of this week, let's take the W in WE TEACH BOYS and talk about attributes that begin with that particular letter.

Ready?

Here's my short list of W's...

Wonderful

Wandering

Wishful

Weird (in a good and sometimes strange way)

Whirlwind

Wiggly

Willful

Wild

and yes...Wearying

The three W's that are near and dear to my heart at the moment are the last three...Willful, Wild and Wearying. If I'm honest, when I think of these descriptions, they conjure up both good and bad feelings as currently, our boys are at an all time high with regard to challenging behavior, willfulness and sibling rivalry. Add on top of that their constant need to move and find something to conquer, explore and dare I say destroy...and we have what feels like an cyclone of nonstop male energy!

Don't get me wrong...I love them to pieces and I love the nature of boys. But, when it comes to teaching them...I do struggle. They make me tired and cause me to question every best laid curriculum choice and lesson plan I've created. Knowing their strengths and weaknesses (along with my own) does help, but sometimes I am at a loss when met with the willfulness of a boy who will not back down. Can anyone relate?

There are a few things I've decided to change in our school days that I'm really hoping will help. I'm trying desperately to think outside of the box this year. So, when it comes to dealing with the energy levels of my boys, I've decided we'll head outside first thing in the morning before the rest of our lessons begin. I believe that most boys are wild at heart (in a good way). They need lots of opportunities to explore, discover, play, jump and run. This satisfies something in them that nothing else does.

My husband has told me stories of when he would sit at his desk in his classroom just waiting for that bell to ring. He would stare outside and feel as though he were just shaking with excitement and a NEED to get outside and just run, all that boy energy bursting inside of him. I know this is true of my boys as well.

On inclement weather days, we might go outside anyway. I need to be braver about that, for their sakes, and for mine.

My thought is that this might help with the willful behavior and make for better days all around. There are so many learning opportunities outside anyway.

So, friends, it's your turn...what BOY attributes that begin with W are at the top of your list? And how do they affect the way they learn, or the way you teach? I can't wait to read your thoughts this week. And if you have more to add here about willful attitudes or wild hearts, we would love to hear from you. Or if you're just weary and needing some encouragement, PLEASE join us here.

Blessings,

Megan

House of the Rising Sons

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Melinda on November 4, 2012 at 3:34am

Warm hearted,wishful,wrecker,washable,watchful,well rounded,winner,witty,workable and warrior.

I personally think you deserve a medal. One has me at times thinking I have lost my marbles, I can't imagine how you keep your sanity with four. Or does having four give you some peace during the day because they have each other to keep occupied and get into trouble with? Mine is a runner so whenever we go out I always make him wear a little turtle back pack that has a harness attached to it, that way he has the freedom to run and go where he wants but I am able to be close by if he gets into or near things he shouldn't.

I think at 2.5yrs the teaching style is definitely hands on and very repetitious and sensory with academic stuff like shapes, colours, alphabet or counting. I love creating things for him to destroy as he seems to love doing that the most whether it be building blocks, anything to do with ice or making ice creations and any water activities you can think of regardless of how fun or mundane. Just a running tap excites my busy boy!

I do like to start the day outside to get rid of some of his energy but even two hours swimming at the beach does little to tire him out. Boys are wild at heart, they want to be warriors, they need to have adventures, they love to go on search and destroy missions and rightly so.

I love the idea of homeschooling boys. Homeschooling gives you the educator the opportunity to reach them in their zone. What great flexibility you have to alter their day according to their energy or concentration levels.

For downtime I find putting the busy boy down with a book for a few minutes helps but I can't really rely on that space of time to get any house work done or I might find he has painted half the house with body lotion or nappy cream or any other liquid he can get his hands on.

I added wishful, well rounded and witty in that list as I am sure at times he thinks I have no idea what ticks in that little head of his. He has lots of wishful thinking when it comes to his ambitions outdoing his capabilities but he is a good sport when I have to remind him that no he cannot fly like superman off the climbing frame or no-one is as fast as Peter Pans shadow when it comes to reaching him in time as he once again races past you with something he shouldn't have in his hands like his sisters mobile phone or his fathers remote control. And witty is the only word that describes his retorts at you for once again sucking the fun out of his grand schemes of pouring two litres of milk into at 250 ml glass on your best lounge room carpet.

I often tell him he would make a great spy. He has stealth like mannerisms. He can clean out the contents of the fridge and set up a picnic lunch right behind my lounge chair without making a sound. I presume he is fast asleep having an afternoon nap. I usually only discover his shenanigans if I get up to make a coffee during a commercial break or something. The cleanest part of the lounge room carpet is behind that chair because I have had to get on my hands and knees to scrub it so often.

My last description for him is Warrior. I hope he grows up to have a warriors attitude towards life. I want him to fight for all his dreams, his faith in God and even for his own Princess. I would love for him to be able to look back at his childhood with great fondness and feel content that his father and I did everything we could to raise him in the way he should go and to believe he will never depart from it. As trying as they are, who wouldn't want to raise boys!!!!!