Jackson leaps into the water

An Educational Psychologist and Consultant recently wrote an article proclaiming that there is a crisis in the education of boys in this country and lamented the lack of solutions, or even movement in the direction to solve the problem system-wide. And while I agree with the strength of her facts and her solid ideas for improvement, she stumbled upon the root of her dilemma in her very last sentence: “Boys will be boys.”

The connotation behind that phrase isn’t pretty. It conjures up the idea that boys’ behavior is meant to cause eye rolling, be winked at, or, at its very best, be tolerated with patience. She hinted that boys are all action without purpose – missing out on their warrior DNA’s need to hunt wild game and provide for the family – and that with a few more recess breaks in their academic day, they might be able to make it through the system that is no longer designed for them. What an opportunity she has missed as the mother of just one little girl!

How fortunate I feel to head up the academics of a school whose foundation is based upon the one word that makes all the difference in the world: CAN. Cherokee Creek Boys School is a school where Boys CAN Be Boys. We excel in embracing their boy-ness, encouraging their growth to young adult men, and celebrating their many masculine qualities within. We believe their day should look a lot different simply because they ARE different – and we strive to give them opportunity to just BE boys. I have thus far enjoyed the opportunities to play in the creek, leap at tetherball, and dig in the dirt with my students. I’ve attended Tae Kwon Do class and heard about football, basketball and soccer practice. And I’ve just sent off for a class car model to do one day with them. Being a boy is tons of fun!

The author’s ideas included, “Simple changes to the pace and tempo of the school day,” such as brief recesses, devoting more time to physical education, and more hands-on activities. She pushed for, “Harnessing male energy in more positive ways.” It’s as if she read our schedule and made a wish list of a fantasy school to which she could send a boy. Simple changes since March – which included shortening class periods, having Physical Education BEFORE other classes begin (an idea we borrowed from the book Spark by John Raty and reviewed here by CCBS founder Beth Black), and rearranging classrooms to talk WITH rather than to be lectured AT – have given us a remarkable classroom behavior improvement.

It’s not enough to tell you these things  through my eyes as Academic Dean. But the story of a young man who was struggling mightily with his behavior prior to the changes is just one of our tales of success. In just a few months – despite an Aspergers Syndrome diagnosis and some very miserable years in other schools – he has become a leader for his group, interviewed at a very elite private school, and become one of our very best tour leaders here on campus. He has found success in the classroom and can be overheard mentoring other students. He will graduate in a few weeks  – off to attend the school where he nailed his interview with his head held high, shaking the Dean’s hand. We are so very proud of him and the light he shines upon our small school with a big heart…where boys CAN be boys!