Having Faith in Boys’ Development

Michael Gurian will interview Dr. Michael Thompson.  From Dr. Thompson: In this interview, I will talk about the fears that educators have about boy development: the worries of elementary school teachers who believe they are seeing “violent play” and the concerns of middle-school teachers who are always concerned that boys will get out of control. Boys as a group often have a more conflictual relationship with school than do girls. They can be off-putting to teachers who just want their students to love school. It is important that teachers like boys, trust boy development and make deep, affectionate relationships with boys, even the ones—or should I say, especially the ones—to whom they have to say, ‘Stop it. That’s enough.’