The Ability of Boys To Sit Still Isn't The Issue

Schools often smother rather than ignite the natural propensity of boys.

Recently, some have argued that boys struggle to excel academically because schools force them to sit still, which goes against their nature. As the mother of three sons, I can attest that boys are bundles of energy. When they were young, our family room often resembled a wrestling ring, and our yard usually had more athletic equipment on display than the local sporting goods store. They seemed to have an unending need for activity, yet their ability to sit quietly and focus for long periods at other times was remarkable. My experience as a mother and what I’ve witnessed as a classroom teacher call into question the notion that boys struggle to learn because they are forced to sit still. 

If you’ve ever observed little boys playing on a playground, you probably noticed their tendency to take risks and triumph over their fears. They often want to face and conquer challenges from a very young age. If other boys are nearby, those challenges become part of a competition to see who will be “king of the hill”. This account is a generalization, but history provides ample examples of boys and men competing against nature, conquering their foes, and blazing new trails. I’m not a sociologist, but these things seem to be innate.

It’s worth noting that the boys and men with a seemingly insatiable appetite for physical activity are also very good at sitting completely still in a deer stand for hours. They can be pretty adept at floating on a lake, quietly watching their bobber, and waiting for a fish to bite. Lego sets that require hours, and sometimes days, worth of quiet concentration and contemplation are no match for even some of the most high-energy boys. Give a boy with boundless energy, a vivid imagination, and a penchant for drawing a sketchbook, and prepare to be amazed by his ability to sit undeterred and focus on his creation.  

The point I am trying to convey is that boys aren’t struggling to learn in school because they can’t sit still. I believe boys struggle to sit still and learn because their natural propensity for rivalry, challenges, and competition is stifled. Rather than being praised or rewarded for completing an assignment or grasping a concept quickly, they are often reprimanded for working too fast and told to sit and wait quietly for the rest of the class to finish. If this only happened occasionally, there would be no cause for concern, but in my experience, it is all too common. 

By the time they reach intermediate school, many boys stop challenging themselves to “conquer the assignment” or finish their work quickly because the thought of sitting and waiting with nothing productive to do is miserable. That quiet waiting differs significantly from the quiet waiting in a deer stand. Rather than kindle excitement in anticipation, it smothers enthusiasm with boredom. 

The solution to this problem is not more “engaging” or entertaining lessons. I believe the solution lies in the pacing of lessons and the system of feedback students receive. Teachers should give assignments accordingly to motivate boys (and girls) who thrive on competition and face challenges head-on. Students should not be discouraged from working at their own pace, even if it means they always finish first. (This is assuming that they are completing the assignments correctly.)

If this seems impossible, maybe it’s time to reconsider how we group students and organize classes. For decades, we have focused on ways to help girls excel in school, ensuring they have opportunities to reach their full potential. That is a positive and worthy endeavor, but we should reexamine things to see if and how we are doing the same for boys. Let’s not sit still on this issue.