Engaging Boys in Learning:
Leveraging Curiosity & Competition
Rather than penalize boys’ natural curiosity and competitive drive, the most effective way to engage them in learning is to understand the cause of their high energy, and take advantage of their curiosity and thirst for competition to connect them to the learning process. By applying evidence-based strategies that engage boys’ curiosity in the classroom, they can conquer challenges and master learning.
In this informative session, award-winning author and internationally recognized speaker Steph Jensen will share effective tools for understanding and engaging boys in the classroom.
This workshop will provide deep insight into the role of positive character development in education and provide effective strategies to fully engage boys in the learning process.
The following topics will be explored:
- Biology, Brain and Behavior: The Why Behind the Behavior
- Keys to Unlocking Potential: Using Curiosity to Develop Capable, Confident Learners
- To Infinity and Beyond: Essential Skills for Boys’ Success in the Classroom
Learning Objectives
- Understand the influence of biology and neurology on boys’ behavior and learning.
- Gain insights about the social world of boys and how to use their social structure to engage them in the learning process.
- Explore effective strategies to improve boys’ interaction and success in the classroom.
- Identify three essential skills that will help boys be successful in school and beyond.
Differences in Male & Female Brains
Gray Matter’s Impact on Boy Brains
Setting Up Boys for Success in Writing
UNDERSTANDING AND UNLOCKING THE UNIQUE LEARNING STYLES OF BOYS
Research shows a growing epidemic in our classrooms: the Marginalization of Boys. Research suggests that an academic success gap is plaguing our nation’s boys in the classroom — making many boys at-risk of failing in school … and in life.
- More boys are enrolled in kindergarten than girls, but fewer boys will graduate from high school.
- Boys are 2-3 times more likely to be placed in special education classes than girls.
- Boys make up 80% of school disciplinary referrals.
- Boys are 4.5 times more likely to be expelled from preschool.
- 77% of kids expelled from public elementary and secondary schools are boys.
- Boys are 30% more likely to drop out of school than girls.
Some attribute this growing divide to learning environments and strategies structured to favor girls’ learning styles. Teachers and school administrators alike report that boys are too fidgety, too hyperactive, too disruptive, and often derail the educational process for everyone while sabotaging their own intellectual development.
Glance into most American classrooms and you will see desks in rows, teachers pleading with students to stay in their seats and refrain from talking to their neighbors. Positive reinforcement for good behavior is focused on students who are proficient at sitting still for long periods of time and recognizing social cues, skills that many boys haven’t attained and are not are not developmentally equipped to master. We are quick to pass off these behaviors as inappropriate, disengaged, bored, oppositional or belligerent; but we often fail to remember that, “boys will learn like boys.”
If we continue to penalize boys for behaviors that are natural and developmentally appropriate and fail to proactively engage in strategies to engage curiosity and build confidence in the classroom, we will see discipline referrals and dropout rates for boys continue to soar. Rather than penalize the boys’ curiosity and competitive drive, the most effective way to teach boys is to understand the cause of their high energy, and take advantage of their curiosity and thirst for competition through effective and evidence-based strategies.
80%
Boys make up 80% of school disciplinary referrals.
30%
Boys are 30% more likely to drop out of school than girls.
Agenda
| 8:30 – 10:15 am | Biology, Brain, Behavior
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| 10:30 – 12: 00 pm | Media Messages and Technology
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| 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Lunch (on your own) |
| 1:00 – 2:00 pm | Creating a Classroom Environment for Success
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| 2:45 – 3:30 pm | Putting it All Together
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Lost Boys Seminar Pricing
Register early and save! Groups of 20+, call 1-800-251-6805 for special pricing. Program Fees: The early bird discount fee is $149. If form is postmarked or faxed after the early bird deadline, the regular registration fee of $189 will apply. This fee includes refreshments and handouts, but does not include meals, hotel room or parking fees. Group Discount: When 3 or more people register together from the same school district or agency, each participant is entitled to a $25 discount off their registration fee. For 10 or more attendees registering together, each participant is entitled to a $40 discount. To receive a group discount, all participants in the group must register at the same time and have a group representative as the contact person. Hotel Accommodations: In some seminar hotels, a block of sleeping rooms has been reserved at a group discount if possible. Please reserve your hotel room early and ask for the Lost Boys or AccuTrain rate. Concerns or Special Accommodations: Should you have any concerns, call us at 800-267-5053. If you require special accommodations due to a disability, please call or email us at pd@accutrain.com at least 2 weeks prior to the seminar. Cancellation Policy: All cancellations incur a $20 administrative fee and must be received in writing or electronically seven days prior to seminar. No refunds will be issued on cancellations received after that date. Substitutions are welcome at any time. Developmental Resources reserves the right to cancel any seminar in the event of insufficient registration, in which case a full refund will be returned. If for any reason the seminar is not held, AccuTrain’s liability is limited to a refund of the registration fee paid. Certificates: Certificates of Completion for this seminar, which indicate 6 Contact Hours of Continuing Education, will be available upon the completion of the seminar and a course evaluation. Please note that Accutrain is an approved Continuing Education Provider for: National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC#5602): AccuTrain is an approved provider for Continuing Education by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC #5602). |
Upcoming Lost Boys Dates
San Antonio, TX
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
8:30 am CT - 3:30 pm CT
Early Bird pricing deadline Friday, March 25, 2025.
Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX
Thursday, April 24, 2025
8:30 am CT - 3:30 pm CT
Early Bird pricing deadline Friday, March 25, 2025.
Austin, TX
Monday, April 28, 2025
8:30 am CT - 3:30 pm CT
Early Bird pricing deadline Friday, March 25, 2025.
Seminar Presenter
Steph Jensen, MS, LPC
*In case of an emergency, another qualified presenter will substitute
Steph Jensen, MS, LPC is an award-winning author and international speaker recognized for her insight and understanding of child development, behavior and school culture. She combines twenty years of practice in the fields of education and counseling with research, practical strategies and a little bit of humor to address challenging behaviors and build positive relationships with kids of all ages. She has held positions as classroom teacher, reading specialist, education consultant and international speaker. As a licensed counselor she focuses her efforts on providing practical tools for counselors, educators and parents to inspire and unlock the potential in themselves and the kids they support. In recent years Steph has applied her passion for building positive behavior systems to focus on the influence of social media and technology on the alarming rates of depression, anxiety and increased challenging behavior in the classroom by providing educators with best practice strategies to navigate students to disconnect from devices and connect positively in the classroom.
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