Teaching Boys: Developing classroom practices that work

Amanda Keddie and Martin Mills

Bridges the gap between theory and practice to offer a practical and sustainable framework for teaching boys in classrooms of all levels.

Sales points

• Teaching boys remains one of the most concerned issues in education today.

• Many books have been published analyzing why boys perform less well than girls, and why some boys struggle at school. But they don’t show teachers what will work: this book does.

• The authors offer a research-based framework for classroom strategies that work with boys—and don’t disadvantage girls.

Description

Boys’ education continues to be a focus of public anxiety among teachers. Concern about boys’ general educational under-achievement and the impact this under-achievement has on the boys themselves, as well as on the broader society, continues to fuel disagreement and debate on the best approach to take in response.

Teaching Boys provides a framework for developing practical and sustainable ways to improve boys’ education.

The book indicates how what teachers do in the classroom can enable boys’ academic and social outcomes. With detailed case studies, Keddie & Mills outline a range of practical classroom strategies that will assist teachers to meet the challenge of teaching boys, without neglecting the girls in the process.

About the Author

Amanda Keddie is a researcher at the University of Queensland. Her research interests and teaching areas focus on classroom teaching, curriculum and educational sociology.

Martin Mills is Associate Professor in the School of Education at the University of Queensland. He has written several books, and is co-author of Teachers and Schooling Making a Difference （Allen & Unwin, 2005）.

1．The purpose of this passage is ________.

A．to promote classroom teaching

B．to advertising a book

C．to analyzing boys’ academic performance

D．to introduce two educators

2．What problem is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．Boys’ general educational under-achievement and its impact.

B．Teachers’ anxiety to teach boys.

C．Lack of practical strategies for teaching boys.

D．Public opinions on classroom teaching.

3．The book Teaching Boys is intended for ________.

A．parents              B．teachers           C．students     D．boys

4．What can we know from the passage?

A．Teachers’ concern makes the disagreement and debate on the best approach more heated.

B．Teachers’ concern brings about the disagreement and debate on the best approach.

C．The strategies recommended by the book are of no benefit to girls.

D．Teaching boys to improve their achievement is a newly-raised issue.

I always felt sorry for people in wheelchair．Some people, old and weak, cannot get   1  by themselves．Others seem perfectly healthy, dressed in business suits, and    2    themselves about with strong determination．But whenever I saw someone in a wheelchair, I only saw a disability, not a person.

    Then I fainted at Euro-Disney   3    low blood pressure．This was the first time I had ever fainted, and my parents said that I must rest    4    after First Aid．I agreed to take it    5 but, as I stepped toward the door, I saw my dad pushing a wheelchair in my direction! Feeling the color    6   my cheeks, I asked him to wheel that thing right back to where he    7    it.

   I could not believe this was    8    to me．Wheelchairs were    9    for other people but not for me．As my father wheeled me out into the main street, people immediately began to treat me    10    .

Little kids ran in front of me, forcing my father to    11 the wheelchair suddenly．Bitterness set in as I was   12    back and forth．   13    kids．Why    14    they watch where they’re going?’ I thought．

People passing by stared down at me,    15    in their eyes．Then they would look    16   , maybe because they thought the    17    they forgot me the better.

    “I am just like you!” I wanted to scream．“The only    18    is you’ve got legs, and I have wheels.”

People in wheelchairs are not stupid．They see every look and hear each word．Looking out at the    19  , I finally understood: I was once just like them．I treated people in wheelchairs exactly the way they did not want to be treated．I realized it is some of us with two healthy legs who are truly    20   ．

1．A．around                            B．off                         C．over                       D．up

2．A．take                         B．wheel                     C．carry                      D．move

3．A．resulting in                B．in spite of                C．due to                     D．related to

4．A．at times                    B．for a while                     C．once in a while        D．now and then

5．A．seriously                   B．for granted              C．along                      D．easy

6．A．heat                         B．dye                         C．beat                        D．burn

7．A．found                       B．caught                    C．bought                    D．laid

8．A．going                       B．leading                    C．happening               D．becoming

9．A．fit                            B．fine                        C．good                      D．right

10．A．politely                   B．differently               C．rudely                     D．strangely

11．A．stop                       B．change                    C．push                       D．pull

12．A．shaken                    B．stricken                  C．driven                     D．thrown

13．A．Exciting                  B．Stupid                     C．Poor                       D．Lovely

14．A．not                         B．mustn’t                   C．shouldn’t                D．can’t

15．A．pride                      B．surprise                  C．pity                        D．sorrow

16．A．about                      B．away                      C．out                         D．down

17．A．more                      B．less                        C．sooner                    D．further

18．A．problem                  B．disadvantage            C．benefit                    D．difference

19．A．faces                      B．kids                        C．world                     D．wheelchairs

20．A．discouraged            B．disappointed            C．disabled                  D．dishonest

I always felt sorry for people in wheelchair. Some people, old and weak, cannot get　 1　 　by themselves. Others seem perfectly healthy, dressed in business suits, and 　 2　 themselves about with strong determination. But whenever I saw someone in a wheelchair, I only saw a disability, not a person.

Then I fainted at Euro-Disney 　 3　 low blood pressure. This was the first time I had ever fainted, and my parents said that I must rest 　 4　 after First Aid. I agreed to take it 　 5　 but, as I stepped toward the door, I saw my dad pushing a wheelchair in my direction! Feeling the color 　 6　 my cheeks, I asked him to wheel that thing right back to where he　 7　 it.

I could not believe this was 　 8　 to me. Wheelchairs were 　 9　 for other people but not for me. As my father wheeled me out into the main street, people immediately began to treat me 　 10　 .

Little kids ran in front of me, forcing my father to 　 11　 　the wheelchair suddenly. Bitterness set in as I was　 12　 back and forth. 　 13　 kids. Why 　 14　 they watch where they’re going?’ I thought.

People passing by stared down at me, 　 15　 in their eyes. Then they would look 　 16　 , maybe because they thought the 　 17　 they forgot me the better.

“I am just like you!” I wanted to scream. “The only 　 18　 　is you’ve got legs, and I have wheels.”

People in wheelchairs are not stupid. They see every look and hear each word. Looking out at the 　 19　 , I finally understood: I was once just like them. I treated people in wheelchairs exactly the way they did not want to be treated. I realized it is some of us with two healthy legs who are truly 　 20　 .

1. A. around　　　　　　 B. off　　　　　 C. over　　　　　　 D. up

2. A. take　　　　　 B. wheel　　　　　　 C. carry　　　　　　 D. move

3. A. resulting in　 B. in spite of　　　　　 C. due to　　 D. related to

4. A. at times　　　　　 B. for a while　 C. once in a while　　　 D. now and then

5. A. seriously　　 B. for granted　　　　　 C. along　　　　　　 D. easy

6. A. heat　　　　　 B. dye　　　　　 C. beat　　　　　　 D. burn

7. A. found　　　　 B. caught　　　　　 C. bought　　　　　 D. laid

8. A. going　　　　 B. leading　　　 C. happening　　　　 D. becoming

9. A. fit　　　　　　　 B. fine　　　　　　 C. good　　　　　　 D. right

10. A. politely　　 　 B. differently　　　　　 C. rudely　　 D. strangely

11. A. stop　　　　　　 B. change　　　　　 C. push　　　　　　 D. pull

12. A. shaken　　　 B. stricken　　　　 C. driven　　　　　 D. thrown

13. A. Exciting　　　　 B. Stupid　　　　　 C. Poor　　　　　　 D. Lovely

14. A. not　　　　　 B. mustn’t　　　　 C. shouldn’t　　　 D. can’t

15. A. pride　　　　　　 B. surprise　　　　 C. pity　　　　　　 D. sorrow

16. A. about　　　　　　 B. away　　　　　　 C. out　　　　　 D. down

17. A. more　　　　　　 B. less　　　　　　 C. sooner　　　　　 D. further

18. A. problem　　　 　 B. disadvantage　　 C. benefit　　　　　 D. difference

19. A. faces　　 　 B. kids　　　　　　 C. world　　　　　　 D. wheelchairs

20. A. discouraged　　　 B. disappointed　　 C. disabled　　　 D. dishonest