Boys Forward

This seminar explores the growing up process for boys, the challenges that parents face and the different learning styles of boys and girls. Day one discusses the influence of peers and explores strategies to combat peer pressure and bullying.

The role of the family is expanded and ways of talking to boys and having them deal with their feelings is a highlight of the seminar.

Day two explores, in more detail, ways of getting boys to improve their literacy with an emphasis on reading techniques. We explore the influence of the media and discuss visual literacy strategies. The Internet, communication and violence are expanded in day two and the impact of sport on boys.

This two-day seminar is very interactive and there will be opportunities for parents to raise questions throughout the two days. It will be engaging and light-hearted, humorous and practical. It is a must for parents (and teachers) who really want to understand boys and help them engage better at home and at school. The needs of girls are also discussed and every aspect of the seminar would be just as applicable to daughters.

This first whole day workshop informs participants of the range of issues associated with boys' performance and outlines the recommendations that have been formulated to deal with each.

The role of the family is expanded and ways of talking to boys and having them deal with their feelings is a highlight of the seminar.

Day two explores, in more detail, ways of getting boys to improve their literacy with an emphasis on reading techniques. We explore the influence of the media and discuss visual literacy strategies. The Internet, communication and violence are expanded in day two and the impact of sport on boys.

This two-day seminar is very interactive and there will be opportunities for parents to raise questions throughout the two days. It will be engaging and light-hearted, humorous and practical. It is a must for parents (and teachers) who really want to understand boys and help them engage better at home and at school. The needs of girls are also discussed and every aspect of the seminar would be just as applicable to daughters.

The boy code is discussed and the impact this has on male behaviour. The role of the family is explored in detail and the various types of family dysfunction that impact on boys' behaviour and performance in school. The nature vs nurture debate is explained and the damaging effects of ADD and ADHD.

Helping boys deal with their feelings and an explanation of why boys wear masks is outlined through practical and real-life examples. Ian explains the need for males to have territory and the problems this causes with Primary to Secondary transition. Homophobia, Proximal Learning and Teaching:Doing ratios are covered in depth.

Curricular design, communication in the classroom, the role of the teacher and literacy are dealt with as well as classroom and schoolyard design and effectiveness.

This whole day workshop follows on from workshop 1 and examines the needs of boys into the new millennium with particular reference from recent research into boys' under-achievement at the University of Maine. Communication patterns between youth are explained and the impact this is having on literacy levels worldwide.

The role of Sport in Australian society as a means of assisting boys develop, role-modelling, violence and the harmful effects of bullying are analysed and many practical strategies to tackle these issues outlined.

A particular emphasis on classroom behaviour management for boys is detailed based on solid research in the U.K. Appropriate use of praise for boys is also examined. A particular emphasis in this workshop is the impact of Information Technology and how this is affecting our young adults. The ingredients of boy-friendly schools are outlined and participants have the opportunity to evaluate many policies and practices that are being employed in different parts of the world with excellent success.

This session explores the issues affecting boys' outcomes in the host school and explains to staff the challenges facing educators and parents over the last twenty years in educating and raising boys.

Classroom strategies are dealt with - specifically behaviour management, homework, literacy, group work and counselling boys. A number of policies and practices from around the world are critically analysed and Ian's 52 recommendations are expanded and commented on in terms of application to the host school.

Strategic treatment of bullying and a complete analysis of classroom and schoolyard functionality are a highlight of this PD. Staff reflect on their current practice and are given the opportunity to look at alternatives for pedagogy delivery and general classroom management.

This PD touches the hearts of all concerned, gives many practical strategies to educators and administrators and sets the scene for the school to undertake long term action in changing the school culture to make it more boy-friendly and productive for both students and staff.

This session covers boys and their schooling. It gives parents strategies to help boys in their growth into adults and compares childhood and adolescence. The role of the teacher, nature and other factors impacting on boys' success are explained.

This session concentrates on ways to get boys to talk about their feelings and explores ways that parents can keep communication channels open with their sons. It looks at the rites of passage for boys, bullying and relationships with girls. Ian outlines the changes in society over the last few decades and the impact this has had on our sons.

This session builds on session 1 and explores (in more depth) the issues of bullying and violence. Ian outlines the role that families play and dispels myths about single-parent and blended families as being negative influences on boys' development into well adjusted adults.

The presentation reveals the way that boys learn and the various adolescent stages they go through. It deals with boys and sport, building resilience in boys and the insidious issue of depression in boys. Ian also outlines contemporary ways to manage boys' behaviour at home.

This day seminar explores the issues surrounding boys and their growth into men. Ian deals with growing up in our modern society and some of the impacts of television, computers and the changing world of work. He discusses rites of passage in the new millennium and the need to celebrate our sons' transition from boys to men. Growing up for girls is also explored and parents of girls will find many strategies to deal with daughters, their male friends and males, generally, in our lives.

Ian deals with the issues of violence, peer pressure and bullying, relationships with peers, parents and teachers, and the need for female friends in adolescence. He outlines modern behaviour management techniques at home and the need to separate boys from their actions to maintain relationships with them.

A special feature of this seminar is a thorough discussion of boys and their feelings with an emphasis on ways to get boys to talk about their feelings. The connection between internalizing feelings and self - harm is explored and the need for other adult mentors in their lives.

This seminar is interactive and enables parents to raise issues about boys for deliberation during the day. A special question and answer section in the middle of the day will deal with specific queries parents may have. The presentation will be engaging, humorous and light - hearted, enabling participants to analyse the various strategies that Ian will outline.

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