GURIAN

INSTITUTE
2014
Research, Recommendations,
and Action Plans
A SYSTEMIC FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE
By almost every benchmark, boys across the nation
and in every demographic group are falling behind
(Newsweek).
Our boys need us now in ways they have not before.
They are being raised in a very complex world and
many of their support systems and developmental
frameworks have crumbled (Michael Gurian).
If schools suspend or expel boys, they have nothing
left to do but make their presence known. It is better
to build a boy than remake a man (Calvin Mackie).
AGGRESSION NURTURANCE
Adolescent psychology theory coined by Michael Gurian
It is natural for boys to aggressively engage with each
other
Physical bonding is how boys show love
Aggression Nurturance has been taken out of humanity
due to systemic action
The paradigm 50 years ago was a concentrated effort to
remove aggression for fear it would turn into violence
We should not confuse aggression and violence
Boys will challenge, tease, and even bully each other
Yet, these relationships are important to boys
They express approval physically- ie putting arms around
AGGRESSION NURTURANCE
Boys are kinesthetic learners
Learning experiences are not limited to the classroom
We can't raise loving and wise kids by constantly
intervening and correcting behavior while their are trying
to bond and nurture each other
Aggression can be used to manipulate and control others
For example: wrestling or shoving another boy against a
locker shows who is more powerful
Aggression can also be used to enact justice
Standing up for a friend who is unjustly targeted
Boys build social-emotional skillskinesthetically
CORE AREAS FOR BOYS LEARNING
School environment and culture
Boys must feel celebrated, needed, and respected
Discipline teaches character, ethics, and moral development
High expectations prepare boys for college and the workplace

Curriculum and instruction

Strong curriculum with support and summer enrichment courses
Celebration of academic achievements, no matter how small
Engagement and end product via personalized learning
Teamwork and competition
Nonconfrontational atmosphere

Parent/Family/Community Partnerships
Counseling
ABCs to monitor: Attendance, Behavior, Course performance
Teach code switching
BOYS AND COMMUNICATION
Michael Gurians research concludes the following:
Boys can sit still and listen for 1-3 minute before glazing over
Too many details are cumbersome for the male brain to
compute
When brain is in rest state, boys do not process information
Follow directions
Complete assignments
Turn in homework
Male ego might be too proud to ask for clarification on assignment
Boredom brain- no blood flow to brain, body is not engaged so
brain enters rest state
There are many times that boys miss information
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN FACULTY
If boys miss information, we faculty must improve our
communication to fill in the gaps and consider the needs of our
students
Communication is fostered in two ways: face to face meetings or
through creation of a space that fosters conversation
Email is an effective way to distribute information, but not a proper
venue for fostering conversation
Communication with regard to assessments is vital
Faculty McDermott/Doyle Counselors Faculty
Collaborative communication better aids students
Action Plan: Create a testing schedule for freshmen (foundations,
excel, and honors) and Sophomore Foundations students
A large desk calendar will be located in the school office
Best practice: teachers of freshmen cannot schedule more than two
exams on the same day and must be scheduled 24 hours in advance
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN
FACULTY AND STUDENTS
Consistency is most important
Highly encouraged for Instructors of Freshmen and
Sophomore Foundations to use Remind text messaging
platform
By using Remind, teachers of freshmen can help students
stay organized
Many freshmen are disorganized and do not carry a planner
Help students stay on track, especially during the first
trimester of high school
This is also an effective communication platform for
coaches and club moderators
HOW TO SET UP REMIND
From your computer or mobile device,
go to www.remind.com or download the Remind app
Select sign up
Fill in your information
Students will only see your Title and Last Name, NOT any of your
other information
Then, make a class for your students
The students will have to send a text message to a specific 10-
digit phone number to join this class
Under Subscribers click Invite Your Class to find instructions
If students or parents do not want to use text messaging, they
can join via email and your message will be sent that way.
You can download an Instructional Sheet pdf to send via email
HOW TO SEND A MESSAGE USING REMIND
Type the name of the class that you would like to send a message to
Note: you can send a message to multiple groups at once
Convenient for teachers of multiple course sections

Then, type in the body of your message

Now, you can click SEND and it will be sent right away, or you
Schedule for Later.
If you want your message to be sent later, you then select the date
and the time you want it to be sent.
Teachers may schedule Reminders for 2:59 pm so students receive the
message when they are packing up their things and visiting their lockers
Press done, then send and your message will go out later
MECHANICS OF
BOY GROUPS
Socialization, Bullying, and
Mixed Messaging
VULNERABILITY
Our societys failure to recognize and care for the social and
emotional well-being of our boys contributes to a nation of
young men who navigate adversity and conflict with an
incomplete emotional skill set (Jennifer Siebel Newsom,
The Mask You Live In).
Gurians research notes that boys have trouble using words to
express their feelings
How do we cater to our boys emotional well being?
Do we model vulnerability?
Do we encourage it?
What emotional outlets do boys have? Are these healthy
alternatives?
Video Games
Mobile Devices
THINKING ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY
Walk the Line Activity: a statement will be posed.
Indicate the degree of your agreement with the
statement by moving to the right side of the room, or
indicate your disagreement by moving to the left side
of the room
How would you, in your experience as a member of
our school community, respond to these statements?
Boys cannot trust other boys in our school
Boys in our school like to gossip about others
The most popular boys in our school are the happiest
CONFLICT
Author Rosalind Wiseman, a keynote speaker at the
Gurian Institute and author of Masterminds and
Wingmen, has studied group dynamics of both high
school girls and boys
She presents an interesting paradox that plagues
todays students
Conflict is inevitable and we educators have an
obligation to teach students how tonavigatesocial
conflict confidently
MECHANICS OF BOY GROUPS
Mastermind
Social controller, powerful, dominant personality
Bouncer
Struggles in school, wants to fit in but does not, seeks
attention from peers for validation
Fly
Builds his friendship by bragging or buying, hovers outside
the group, other boys have no guilt excluding him
Entertainer
Obnoxious but not mean, good at making people feel
comfortable, has a hard time turning himself "off"
MECHANICS OF BOY GROUPS
Punching Bag
The easy target; inner circle believes they can treat him badly
(boys tease him for having a girlfriend and being "whipped"); he
justifies how others treat him (they're my friends so they can
treat me how they want)
Conscience
Worries about rules and consequences (asks, Are you sure we
should be doing this?); kind of a drag/feels like having a
chaperone around; used by the group as a "screen" because he
will feel bad about lying but will be loyal to his friends
Champion
The anti-bully; a person who steps in when he sees others being
stripped of their dignity; truly confident, has friends in different
groups; does not have to win every conversation
 THE BOY WORLD
THE BOY WORLD
CANNOT CONSIST
CONSISTS OF:
Strong
OF:
Fat

Backing down from conflict

Good verbal skills Short
Tall Bad style
Good style Tries too hard
Detached Easily upset
Always relaxed Awkward or has a disability
Athletic at the "right" sports Controlled by girls
Girls like him Poor
Has money- shoes and belts are Being too literal or a snitch
markers of social status
Obsessed with video games and
Funny virtual reality
Good at video games but not
PUBLIC DISPLAYS
What does the public space in our school look like?
What is featured? Who is celebrated?
If there is disproportionate representation of student activity in
the halls, this may yield confusion
Research based support:
In 1961, the sociologist James Coleman observed that a
visitor entering an American high school would likely be
confronted, first of all, with a trophy case. His examination of
the trophies would reveal a curious fact: The gold and silver
cups, with rare exception, symbolize victory in athletic
contests, not scholastic ones Altogether, the trophy case
would suggest to the innocent visitor that he was entering an
athletic club, not an educational institution (Amanda Ripley,
fromThe Atlantic).
MIXED MESSAGING
Wiseman claims that if students are good at things the
school celebrates (usually sports) and their images or
teams are put in numerous public spaces, these
individuals are elevated to a level of higher social status
This public celebration tells certain peers to remain
silent when they are in conflict with a person of high
social status
Bullied students will not report a problem with a person of
high social status
Pain is internalized; emotional outlets minimized

Unwritten rules are important in that adults are often

complicit in reinforcing these messages to young
people
MIXED MESSAGING
Wiseman says, Group dynamics in a public space
impact an entire culture of a school to show and
articulate if a child matters who doesnt fit that
perception.
Students wonder
INCLUDING ACADEMIC DISPLAYS
Our campus should reflect the diversity of the schools mission
by displaying various activities in public spaces
Hallways and foyers are public space that generate a lot of traffic
beyond the student body (parents, shadowing 8th graders, ACT test
takers, spectators)
Admins, teachers, and moderators need to look at which things
matter to our students and use their input as a way to establish
the identity of the school
Visuals and Validation
Action Plan: show a variety of academic and extracurricular
activities in public spaces, display cases, and in high-traffic areas
All extracurricular programs should be included and also have a
space in display cases
ACTION PLAN FOR CLUB MODERATORS
Todays task: create a short write up on your club to be on
display
Identify the clubs purpose, history, competitions, and
notable awards
Submit this write up to the Google Docs form that was
mailed out this morning
Task for this week: list and locate some items (trophies,
costumes, props, relevant items) to be on display
Assemble items for display and deliver to Jennifer in 206
Later when meetings and practices convene: ask club
members how they want the club to be portrayed
Task during September: Create a symbol or logo for your club
Image can be student generated but must be reproducible
ACTION PLAN FOR NON-CLUB
MODERATORS
Todays task: What other items should be included in the academic
displays?
Current members of NHSStraight A StudentsIllinois Scholars?
Honors Banquet Award WinnersSenior Awards and past winners?
Gurian Techniques?

Task for the next two weeks: Select one area from the list above and
develop a creative plan for the display
This is your display for the year!
Submit lists, photos, and relevant materials to the Google Doc by the end of
the week
Put items on display by the end of August

Task during September: Start planning for second trimester display case
Student Spotlight, notable accomplishments, Alumni Feature: Where Are
They Now?...
How do we continue to chronicle these academic successes as they