Our Boys
on the afternoon of April 1, 1984 - one day before his 45th birthday - Gaye was shot and killed by the Reverend Marvin Gay,
"There are still times I feel unhappy and I must smile, and there are times I want to cry and I must laugh... people rarely see the real Marvin Gaye"
Network coverage of the murder of John Lennon in December 1980.
His son Jean was five years old at the time of his father’s death.
"...but men are behaving as they've always been."
Here in, is the problem. A profoundly untrue assertion is used to facilitate reaching a predetermined conclusion.
From our all but universal public school approach that "one size fits all", our teaching methodology and curriculum steadfastly ignores the overwhelming research that "teachable moments" come at different times and duration in the two sexes. Skills suited for early and continued success in monolithic schools come sooner in girls.
But unknowingly or uncaring, school site officials conclude "boys" are disrupting the normal pace and need to be pulled aside so as not to disrupt their predetermined pace. Whatever the form of these pull out, every boy, girl and teacher have been alerted that there is something out of place.
Enter prescriptions to fix the problem. Label it ADHD. Do girls get so labeled so soon. What about environmental toxins (plastic containers). Behavior changes are easily quantified and emasculation evidence is measurable and growing. Throw in peer parenting. unmotivated and underachieving become more and more common place. And no signs of abating.
One thing is crystal clear. "...but men are NOT behaving as they've always been." Don't believe me: search books on what is happening to our young men. Be ready to be alarmed.
There is general agreement among neuroscientists as reflected in studies conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) that different regions of the brain develop indifferent sequences and tempo in boys and girls.
It is widely accepted that the left brain contain areas which allow the development of language, logic and fine motor skills.
These areas begin to grow in functionality in girls as they approach three years old.
For boys, these same areas begin to show growth in boys between 5 and 6 years old.
These differences reveal themselves when children enter school usually at five years of age. In kindergarten, girl’s brains have developed to a point that they can quickly respond to tasks associated with and demanded of them.
Boys on the other hand have, in the same regions of the brain, are just beginning their development. As a direct consequence, they are not prepared to accomplish the same tasks as readily as their female cohorts.
In the schools, keeping ages the same by grade, will quickly reveal differences in readiness. If boys are held back they are “labeled”.
If they march ahead with their age cohorts they become disruptive and
ADHD candidates. The treatment with meds can often make it impossible to stay still and the controversy continues.
Very recently, Endocrine Disruptors have emerged as a further female/male complication as puberty in girls has accelerated to pre-double digit ages (8 and 9) in girls and decelerated in boys to the later teens. The most recent
culprit has been identified as the type of plastic we use. We have used PET
and now we are urging PAT. Much damage is being done to both sexes.
Puberty in boys is being disrupted; it is blocking the action of testosterone and other androgens. These disruptions go right to the brain and act to reduce motivation and sustained and purposeful action.
The pesticides causing this brain reaction are still in common use.
No comments:
Post a Comment