HELP! Mostly Girls, but One Boy!
Dear Shannon Sensei,
Anna,
The important thing to remember is that the kids are probably not going to work out this problem on their own. It's up to you to make sure that you structure your lesson to make it easy for the boy to feel comfortable.
For example, if you choose an activity where the kids are working one on one with each other, you might create an uncomfortable situation for the boy.
However, a game such as Bingo has each of the kids trying to win for themselves. He won't be embarassed by being paired up with a girl.
Alternatively, you could select activities which have the kids working together as a group. Hangman works well in these cases, as does something where the kids have to race against a clock.
If you do decide to play a game which has teams, make sure that you maintain control of the teams. See my article on choosing teams for more info on this. Try to select a game which will play up to his strengths, thus making him a valued team member rather than "the stinky boy that nobody wants". If he's good at sports, choose a game where that would be an advantage. If he's good at remembering vocabulary, chose a game where quick vocabulary recall could win the game.
Once he starts feeling as though he has a lot that he can contribute to the class, he'll want to participate more.
Love,
I have a class with 7 girls and only 1 boy. I'm having a hard time getting the boy to participate. I know that it's because he's shy and embarassed to be the only boy, but how can I overcome this?
Thanks!
Anna
I've been in a similar situation and I know how rough it can be. Kids are kids, and let's face it...the opposite sex has cooties! Having a class with many girls and only one boy (or many boys and only one girl) can be quite difficult to manage.
Shannon Sensei