Boys and girls

People often ask me what it is like to teach only boys. Don’t I miss the girls?

Well, yes, I do. But there are advantages.

No.1. I think boys appreciate – or put up with – my sense of humour more than girls would.

No. 2 There are fewer episodes of falling out. Boys just don’t seem to care as much.

I can’t, at the moment, think of many more advantages. My favourite definition of a boy is: ‘A lot of annoying noise, covered in dirt’. I’m not so bothered about the dirt, but the amount of noise is phenomenal. The boys I teach usually speak at full volume. Occasionally – VERY occasionally – there is silence. There isn’t much in between.

Of course, boys will be … not boys, but humans. They have very different personalities. Some boys prefer to do things that girls do: they like quiet games, reading, and don’t play football.

I don’t have favourites, but there are always some who are easier to get on with. This year, there is a 'bushbaby' in the class. He is tiny, with huge round eyes. Cute and clever, he has a delightfully quirky imagination. I love reading his stories.

Teaching – all about personalities, relationships, developing potential. In boys and girls. I ponder about teaching mixed classes in a different school, and maybe one day I will do the girl thing again. But not just yet.