Do boys have less intrinsic motivation?

amother

Lime

Fri, Jan 22 2021, 8:24 am

I don't believe that they do.
I have taught both middle school boys and middle school girls. In the morning hours (with the rebbeim), the boys are showered with (mostly edible) prizes constantly. You did your gemara sheet? Here's a bag of corn nuts. Good answer in class? Here's a can of soda. Class behaved nicely for a couple weeks? Pizza party.
The girls do get rewards, but not anywhere near as often, and they are held to a much higher standard. I find that the boys often are rewarded for default behavior (doing the work. For heaven's sake, this is middle school! It's like rewarding a 10 year old for going to the bathroom and not wetting himself!) and this isn't as apparent with the girls.
I currently teach middle school boys in the afternoon. I have extremely high expectations of my students, and I reward them with praise when warranted and my respect always. I have a small number of contests (reading books, mostly) for which they get rewarded with homework passes and extra points on tests.
I think many in boys' school administrations in mainstream yeshivas don't feel that they can ask as much from boys as they can from girls. I'm not sure why this is. I ask my students to be responsible and do their best work, and I nearly always get it. I expect proper behavior, and I get it.
Perhaps this attitude is why there are so many husbands who are passive/losers/can't hold down a job, etc. They're waiting to be rewarded with their soda or pizza party.

amother

Pewter

Fri, Jan 22 2021, 9:37 am

Its school specific. I find it just the opposite here.

Girls have 1 major performance per year. + little things here or there throughout the year.
Like this Thursday my 2nd grader didn't have her weekly vocabulary test because they were practicing for a performance they put on for the rest of the grade (16! parallel classes). And it's the second time this year.

They have fun programs, art as part of the curriculum. Knitting/needlepoint/sewing depending in the grade. after school art once a week too (if you sign up early enough at no additional charge)
School is fun.

Boys? Nada! My 7 yo nephew is expected to sit and learn all day. And all 3 boys schools here are like this. The school my sister sends to (that my sons will likely attend too) is already the least old fashioned of all the others. I think it's really sad for those little boys. I plan to take my kid out on sundays every 2-3 weeks to do some fun things.
Oh and boys have school on sundays too. Girls don't.