Boyz to men? Teaching to restore Black boys’ childhood

Many schools see teaching African American boys as a daunting challenge. However, in many schools the primary focus of Black male children’s educational experience is maintaining order and discipline rather than student learning and academic achievement. By the time Black boys reach the 3rd or 4th grade their teachers and other school personnel no longer treat them like children, but rather like men. This paper will describe the current state of education for Black male students and propose ways to ensure that we teach all children, particularly Black boys in intellectually, socially, and culturally appropriate ways.