IBSC Igniting the Potential of Boys: A Relational Approach, AUG '23

relational approachAn IBSC Online Program for Teachers in Boys' Schools

August 22 and 24, 2023


Join Michael Reichert for two workshops on relational teaching.

The Transformative Power of Relational Teaching with Boys

Tuesday, August 22
4:00 PM EDT
Check the time in your time zone.
60 minutes

The new field of interpersonal neuroscience confirms that all children—including boys—are “wired to connect.” IBSC-sponsored global studies of thousands of boys and their teachers found not only that boys were “relational learners” but also that even the most hardened resistance could be transformed by an effective relational approach. Indeed, to engage a boy in a learning partnership, a teacher or coach must first connect with him.

Based on three global studies conducted with over 2,500 adolescent boys and 2,000 of their teachers from over 50 schools in six countries, Michael Reichert offers a framework for engaging boys in learning that has been validated by educators—and by boys themselves. Join us to explore ongoing work with schools committed to becoming “relational schools” and get:

  • An overall presentation of insights from this research identifying effective teaching practices with boys;
  • A more focused presentation on effective and ineffective relational strategies identified in the research; and
  • A description of a peer-based reflective exercise that can help teachers and coaches “reset” when they have become stuck in a relationship with a student.

The Magic of Male Development: Getting Things Right for Boys

Thursday, August 24
4:00 PM EDT
Check the time in your time zone.
60 minutes

In a 2023 State of American Men study, two out of three men aged 18-23 agreed with the statement, “No one really knows me well.” These same men also reported high levels of social isolation, believed their online lives are richer than in-person lives, felt pessimistic about their futures, and suffered from poor mental health.

Developmental science—the science of how humans grow and thrive socially, emotionally, intellectually, and morally—is clearer than ever about what it takes for someone to flourish. But when it comes to boys and men, these insights have been largely ignored. Instead, in a nutshell, men’s hearts are systematically violated.

Around the world, good men are everywhere. How can we help young men adapt successfully to the changed world and stay true to themselves? 

Join us as Michael Reichert:

  • Summarizes the results of the nationally representative State of American Men survey conducted in May 2023;
  • Reviews other global research showing how many younger men are adopting healthier practices in their relationships with themselves and others; and
  • Suggests strategies that encourage the aspirations of boys and young men to be their best, connected, committed selves.

Who Should Attend?

Teachers and faculty in boys’ schools who want to gain a deeper understanding of relational teaching

Attendees must commit to both sessions.

Format

Participate in two scheduled 60-minute interactive sessions using Zoom. Reichert facilitates each session with thought-provoking input and real-life case studies. Then take part in a Q&A session with him and attendees.

Attendees gain access to recordings of both sessions for a period of 21 days after the event. 

Please note: Each registration (and subsequent recording access) is for individual use only.

Registration

  • IBSC member rate: US$225 
  • Nonmember rate: US$270
  • Group rate per person for 5-9 people from one IBSC member school/organization: US$175
  • Group rate per person for 10+ people from one IBSC member school/organization: US$125

To register a group at the specially discounted rate or for more information, email Bruce Collins at collins@theibsc.org. You must contact IBSC in advance to get the special discount.

Refund Policy 
IBSC will refund 90% of registration fees if a written request is received two weeks prior to the class. No refunds will be made for cancellations received after this time. Schools seeking to register an alternate to replace a participant unable to attend should contact IBSC@theibsc.org.

Please note: Watch your email for login information for your online class the Friday before the class starts. If you registered for the class later than this time, watch for login information within 24 hours.

Facilitator

Michael Reichert

Michael Reichert

Michael Reichert, an applied and research psychologist, has long advocated for children and families. From counseling youth involved in the juvenile justice system and leading treatment teams in a psychiatric hospital to managing an independent clinical practice, Reichert has tested his understanding of children with real—even life-threatening—challenges.

He has immersed himself in research and consultation experiences that have afforded a deeper understanding of the conditions that allow a child to flourish in natural contexts: families, schools, and communities. Reichert has created and run programs in both inner-city communities and some of the most affluent suburban communities in the world. Working across such varied conditions, he has come to a profound appreciation for the hard science of human development.

For 10 years Reichert helped create and lead an intervention for high-risk youth in the tri-state region around Philadelphia. The program raised over $4 million in grants and was named a “promising practice” for reducing youth violence by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

As an extension of his work with schools, boys, and their parents, Reichert was asked to pull together top national experts by a highly regarded boys’ school outside Philadelphia and create a unique program combining research, advocacy, and service. The program established the first school-based research center devoted to understanding the particular needs of boys, which eventually grew into a research collaborative between independent schools and the University of Pennsylvania. He continues to lead this center, which has honed a model for student empowerment, Youth Participatory Action Research, to train high school students in rigorous research methods so they can explore pressing questions about relationships and identity.

In his work conducting research for IBSC, Reichert has spoken to audiences of boys, educators, and parents throughout Africa, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. He has led workshops and consulted to hundreds of schools of all types.

Since 1984, Reichert has maintained a clinical practice outside Philadelphia specializing in work with boys, men, and their families. In addition to direct patient care, he has served as the supervising psychologist at an independent boys’ school and has had the opportunity there to create and lead a program designed to enhance boys’ emotional literacy.

This body of experience has led him to publish numerous articles and several books, including Reaching Boys, Teaching Boys: Lessons About What Works—and Why and I Can Learn From You: Boys as Relational Learners. His new book for parents is How to Raise a Boy: The Power of Connection to Build Good Men.