I have a son in middle school, albeit, in special edu. I have watched these teachers bend backwards to "gear things to his interests". Everything from working his favorite book series "Wings of Fire" into math work, rewards for doing the boring stuff. My son has turned down all the books from the book list, and they let him chose his own and aproved it on the side because what he chose was higher than grade level. Art class.. they were to pick something simple to draw, and my son for some reason chose a sports car, then got upset it was hard. The art teacher did extra work to help "gear it to his interest" and it failed. That one was funny to me, I explained why he should have just chosen the baseball and rolled with it. But, my sons teachers, bend backwards to "gear to his interests" I dont know how else it could be done. Hes had both male and female teachers, like what else?

noting not all schools are the same, but I think its more than this, what exactly, I dont know, but. When I told my son he needed math to be a carpenter (what he, at the moment, wants to do when hes older) he started to pay better attention.

Math is math, science is science, I dont remember any school work being "geared to my interests" as a lady any morw than you know, picking your own book from the list. My son has had so much more choice than I ever had in school, I dont know what more could be done.

My guess, wild guess, would be boys are ignored by their parents more often than girls. When I was pregnant people were constantly telling me, "boys are easier (to raise)". They are not, I think a lot of parents let thier sons slip through the cracks and are neglected emotionally and socially.