Teaching Boys Initiative
What is the Teaching Boys Initiative™?
At Saint David’s, we see boys as eager, energetic, complex and full of potential—deserving not just of understanding, but of celebration. And we teach in a way that honors how they learn best: through movement and structure, challenge and trust, and relationships that value them deeply.
Founded and developed by Saint David’s faculty, The Teaching Boys Initiative (TBI) is a customized framework that makes this possible. Our framework features three essential domains: the professional, relational, and instructional.
Unlike anything else in New York City—and rare even nationwide—it reflects years of faculty-led, research-driven inquiry into what excellence looks like in a classroom of boys. It’s more than a curriculum or professional development module: It’s a living, evolving practice, shaped by our faculty’s experience and rooted in the values put forth in our mission.
Saint David’s is one of the only schools in the country to fund its own proprietary research into how boys learn. That ongoing investment shapes our classrooms, guides our approach to teaching, and strengthens our partnership with parents in the formation of good and grounded young men.
Professional Development
Commitment to Faculty Growth and Development
TBI begins with our teachers. Throughout the summer months and school year, faculty collaborate to lead research-based inquiries into the art, craft, and science of educating boys—drawing on the latest academic thinking, as well as what they encounter in the classroom every day.
This professional development is neither static nor outsourced: It’s led by our teachers, grounded in lived experience, and guided by a commitment to constant, school-wide reflection. The result is a faculty that grows in sync with its students, and a learning culture that values curiosity, growth, and proficiency in equal measure.
Relational Learning
Boys learn best when they feel seen, challenged, and known. At Saint David’s, these relationships are the starting point for all meaningful learning.
Our approach emphasizes structure and trust, movement and rhythm, clear expectations and genuine respect. We meet boys where they are— igniting their self belief and fueling them toward all they can become.
Research
TBI is built on research. But not just external theory.
Each year, Saint David’s faculty investigate essential questions about boys’ learning and development. Their findings help shape academic methods across the school—refining how we teach, what we notice, and where we lead.
This original research is one of the most distinctive aspects of Saint David’s. It is teacher-led and deeply informed by daily experience. Our boys are always changing. And our teaching doesn’t just keep up—it sets the pace.
Our work is strengthened by in-house scholars and experts, including Dr. Michael Reichert and Dr. Ric Campbell—leaders in the field of boys’ education, whose ongoing involvement brings added depth and discipline to the initiative. Dr. Reichert is Director for the Center of Boys and Girls Lives at The University of Pennsylvania and the co-author of multiple ground-breaking studies on educating boys. Dr. Campbell designed and led a graduate teacher education program at Bard College.
Instructional Domain
Our faculty use evidence-backed instructional approaches that lead to success. For example, they infuse their lessons with transitive factors like creating products, lessons as games, teamwork and competition, and open inquiry to engage boys' attention and sustain their concentration, ultimately resulting in better performance. These approaches are integrated into signature learning experiences throughout the curriculum.
Parent Involvement & Education
Commitment to Our Families
TBI extends its reach through a series of seminars, workshops, and reflective sessions for Saint David’s parents.
Led by faculty and visiting scholars in residence, these programs invite parents into the conversation—offering fresh insights into boys’ development, classroom dynamics, and the research shaping our methods.
The goal is a partnership between school and home that creates a shared understanding of how boys grow best and a commitment to nurturing that growth together.
Our boys will grow into men and will enter a world where they will need to have the skills to answer complex questions, the self belief that they can do that, and the motivation from within to do so. Thanks to Saint David's and the support of this research, we are building the best tools to get them there right here at school.
