Summary: <a href="http://on-boys.blubrry.net/131-emails-from-teachers/6484025513_823400a300_o/" rel="attachment wp-att-664"></a>Photo by Pascal Maramis via Flickr<br> <br> How do you respond to phone calls and emails from teachers about your son's misbehavior?<br> <br> Excerpts of actual emails I've received from my son's teachers:<br> On Tuesday, Sam was sitting in a chair with his legs on a stool, he was flipping it and turning the stool with his legs and feet. I made eye contact with him and shook my head. He smiled and then slithered around on the floor...<br> <br> ...<br> <br> Subject line: Bathroom Issue<br> It was reported to me by another teacher that Sam<br> <br> <br> *came up to a student and flipped him off and then was using his fingers to poke the student in the stomach<br> *jumped up on the urinal ledge<br> *sat on the wall<br> *pulling down of pants in front of a student and then walked over to go to the urinal to pee and with his pants down went back to the student and started to poke his stomach again.<br> <br> <br> ...<br> <br> ....Today, Sam, along with many others, was very disruptive by talking, laughing, blurting out, and trying to gain peer attention...The whole class was given a reminder on my expectations and Sam was given a personal reminder in addition to that. The disruption continues. Then, Sam took his scissors out of his box and began to open and close them....<br> Even after 20 years of parenting boys, I'm still not quite sure how to respond to emails like this -- how to best support my son and his teacher while trying to preserve my son's love of learning.<br> <br> <br> In this episode, Jen & Janet discuss:<br> <br> * How teachers can adapt instruction to be more boy-friendly (Hint: Front-load the lesson with tactile, kinesthetic activities instead of starting with a lot of verbal instruction)<br> * How to talk to boys about behavior without shaming them<br> * The importance of mutual respect -- between teachers and students, parents and kids, teachers and parents<br> * How parents, teachers and students can work together toward mutually satisfactory solutions<br> * Teaching kids what "respect" looks like in a classroom<br> * The benefit of focusing on what's right<br> * How to help kids develop self-regulation skills<br> * The 3 things you absolutely must do when you receive a phone call or email from your son's teacher (#1: Breathe!)<br> <br> Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 131:<br> <a href="http://www.on-boys-podcast.com/123-the-good-news-about-bad-behavior-with-katherine-reynolds-lewis/">Episode 123: The Good News About Bad Behavior with Katherine Reynolds Lewis</a><br> <br> <a href="https://health.usnews.com/wellness/for-parents/articles/2018-09-10/want-your-son-to-succeed-in-school-dont-fixate-on-academics">Want Your Son To Succeed in School? Don't Fixate on Academics</a> -- U.S. News & World Report article by Jen
