The “latest thing” in education

image with multicolor vertical stripes, with five people with thought/word bubbles about research involving social and emotional learning (SEL) and it's impact and importance

You may have noticed that, over time, educational fads and standards change. Every five years or so, someone will publish a research paper which purports to prove that a new approach to teaching, or a new curriculum, will totally transform education. As a result, you’ll see your local school system sending all the teachers off … Read more

Toxic masculinity (and how to end it)

toxic masculinity graphic

You may be aware of a recent event when a young woman, who was jogging on a public highway, was approached by a young man who wanted her to stop and pay him attention. The story goes that when she rejected him, he “blacked out” and when he woke up, he discovered her dead in … Read more

The myth of the “bad boy”

mad boy image

I don’t know if your son has ever gotten into trouble at school, but mine certainly did. He’d come home with a note saying something to the effect that “your son received a discipline notice today because he [pick one of the following] yelled at another student | threw his books on the floor | … Read more

Screen time – what is its effect on teens?

teen boys with smartphones

Two articles appeared recently in national magazines which address the issue of how damaging the amount of time adolescents spend on phones/tables/computers is to them. Specifically, both articles addressed the effect of screen time on adolescent brains and behavior. The first article appeared in The Atlantic in the September 2017 issue. Jean M. Twenge is … Read more

Raising boys to make #MeToo an artifact of history

billboard image

In the past few weeks, the news has been full of reports about women who are reporting sexual harassment from men in positions of power and authority. The question I’m getting asked is whether there is something that can be done to make sure that young boys are taught that this behavior is unacceptable. There … Read more

The Emotional Life of Boys

photo of boy with binder covering his face

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that I have mentioned more than once that male humans are more emotional than female humans, and the difference in emotional expression is particularly true in very young boys. As an example, take a look at this segment interviewing adolescent boys which recently appeared … Read more

Punishment to fit the crime

dad talking to little boy

My parents introduced me to the operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan when I was young and one of my favorite numbers from The Mikado was a song entitled “To let the punishment fit the crime.” I found the song very amusing especially when modernized by various productions. The idea is that when someone does something … Read more

Gun Culture

boy with toy pistol

I grew up in a rural area and most people I know own guns. I myself own them, including a small rifle which we use to deal with rabid animals. This gun is not an automatic, it requires cocking each time you want to shoot, making accidental firing almost impossible. The other gun we have is an air rifle … Read more

WHO’s happier?

peanuts cartoon panel

Last year the World Health Organization released a study of the health and happiness of European adolescents. You can find the study entitled Growing Up Unequal by clicking this link. In essence, the report found that boys reported that they had greater life satisfaction than did girls, but noted that boys were more likely to be … Read more

New Year, New Leaf? Helping your son grow emotionally.

keep calm and turn over a new leaf image

The year is about to turn again, 2017 will be here before we know it, and this is a great opportunity for students to turn over a new leaf and take a fresh perspective on school. Of course, if this is a regular practice, your son may be one of what a friend calls “Fall … Read more