It’s sometimes amazing to watch what seems like an out-of-control child submit to a teacher’s bidding at school. Parents who are exasperated with their kids’ at-home antics can be really surprised when they watch their child interact successfully with their teachers away from home. How do teachers harness all that bad behavior at school, while you’re left screaming and yelling at home? There are some super-sneaky ways they handle it. First, they consider their body language. A teacher might notice a student misbehaving during a lesson and simply drift over to his side of the room to be near him. That proximity can sometimes nip bad behavior in the bud. You can do the same thing by walking by your child’s room and simply glancing her way. It’s just a way for her to know she’s on the radar. Teachers also tend to look kids in the eye when they misbehave – a challenge when the child is a great deal shorter than the adult disappointed in him. As you tower over your child, hands likely on hips, then the experience seems more like a scary confrontation and less like a conversation. Try getting down on your knees to talk eye-to-eye with a child who needs correcting. And teachers are experts at diversion. When a child comes up to tattle on another child, for example, instead of separating the offended child or punishing the child being tattled on, a teacher might engage the misbehaving child instead. Sally might say, “Johnny won’t stop pulling my hair!” to the teacher. The teacher may then ask Johnny to help her put out snacks for the class. Crisis averted. Another way to stop bad behavior might be to give “that look” to the child, which conveys disappointment and annoyance. Instead of saying, “Don’t do that!” try something that will shed light on the consequences of misbehaving and the impact it has on others. Learn a lesson or two from your child’s teacher about what works, and use it at home.