I agree

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I agree
By Mary

One thing I have learned in my many interim placements is that successful classrooms require require teachers who are consistent. It has been my mantra as a parent and one I have followed through with as a teacher. As someone
else said in another post, kids crave structure. They want to know what is expected of them, how to go about accomplishing what is expected of them, what wil happen if they don't comply, and that the rules are not going to be changed midstream. I have often said that a classroom is not a democracy; while I am willing to listen to conflicting opinions from my students, ultimately,

I am the one in charge because I am the grown-up. My policy has always been to be firm but fair; this requires a degree of flexibility as well because kids are not robots. Flexibility does not equate with kids running the show. It does mean that certain circumstances SOMETIMES require adapting the rules and expectations, but that does not mean that the change is permanent.

I have read Harry Wong's book and I do agree with most of it, but it is important for any teacher to take from it those pieces that mesh with his or her personal philosophy and be open to at least considering those parts that seem off the wall. While I am certainly not advocating returning to the use of dunce caps and paddling as acceptable means of classroom management, there is something to be said about establishing right at the beginning of the year exactly what expectations and standards are to be followed. A more seasoned teacher once told me, "Don't let them see you smile before Christmas if you want to set the tone for the year." She herself was a very kind, warm, giving person, so this advice was coming from the perspective of a professional who knew whereof she spoke. The most important thing to establish is an atmosphere of mutual respect;that's what allows learning to take place.