Teaching Tip of the Day - Classroom Management and Discipline:
"Have you ever held onto anger or annoyance from disruptions in class? Have you ever gone to bed upset over the behavior of a student and the next day found yourself still annoyed? If so, you are making your own life miserable and possibly adding to further misbehaviors. As much as possible, try to start fresh everyday. This doesn't mean that you forget about previous infractions, i.e. if they have three tardies then today means four. It does mean that you should start teaching your class each day with the expectation that students will behave. Don't assume that because Julie has disrupted your class everyday for a week, she will disrupt it today. By doing this, you will not be treating Julie any differently and thereby setting her up to disrupt again (like a self-fulfilling prophecy). This is one of the top tips for successful classroom discipline and management."