Some teachers, it seems, want peace, quiet, and calm in the classroom for their own sakes. I’ve tried something new, something that seems to legitimize my authority as well as the unfortunate, occasional necessity of “cracking down.” During the first class period, I simply told them — and tried to show them — that I’m there to help them, to educate them, to increase their chances for success later in life. “And if one of you tries to take that opportunity from another member of this class by being disruptive in any way and refuses to work with me as I try to bring things back in line, I will make sure that disruption stops. It’s not for me: I will simply not allow you,” and here I point randomly at a student, “interfere with your,” and here I point randomly at another student, “education.” Pause for dramatic effect, then I add, “And vice versa.”
This year, I am trying desperately to show that everything that happens in that classroom has only one intention: helping.
So far, they seem to be buying it.