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CLASSROOM MANAGEMENTDuring my time at teaching college, the topic of classroom management would usually come up. Being that most of us were just about to be given control of our own classes and students there was an overwhelming feeling of nervousness and foreboding among most of us. Our teachers tried their best to ease our worries by having other seasoned instructors come in and speak on how best to manage classes. However, the advice was varied and for the most part seemed to me to turn teachers more into a robot with no feelings. I knew that in order for me to find effective ways to manage classes that I was going to have to experiment and test ideas until I find something that works for me. Since having taught for four years, I have come up with several ideas that have helped me be successful, most of the time, in managing my classes. The first idea that helps me in my classroom revolves around the following phrase: be patient, firm and fair. This idea has helped me create my classroom rules and expectations of my students. I currently have five, non-negotiable rules in my classroom clearly posted on my whiteboard. These rules are primarily for elementary and middle school students and they are listed as follows in order: 1. Only English 2. No Cell Phone 3. No food/drinks 4. Be nice 5. Work hard Also, during the very first day of class, after a quick introduction and an ice-breaker/warm-up activity, I always patiently go through each of my classroom rules. Furthermore, the reason that I have ?Work hard? as my last rule is that it helps me transition into my goal of making sure that each student is successful in my classroom. Thus, when I get to this last rule it not only shows that I am going to be a firm teacher with them but it also, in my opinion, expresses an overall idea of fairness. Namely, if they do work hard, then they will get something out of this class, a good grade, new knowledge, confidence with English, etc., and that idea should be reasonable and fair to my students. Next, I always make sure that I am consistent and clear with my rules in my classroom when dealing with students that are misbehaving. I always follow the method of calling the student by name, letting them know what they did that was wrong, giving a warning for the first time, and then letting the student know what the consequence will be if they continue i.e. writing their name on the board, a note home to parents, etc. It?s usually a quick process and lets me move on with class. This is also effective because it gives the responsibility of choice back to the student and lets the class know that as far as the rules are concerned everyone in this class is an equal. Finally, no matter how inconsequential or serious the behavior is, I try to understand where this behavior is coming from and give opportunities during class to positively recognize an unruly student. I believe that if a teacher can truly know why a student is misbehaving then he can use that information as a resource to maybe help the student. For example, if the student is acting out because they are under a lot of stress during testing period, maybe the teacher can make an effort to talk to the student either before class or during class and wish them good luck on their upcoming tests. This is a small gesture on the teacher?s part, but it shows this misbehaving student that you actually care about them and it may help the student change their attitude. My career in teaching has been short but rewarding and I know that the ideas one uses for classroom management are ever evolving. The ideas and methods that I have used currently have been successful in creating a comfortable learning environment andit lets students know that their success is important to me. I think they also show to my students that I?m not a robot, but actually really and truly their teacher.