I believe that having a simple human connection with each of my students is an integral part of classroom teaching.  It’s sort of my “Golden Rule” of classroom management. The second rule, is “prepare students for adult-life beyond high school (or college)” - i.e. learning new skills on the job, and exhibiting appropriate social behavior in any work environment.  When I first started teaching, I thought “modeling” these qualities was enough. It’s not. Those days when the worst thing going on in school was "gum chewing" or "running in the halls" are gone. The unfortunate truth is that not all students understand what appropriate social behavior is OR the importance of retaining new skills.

So why aren’t our students ready to learn?  Maybe they have “drama” going on at home or on Facebook. Maybe they had Mountain Dew and GMO potato chips for breakfast and literally can’t sit still in class. Maybe there aren't enough chairs for all the students in your class! Maybe they just don’t like word problems.  Maybe the "why" doesn't really matter.  We all love to put the blame on someone else.  Administrators blame teachers.  Teachers blame Parents.  Parents blame Teachers.  The cycle goes on and on. The truth is, assigning blame does not resolve the situation or do anything for our students' success (and therefore ours). 

There’s not much we can do from 4:00 PM until 8:00 AM, but there is a lot we can do from 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM.  I am dedicated to helping educators and their students be successful - through motivation, inspiration, humor - and as many proven, practical strategies as I can.  Click here to learn more about the training services I offer.