Our Beliefs

I am posting the basic beliefs we hold in classroom management. These will be expounded upon in future postings.

Belief #1: Times have changed.
Belief #2: Teachers are doing an incredible job.
Belief #3: "Kids don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."
Belief #4: Good discipline is a matter of good timing.
Belief #5: Conflict is an essential part of growing up.
Belief #6: Parenting affects behavior.
Belief #7: We cannot use poor parenting as an excuse for not teaching.
Belief #8: Problem behavior can entrap us.
Belief #9: Curriculum comes first, but discipline does, too!
Belief #10: Self-esteem matters.
Belief #11: Students do not necessarily know how to behave.
Belief #12: Classroom rules and routines need to be systematically taught.
Belief #13: Teaching succeeds where punishment fails.
Belief #14: We need an effective consequence for low-level misbehavior.
Belief #15: Effective discipline strategies, properly taught, teach responsible behavior.
Belief #16: We can make a difference to every child.

Teachers have amazing power for good in the lives of children. We need to trust our own powers, to hone our already considerable skills, to give proven methods a chance, and to trust in our own abilities to teach and our students' abilities to learn. In the realm of discipline as well as in the realm of academics, truly it is Time To Teach!