Tips and Tricks to Try

With many years of classroom teaching experience under my belt, 15 years of parenting, and 7 years of serving as a Children’s Pastor, I have learned a few tips you also might find helpful.  This is my list of tips and tricks for approaching discipline/classroom management.  Good luck! 
Shannon 
Top 10 Tips and Tricks
1.Never let them see you sweat--EVER!  Appear to be in control, even if you are not!
2.Be prepared and organized, yet flexible!  You need to expect the unexpected because with children if it can happen, it will happen! Never lose sight of the fact that you are the adult in the room!
3.Never yell!  Speak authoritatively in a deep, calm tone, but never shriek, scream, squeal, or lose it!  They will have won, and you will be the one to appear out of control! J
4.Be creative!  Have fun with teaching and guiding, and children will have fun with learning!
5.Parents are your best allies!  If you are a teacher, win them over right off the bat!  Persuade them that you also want the best for their child!  If you are a parent, enlist the help of another parent whom you trust and admire!
6.You are as much an actor as you are a teacher/parent.  Just dispensing information is not enough.  Be animated, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and innovative!
7.Except respect!  I try to create a safe, secure learning environment for all of my students.  I will respect them, they will respect me, and they will respect each other!  
8.Use redirection as a chance to improve vocabulary.  Big words sound so impressive and intimidating anyway! J  I do not hesitate to use words like inappropriate, intractable, loquacious, etc. in my redirects.
9.Always debrief after a redirection.  This gives children the opportunity to talk about better decision-making in the future, and it brings closure to the incident.
10.Be positive, be positive, be positive!!!!  Attitudes are contagious!  Positivity goes a long away in creating a safe, supportive, optimistic environment!

For more classroom ideas and suggestions, I do have several themed resources available in my TpT store.  The link below will direct you to one of them.  Hope these have been helpful to you!  Shannon