I get thousands of questions about classroom management, and let me be the first to tell you, my classroom is NOT perfect. Far from it. 😂 October has been ROUGH. I don’t know what’s in the air, what’s in the snacks, or if my students are just getting a little too comfortable, but WHEW. Some days I feel like we’re back on the first day of school, practicing how to line up all over again. But one thing about me? I will ALWAYS stand firm on my expectations. I am extremely clear with my directions. I model, we practice, I model again, and we practice again. And guess what? We are not moving on until 100% of my students understand what is expected. Even if that means stopping everything and starting over. My students know what a good choice looks like. They also know that when they choose not to meet an expectation, there is a consequence. And the biggest thing? I FOLLOW THROUGH. I communicate with families, I hold students accountable, and I am so thankful to have administration that supports me in doing so. And listen, I love my babies DOWN. I celebrate them, I create special moments for them, I laugh with them, and I pour so much love into them. But loving your students also means holding them accountable. You can be a warm teacher and still be a firm teacher. Those two things can absolutely coexist. One thing I’ve learned throughout my years in education is that your job is not to be the coolest teacher or the most liked teacher. Your job is to help build good humans. Humans who are respectful, responsible, kind, and understand that their choices have an impact. And does that mean my classroom runs perfectly every single day? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Some days I go home EXHAUSTED. But I refuse to lower my expectations simply because the day is difficult. So if I could give teachers one piece of classroom management advice, it would be this: Say what you mean and mean what you say. Be consistent. Be clear. Be loving. Be firm. And most importantly, follow through. Because classroom management isn’t about controlling children. It’s about teaching them the skills, boundaries, and responsibility they need to be successful beyond your classroom. And to every teacher surviving October, I SEE YOU. We are doing some HARD work. ❤️ #TeacherTok #ClassroomManagement #TeacherTips #TeachersOfTikTok #ElementaryTeacher - @.carolgiselle