How Teachers Can Balance Friendliness With Firmness | Edutopia

By setting clear expectations for behaviour early on, teachers can have fun with their students without losing control of their classrooms.

In my two decades plus of teaching middle school students, I have found that setting the tone on the first day of school helps students respect the boundaries of your friendliness. As recommended in the classic book for teachers The First Days of School by Harry K Wong and Rosemary T Wong, I greet all students at the door. I greet them with a welcoming smile and a handshake (in nonpandemic times). After I verify on my roster that they are in the right location, I ask them to find their assigned seat and start independently on an introduction task.

Read the article by Crystal Frommert here: How Teachers Can Balance Friendliness With Firmness | Edutopia

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