Student Teacher Question: What are suggestions to improve classroom discipline and management?

Great question and a pertinent issue to student teachers and classroom teachers, in general.  Here’s my attempt to answering this question, but would love to hear from our global community additional suggestions/tips/advice.

I’ve seen many teachers struggle with classroom management, and I’ve mentored numerous teachers through it.  The most important aspect about classroom management is to do what you are comfortable with.  Trying to fit into someone else’s mode will lead to disaster.  That’s not to say that you cannot learn and steal ideas from others;  I encourage this.  But, in the end, it’s mediated through your personal approach to classroom management.  In short, let your classroom management reflect who you are.  Second, develop authentic relationship with the students.  Take some easy steps: send positive notes home, call home, or greet each student as they enter the classroom (shaking their hand and telling them how excited you are to see them).  Caution – it should be authentic.  Students will see through baloney or efforts that signal that you are trying to hard.  Next, deliver high quality instruction and rigorous content.  This may seem cliché, but in all my years of teaching and mentoring struggling teachers it works.  Students gain respect for you as a teacher when they see/feel they are learning a great deal and are so busy with the learning they don’t act out (most of the time).   Finally, be consistent in what you say and do.  Students will note inconsistencies and exploit them.  Be consistent.