Jung, L., & Smith, D. (2018, September). Classroom Management Reimagined Pages 12-18 Issue Table of Contents | Read Article Abstract Tear Down Your Behavior Chart!

Not trained as a teacher, I had no “rules” to follow when I signed on to teach high school at the end of the first grading term in a rural, K–12 school. Lacking a prescription for teaching, I relied on instinct and a jumble of memories from my own schooling. I had a lot to learn. What I now understand about what we call classroom management comes from decades of teaching and observing others in that role. It is also largely a gift from my students, who let me know in various ways when I was out of sync with them, and who responded with visible growth when the classroom was on course. I am not a fan of “management systems” with their rules, point systems, hash marks, punishments, and perks. There are far more productive uses of classroom time and energy.