Like it or not, you are their leader.

Your students are many, you are but one. Learn to be more charismatic, and they will listen to you and not to each other.

Engaging them is more important than pummeling them with facts. With engagement comes an innate desire to learn independently. When a student’s mind is engaged, she will continue to learn even after she has left your classroom.

Be enthusiastic about the subject you teach! Set the right example! Never admit that you are bored or unmotivated because they will follow that example.

Every teacher is a public speaker and a public performer. You might not like it, but you need to get used to it.

Save your humility for the teacher’s lounge. In front of the kids, you are a star athlete, the absolute best at your game!

Control your own mind. Reflect, meditate, pray, whatever helps to calm you when you can spend time alone. This is important. If teacher’s mind is unruly, then students’ minds will be even worse.

Your classroom is your territory. Interactions with other adults outside of your classroom should not seep into it. Do not get angry or resentful toward adults and take it out on children. Your classroom should be a sanctuary dedicated to the subject you teach, not to making small children feel like they’ve done something wrong.

Avoid checking e-mail, texts, etc. while teaching unless it is an urgent situation. Not only can such things be inflammatory to your mood, but they are distractions.

Better to channel Superman than Batman. A teacher should be an inspirational figure, not a frightening one.

Be consistent with discipline. The same rules that you make in August should still be in effect in May.

Do not let your mood make penalties more or less severe than what they would normally be. This is much easier said than done.

Be as fair as possible with students. They are keenly aware of being treated differently than their classmates.

If you want monotony, go work in an office. If you don’t want to take your work home with you, go work in a warehouse. A successful teacher is adaptable to new situations and is always planning, even in his sleep.

All classroom management should be centered on compassion. Next comes consistency and keeping your word. If you say that there will be a consequence, you must enforce it.

Keep an open mind. You don’t know everything. Even though you are a teacher, you can still learn from your students.

Keep an open heart. They are not machines and neither are you. It won’t always be cut and dry. There will be days when they drive you nuts and there will be days when they cause you to smile. Work for the smile days.