It completely hit home when I read the first paragraph of chapter nine. I am realizing now that during all my studies at Finlandia, I never really learned how to be teacher. We jump into this unknown world without any knowledge of grading, discipline, or other issues teachers deal with on a daily basis. Maybe it's because there is no right answer, but I don't understand why there is so little education on classroom management. Without it, it's impossible to teach and this is what burns out teachers.
A quote that really grabbed my attention was " Control is like love. The more you give away, the more you get in return." In the beginning of teaching, you feel like you need control over your students, but in actuality, you realy just want their cooperation. And I think the students can sense the difference.
I really like the idea of giving choices. I know it has many benefits, but I am still struggling with how I can fit them in every day. I can see this working really well with my class who is used to constantly hearing what they must do. Clearly their behaviors and work value show that this is having a strong negative effect on them. But so many lessons just seem cut and dry.
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That is one of my favorite quotes too. I'm glad that you are getting this classroom management training before you get your own classroom. I had to do it the hard way--I almost quit that first year.
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