1. Stay personally engaged in the class the entire time (be on top of your game)
2. Nurture a culture of encouragement
3. Compliment, compliment, compliment
4. Be prepared (students, especially middle school students, smell fear)
5. Have a backup plan
6. Have a backup plan for the backup plan
7. Choose your words mindfully
8. Create a sense of urgency — I have created the habit of beginning every class by telling my students, “Get set up quickly, we have a lot of work to do today”
9. Keep the students engaged for as much of the class time as possible
10. Be aware of what’s going on in the classroom; often misbehaviors will have early warning signs
11. Don’t take yourself too seriously
12. Have fun
13. Avoid stress
14. Avoid burnout
15. Read the comments below
