This was supposed to be posted 2 weeks ago... Week 2...

...but i was to consumed with putting the fishys on my blog.  Why, I am not sure.  Anyhoo, getting back to real life, do I have a set of rules in my classroom.  The answer is Yes!  Whether they are followed is a different story.  I would love to say that all of my students are little angels; courteous, respectful to those around them, and always on task.  Ha!  Who am I kidding?  They are kids!  They have it running through their veins to break the rules and push the limits.  I can deal with this to a certain extent, but I do draw the line at RESPECT.  That is the ultimate rule in my classroom.  Students were given a conduct contract at the beginning of the semester that they and their guardians were to sign.  The rules are also posted to ensure daily absorption of the expectations.  However, if I could go back in time I would have had my students write the contract!  A sense of accountability would come with actually scripting the contract, furthering their responsibility to adhere to its conditions.  I have thought about doing this now, mid-semester, but as a new teacher I feel like I just need to stick out what I have started in order to support consistency.  Is this naive of me?  Should I switch it up on them?  MOST students do not have a problem behaving appropriately in class, but I worry that I am losing those that do not.  And though they are in high school and really have no reason not to know how to behave and what is expected of them, in some cases my heart goes out to those who do not.  For whatever reason, some students just do not know.  Who really does not know and who is just paying me?  There in lies my problems with authority.  I am still struggling with establishing proper discipline without "feeling bad" about it.