Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/712197
K indergarten teacher Michelle Cher- land, a 2016 California Teacher of the Year, remembers corralling a runaway kindergartner who wanted to go see his mother. When she patiently explained to him he would see his mom once school was over in three hours, the 5-year-old informed her, "I don't like the way you are running things, and I need to speak with your manager!" Upon learning from Cherland that her manager was none other than the principal, the tot just looked at her, steely-eyed, and said, "I'll wait." Cherland might have been laughing inside at the stu- dent's antics, but she resolved the issue through respect and redirection. When it comes to classroom manage- ment, the U.S. Army Reserve captain has learned that the same practices she brought to her soldiers work in the classroom as well. Aside from keeping her students (and her soldiers) 100 percent engaged, the Desert Sands Teachers Association member says, it's all about respect. " Th e y d o n' t j u st n e e d t o re sp e c t m e ," sh e s ay s . " I n e e d t o re sp e c t t h e m . It 's m e l e a r n i n g h o w t o r e s p e c t k i d s f r o m s o m a n y d i f f e r e n t a r e a s a n d backgrounds. If they don't feel respected, you are at a loss from the beginning." In f a c t , i n i n t e r v i e w s w i t h su c c e ssf u l t e a c h e r s an d edu cation e xp er t s, re sp e ct an d rel ation ships b oth em erged as mo d ern ke y s to cl assro om man- a gem ent , w hi ch i s n o lon ger an entirely s e p arat e aspect of teaching. "Classroom management used to be about keeping control and keeping kids in line," says Mark Acker, pres- ident of the Palm Springs Teachers Association (PSTA), which offers trainings in classroom management to its members. "Now the big takeaway is relationships. e message coming through in classroom management Today's approach calls for high-level student-teacher interaction and a learning- centered approach By DINA MARTIN and Relationships S P E C I A L R E P O R T : C L A S S R O O M M A N A G E M E N T Respect 28 cta.org F E A T U R E