Too often we give too many instructions or say things that send the wrong message. Instead of saying "who is talking in my line" remind and model the behavior appropriately.
Be direct. Put your eyes on me, your backs on the chair, and your feet on the floor! No we are ready to learn.

If you walk into your room and see a bunch of troublemakers, then that is what you will get. If you see and treat them like future lawyers, engineers and doctors that is what they will become.

Pick your battles. Pencils get lost, chairs fall over, keep focused and don't let the small battles stop you from reaching your goals!

Lightning story Shannon and trip story

Don't give up
people said my kids would never talk, write, take care of themselves, I believe we could do better.

My school went from d to b because I had faith and didn't give up

Testing, poverty, apathy...
Don't worry about what you are up against. Remember it only took one person to blow up the Death Star. It only takes one adult who believes to change the life of a student.

This is 2014, you have to be willing to learn, unlearn and learn new methods again and again. What works for kids one year may not work the next. Always be learning.

Two kids w autism and then came MKP ...

Laugh. Do at least one thing each day that will make kids laugh. I would rather them laugh with me than be laughing at someone else.

Never give up on a student. Even if they break your pencil sharpener or freeze your friend in carbonite. There is still good in them.

Some of the best teaching ideas I have had came from... Other teachers. Thanks to twitter and other methods of sharing we can grow and become greater than we are. Always keep sharing. Share what works and share what doesn't work.