Meet them at the door

One of the best strategies for dealing with discipline problems in the classroom to prevent them in the first place. A great way to prevent problems is to invest in building appropriate relationships with your students. Be in the hallway between classes and before school. Sit down in the school cafeteria and eat lunch with your students from time to time. And, of course, meet them at the door. When they arrive for class, greet them with a smile. Talk to a student about something totally unrelated to your class that interests him or her. When a student has a problem, ask this question, "How can I help you?" Make the investment of your time up front and save the need to correct negative behaviors later.