ABSTRACT
Teaching, to some degree, is an autocratic structure. Each teacher is king or queen of his or her classroom, and as monarchs they are allowed to establish their own sets of rules. They expect their subjects to follow their laws lest they be punished-hopefully not by beheading but by time-outs and referral slips. There is also, however, a system of checks and balances in teaching. Educators must follow the state and local curricula, they must use assigned textbooks, and they cannot deviate too far from the administration's expectations and policies without recourse.
