ABSTRACT
Establishing good relationships with students is crucial to successful classroom management; however, it is not your responsibility to be a friend to students. Your relationship with all students must be professional. You can be friendly without being a best buddy. Show you care, listen, and give advice, but remain the professional adult. You can be personable and communicate that you care, but you must draw a line of demarcation between you as teacher and the students. Don’t undermine your ability to exert authority. Once you cross the line, it’s extremely difficult to step back to the other side.
