



Eye On Education has just published a new collection of Annette Breaux's poems, 101 Poems for Teachers. The book is illustrated by L. Susan Brandt. Read below for a poem and strategy about effective classroom management.
Who’s in Charge?
She was a classroom teacher, and she didn’t use much prudence
She tried to fit in by acting and by dressing like her students
When asked just why she did this, she said, “They’ll think I’m cool”
And so they did, but not one kid respected her at school
And she couldn’t understand just what could have gone awry
They liked her but didn’t respect her. Each day, big tears she’d cry
No learning in her classroom, just foolishness all day long
She tried to undo the mess she’d wrought, the tangle of things gone wrong
It changed the day that she stopped adding “injury” to “insult”
The day she finally realized that she was the adult
And from that day she donned a most professional attire
She set clear rules and procedures—her classroom hummed like a choir
Her enthusiasm was contagious and her students were infected
And she became one of the rare ones that every child loved and respected.
(from the new book by Annette Breaux, 101 Poems for Teachers)

The secrets of effective classroom management. Remarkably, through observation, it was found that the most effective teachers’ classrooms all looked uncannily similar. And, of course, the same can be said for the less effective teachers—their classrooms all looked uncannily similar. Let’s take a look inside the less effective teachers’ classrooms first. Here is what they all had in common:
This list could go on and on, but the point is clear. So now for the good news. Here’s what was found in the classrooms of the most effective teachers: (The list below is the exact opposite of the list above.)
So it’s really quite simple. You now have a blueprint for what an effective teacher’s classroom looks like. Make your room look like the classrooms of the most effective teachers and see what happens. Go ahead. You can do this.
(from Seven Simple Secrets: What the Best Teachers Know and Do by Annette Breaux and Todd Whitaker)
Browse books and audio CDs from Annette Breaux.
Image: © Eye On Education, Illustration by L. Susan Brandt




and administrators improve professional development drastically. But are teachers and school administrators open to webinars as professional development tools?


Upcoming Engagements
Franklin presents at a variety of schools and conferences around the country. Click here to view Franklin's upcoming engagements on his Web site. This page includes the dates, times, and descriptions of each event. You can also check this page for TV and media appearances.
Want to see Franklin in action? He will be speaking at the National Youth-at-Risk Conference in Savannah, Georgia on March 3rd. Click here to find out more information about the conference.
Browse books by Franklin Schargel.
If you want to have Franklin speak in your school/district or conference on dropout prevention and at-risk students, call him at (505) 823-2339.