Classroom management is possibly the most challenging aspect of teaching today. But you don't have to end up with a disaster on your hands! Join guest teacher Latrisha Lott as she shares 4 simple steps she's learned to help prevent classroom management disaster. Get notes & links at www.teach4theheart.com/disaster Join our free Back-to-School Classroom Management Solutions live training at www.teach4theheart.com/backtoschooltraining  _______________________________________________________   It can feel like you’re navigating a maze blindfolded while carrying a 100-pound backpack and getting hit with paintball pellets (Ouch!). I'm talking about classroom management - one the most challenging aspects of teaching today. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think my teaching program did a fair job of letting me know what I would be facing as a teacher. Textbooks and teacher preparation classes painted a picture of compliant, well-behaved students who couldn’t wait to learn. This may have been the experience of teachers 75 years ago, but it sure hasn’t been my experience or the experience of ANY teacher I know that is currently in the classroom. I think it is time we be honest. Now I am not saying you can't get your students to that place, but in my experience, a peaceful, focused on-task, classroom, filled with quality learning requires hard work and EXCELLENT classroom management that is applied with godly wisdom. Let’s face the facts. Society has changed. Students have changed. Parents have changed. uh, oh! Sadly, teachers don’t always have the trust and respect of those they serve, and as the morals and values of a society implode, public servants like teachers are often left to clean up the mess. It is not your imagination. A huge number of young people are more disrespectful and rebellious than ever before. Parents often want to excuse their kid's wrong-doing and blame you! Administrators are often pressured to avoid disciplining students, so they might place those pressures on you. The workload is heavier than ever. You're not alone in these observations. Teaching. Is. Hard. I have taught in a charter school, a private Christian school and a public school. I have taught primary and secondary school. I have taught students of millionaires and students that did not know if they would have dinner each night. The classroom management challenges have been very similar in each situation. But there is hope! If you are in the classroom now, you have a reason to believe that God has called you to be a teacher for such a time as this. Students need godly teachers more than ever (in Christian schools and public schools), and He has called YOU! You can be a better classroom manager. You can build more trust with students, parents, and administrators. You can touch and even transform lives. However, there are some pesky roadblocks you may encounter, and it takes wisdom to avoid crashing into them! The roadblocks are often both internal and external depending on your circumstances and environment, but being prepared for them will help your year run smoother and save you lots of time, energy and potential conflicts down the road. Here are 4 simple steps I learned the hard way that will help you avoid classroom management disaster!  4 Simple Steps to Prevent Classroom Management Disaster 1. Don’t let students manipulate you with their emotions. Have you had a student start bawling when you gave them a detention? Have you experienced a student’s explosive anger when they don’t get to go to recess? Ever have a student protest vehemently that they should have been the student of the week and that you always pick the same kids for everything—hurtfully accusing you of showing favoritism? When you give consequences or withhold rewards as a part of your classroom management plan, you will likely encounter pushback intended to cause you to feel guilty, second guess yourself or give in to the student’s demands. And this problem can be c