Good post. My first year teaching, I had a veteran teacher tell me something that has stuck with me every since. He said, "They don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care."

Building a rapport with my students was my number 1 classroom management strategy. Once I earned their trust by being fair, honest, but also firm, I'd have a group of 30 students so willing to cooperate it was scary sometimes. And it was always give 'n take. I'd always present it in a way, "If you make my job easier (ie. by listening, taking notes, doing homework, etc.), I could make your jobs easier (ease up on amount of homework, positive behavior interventions, aka you can listen to your music while interdependently working, eat snacks in class, etc.)".

I had to give up some control and power, to gain control and power.