^{Kindness is having the ability to speak with love, listen with patience, and act with compassion.}

• ^{In the situation where a student is struggling with a particular concept and cannot quite grasp an understanding of the material at hand, it’s important to remain calm and not be afraid to slow down and work with the student. First pinpoint which parts are the most confusing and then have the flexibility to adjust the lesson accordingly. Especially in mathematics, students can become easily frustrated or overwhelmed; the teacher plays an important role in maintaining a composed and patient attitude to ease the student’s anxiety and help them realize that the problem at hand is not as impossible as it seems.} 
• ^{From a non-academic perspective, given a situation in which a student is lashing out or behaving in a manner that clashes with classroom expectations and guidelines, it is important to keep patience at the forefront of the teacher's actions. Rising to a student with anger or frustration is often adding fuel to the fire and can have damaging consequences for the student. While it can be difficult to remain calm, it’s necessary to not take things personally. It is up to the teacher to handle a situation with patience and persistence.} 

• ^{Often when I think of having compassion, I think of being understanding. This goes hand in hand with knowing who your students are; where they come from, their interests and anxieties, the obstacles they may face in and outside of school. Trying to see the world from the perspective of the young people you are teaching and recognize they might not have the same experiences and capabilities as you; and recognizing that that is okay. This can allow you to know when to be lenient, but also to know when to be firm.} 

• ^{I want to be open minded and humble with my students, know that I have as much to learn from them as they do from me.  Furthermore, students have plenty to learn from one another.}
• ^{Teaching is a two way street; students come with their own knowledge and experiences that will affect how they approach the lesson. In other words, students are not empty vessels waiting to be filled with knowledge.}

• ^{Students are not good or bad, smart or dumb; this mindset can be incredibly damaging to the student by setting them on a fixed path with no room for improvement or change. In other words, this perspective completely ignores the concept of a growth mindset as well as a growth environment.}
• ^{There are always explanations and reasons behind the way students think and behave. It's important to view your students as complicated and detailed people, with strengths and weaknesses that can change and fluctuate.} 
• ^{Always encourage your students to try their best and believe in their abilities to do better.} 

• ^{Math may seem difficult and impossible at times, but all students have the ability to understand math.} 
• ^{Some students may understand quickly, others may take time; regardless, they all have the ability to do well. Again, this is where the idea of a growth mindset comes into play.}
• ^{Math is something that is creative and artistic; it is not just plugging values into equations and impossible ideas. It is inherently human and has the chance to be fun if taught in the right way.}

• Being respectful. No bullying of any kind will be tolerated in the classroom environment. I want to establish a considerate environment where students remain respectful both to me and to their peers. Moreover, I want to prove that I in turn will respect my students. 
  • Practices include directly calling students by their preferred names, requiring them to know the names of their classmates, getting to know the students as individuals, and letting them get to know me as a teacher. 
• Encouraging students to ask for help, promoting the idea that mistakes are a necessary step in the learning process. I want to students to be able to come to me for help as well as go to each other. Students should help each other when they can. I want to push the idea that the class is a team!
  • At the beginning of the year and as the weeks go on, I want to establish regular check ins to see how students are feeling about math and how they are feeling about the specific units and lessons. 
• Expecting students to be punctual and organized. Arrive to class on time, focus on the lesson and the task at hand, keep track of assignments and notes. If they have any issues regarding being on time or keeping up, they should speak to me.
• Making the students understand that this classroom is a space for learning and for productivity. They should stay on task and limit any kind of unnecessary disruptions or distractions. 
• Offering clear ways for students and their families to contact me as well as times when I'm most likely to respond. Alongside this, I want to set aside times for students to come in and ask for help, whether it be during lunch or after school. Again, I just want to make myself available to students. 
• Make clear what the procedures and consequences are if a student does not follow classroom expectations.
  • In case of inappropriate behavior, having a specific plan of action will hopefully make things run more smoothly.
  • Work with the school's general procedure.
  • As stated in the Kellough & Kellough reading, addressing inappropriate behavior directly and immediately is very important. 
  • As my own personal approach, I want to avoid the usual punishment route. I would rather focus more on why the behavior is happening and how we can work with the student to find a solution.