Do's and don'ts for educators (from 1997)

I found what follows while going through some old file folders.  It was written in 1997, but with the exception of a few minor additions and changes, my thinking has not changed much in 16 years. I still remember writing this in a feverish pitch while thinking, if I didn't get this on paper it will be lost forever. The following is word for word from the original except that the conclusion is written at the beginning. 

"I wrote this list on Radisson hotel stationary while at a PTA convention in Fort Worth.  I am glad my list of do's is longer than my list of don'ts.  This list came from numerous workshops, books, and speakers, etc. that I've heard over the three years that I've been teaching.  What surprises me is that the list deals more with relationships with students than with teaching methodology.  This shouldn't surprise me, though, because I don't teach a subject, I teach kids."

Do's and Don'ts for Teachers

DO'S	DON'Ts
-Expect your students to: 1) Behave 2) Achieve 3) Treat each other with respect	- Try to be their buddy
-Teach your students to respect each other.	-Be disrespectful to your students.
	Hang out in the teacher lounge.
Treat your students as you would want to be treated. Model correct behavior. Say "please," "thank you," "Yes, Ma'am," "No, Sir."	Yell.
Greet students as they enter your room.	Talk derogatorily about any student to anyone including: - teachers - parents - administrators - other students (especially) (If Johnny has been running around the room, tell their parent, "Johnny has been running around the room." Don't say, "Johnny is a bad child. He is always running around the room."
Learn each student's name.
Call your students by their names.
Be their teacher instead of their friend. (You must be the responsible adult in the classroom)
Love them just as they are, not as you want them to be. (You may be the only person who shows that child love that day)	Sit at your desk between classes.
Tell them you love them. (You can say "I love you" nonverbally in the way you treat a child.)
Set limits and consequences for exceeding those limits.	Threaten! If you do, you had better be prepared to follow through.
Be consistent.
Think before you speak.
Remember that effective discipline is a form of love.
Develop a signal for getting the entire classes attention.
Remember that what you don't say (eye movements, gestures, posture, etc) is as or more important than what you do say.
Allow your students to make mistakes. This is how they learn.	Criticize when a student makes a mistake.
Set students up to succeed.	Knock them down when they don't succeed (especially when they've tried hard to please you.)
Encourage more than praise. (Too much or poorly given praise can sound false very quickly.)
Be yourself. Be as transparent as you can. (Kids know when you are putting on a show.)
Develop procedures for most routine tasks.
Practice procedures until they become second nature.	Expect kids to learn procedures in one day.
Teach procedures to your students. (You can stand in front of the class with your hand raised all day, but if kids don't know what that means, you are only getting a sore arm.)
Teach the skills necessary to complete a task successfully.	Assume your students have the skills necessary to be successful. Review the skills and find out.
Attend student special events such as sports games, concerts, dances, academic games and awards, etc. (Kids may not acknowledge it, but they know you are there.)
Develop positive relationships with your students. Talk with them one-on-one when appropriate.
Listen! Listen! Listen! When a child talks to you, give them your complete attention.
Give kids a chance to tell their side of the story before you pass judgement. (Often, students know they are wrong, but they want to tell you why they did what they did. Listen to them.)
Do what you say you are going to do.
Be prepared for each day.
Set daily routines and follow them.