Am I King or Am I a Citizen? That is the question....

Classroom management starts with how I perceive my students. Will I see them as individuals? Or will I see them as just a group of kids? I choose the former. I want to see each individual and know each individual. That being said, each individual will be held to a standard that they must meet. If they don’t, they will be individually held to account.
Consistency is key. I am a structuralist and a person of routine, I want to set up the game and let the students play by the rules and learn that when they choose to challenge those rules, they will suffer consequences for their action.
I do not feel as if I am king of any class that I walk into. I want to provide an environment where I am a leader. Being a good leader does not mean walking alone with everyone in lock step behind. Being a good leader means listening to the group in which you lead, and making the best decision based on that collaborative information.
I think of my classroom as a laboratory, we are there to tinker, experiment, toy with, think, and play. In order for this to be accomplished, we must adhere to a basic set of guidelines. I feel as though these guidelines are long instilled in humans at the point of high school. We all know how to treat one and other with respect. From time to time we must be reminded of what respect means and what disrespect means, but as long as that is done every time someone missteps, and everyone is held accountable for their actions, we should have a very pleasant classroom experience.