First, let me say that administration in that school was
EXTREMELY proactive - they had to be, since our students came
from 12 different schools and some had committed some extremely
serious situations and even some crimes. A significant portion
were court ordered. ALL staff members wore walkie talkies, and
students were never, ever allowed to be alone. Yes, that
included in a bathroom.

I came into that school having been released from my previous
job for inability to manage the students. I was told when
hired for the new position to "get smart on classroom
management", and after spending a whole summer reading and
watching everything possible, I chose the Wong system. The
superintendent knew about it and convinced the principal to let
me try it.

I had 5 policies; unfortunately the exact wording may be
slipping, but here's the gist:
1) Try everything Mrs. T asks of you (even if you don't want
to, don't feel like doing it, have done it before, can't do it,
or are mad at Mrs. T and the world)
2) Make sure Mrs. T can see your wonderful, intelligent face at
all times
3) Get permission first, 2nd, 3rd and all times, so Mrs. T can
thank you for such great manners and save you from consequences
4) Stay in your cubicle, and that includes ALL parts of your
body (this was a school rule and was to prevent rival gangs
from rioting or students from starting fights)
5) If someone knocks, please pay attention (knock on the door,
knock on wood, knock on desk - look to the teacher and be
silent) - this was another safety issue and also a polite way
to gather the students' attention.

Added to this, 3 more things:
Mastery is 85% - anything less isn't learning. 100% of the
class, 100% of units, 85% and above.
Our most important objective is learning and practicing to be a
responsible adult. Everything we do is directed toward that goal.
Respect includes telling the truth. Mrs. T is going to tell
the truth as she sees it, and she appreciates the truth from
her students.

It worked for me. I normally had very, very few incidents in
my classes, and my students generally did the work without
problems. Many of them out performed their peers in their home
schools (especially on standardized tests).

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