Going in LIke a Lion!

     When I first started teaching I heard two sayings that have stuck with me all these years.  They remain with me NOT because they are true...there is no truth in them.  They stay with me because I found the truth in spite of them.
     A veteran teacher once told me..."Go in like a lion, and out like a lamb."  It is an easy enough idiom to understand; begin the year as a hard-ass (So the kids know who is boss), an end it angelically (Then the kids love the boss).  This, I'm sure, is great in a fairy kingdom somewhere far-far away.  This is not to say that I believe a school year can't end in a magical way, because all of mine have.  It is just not 100% realistic.  It is actually 50% realistic.
     The first part..."Go in like a lion" (So the kids know who is boss) this is good.  I am a lion.  I was born in mid-August, I enjoy meat, and if I could I'd spend 23 hours a day sleeping or lounging I would.  I also...on occasion...have been known to roar.  The kids must see that you are confident in your domain (Like a lion), especially the first day.  The classroom is your territory!  Regally demonstrate confidence in your voice, your attitude, your demeanor...even in your walk.  This pretty crucial!  Ask any teacher...a ten year old can spot a pushover a mile away.
     Now...the un-truth part is the "Going out like a lamb" business.  You must remain a lion!  Have fun, cut jokes, belly-laugh with the kids, but remember when a lion needs to he/she can ROAR!  Buy the time the first few weeks are over, your kids will become your very own cubs (Now the kids love the boss).  Think of all the footage you may have seen of lions with their cubs...they look happy to me.
     Finally...the second saying.  I guess this was more of a statement than a saying.  A sage-like college professor said to me just before I graduated, and would venture forth into my teaching career..."Never get close to your students.  Always keep them at a distance."  I am not going to spend any time regaling you on how I feel about this ludicrous statement.  Suffice it to say...when you spend nine months, seven and a half hours a day, five days a week with your students...you will love them, you will protect them, you will cherish them.  By the way...the sage-like college professor I quoted earlier is on my list of The Most Idiotic People I Have Ever Met!