Mistakes That Matter: What Great Teachers Don’t Do

Every teacher develops their own approach to classroom management, but some missteps consistently lead to more harm than good - especially when dealing with disruptive behavior. Reactive responses can quickly escalate situations, damage trust with students, or spark concerns from families. To shed light on what to avoid, we spoke with experienced educators who shared classroom management mistakes they’ve made - and the lessons they’ve learned. In this blog, we’ve compiled their insights into ten key points to help others navigate these challenges with greater confidence and clarity.

Classroom Management Actions to Avoid

1. Publicly Shaming or Calling Out a Student

Mistake: Correcting or reprimanding the student in front of the entire class with sarcasm, frustration, or embarrassment.
Why they avoid it: Public correction can humiliate students, damage the teacher-student relationship, and provoke defiance or shut-down. It also often leads to parent complaints about emotional harm or singling out their child.
Instead: Use discreet, respectful redirection (like proximity or a private cue) and speak privately whenever possible.

2. Engaging in Power Struggles Mid-Lesson

Mistake: Arguing back and forth with the student during the lesson in front of peers.
Why they avoid it: Power struggles escalate behavior, disrupt learning, and often embarrass both student and teacher. Plus, they rarely result in cooperation.
Instead: Stay calm, redirect briefly, and plan to talk privately afterward when emotions have settled.

3. Inconsistent or Unclear Expectations

Mistake: Reacting to behavior differently from day to day, or not explicitly teaching classroom expectations.
Why they avoid it: Inconsistency confuses students and creates a sense of unfairness - which students will report to parents.
Instead: Teach, review, and reinforce expectations consistently with visual cues, modeling, and routines.

4. Using Whole-Class Consequences for One Student

Mistake: Punishing the entire class (e.g., missing recess, losing a privilege) because of one student’s behavior.
Why they avoid it: This damages classroom morale, punishes innocent students, and creates resentment among peers toward the disruptive student. Parents often call to complain about fairness.
Instead: Address the issue individually and never make students feel collectively responsible for one person’s behavior.

5. Failing to Involve the Student in Problem-Solving

Mistake: Imposing top-down consequences without helping the student reflect or repair.
Why they avoid it: It misses the chance to build accountability and often results in repeat behavior. Parents may feel their child is being punished without understanding or support.
Instead: Use restorative conversations and involve students in fixing the problem and setting next steps.

6. Using Emotionally Charged Language

Mistake: Saying things like “You always do this!” or “I’m sick of this behavior!” in the heat of the moment.
Why they avoid it: Emotional outbursts from teachers shift the focus away from the behavior and onto the adult’s reaction, often making the child feel targeted or unsafe. Parents may hear only the tone - not the context.
Instead: Use calm, neutral, factual language like, “This behavior is stopping others from learning. Let’s take a moment to reset.”

7. Ignoring Underlying Causes of the Behavior

Mistake: Treating all misbehavior as defiance without investigating root causes like anxiety, sensory needs, trauma, or academic frustration.
Why they avoid it: Misreading the behavior can lead to inappropriate consequences and missed opportunities to support the student. Parents often respond with, “If you knew him, you’d understand why that happened.”
Instead: Observe patterns, involve support staff, and consider the “why” behind the behavior - not just the “what.”

8. Using Work as Punishment

Mistake: Assigning extra academic work or removing preferred learning activities (like art or gym) as a consequence.
Why they avoid it: This connects learning to punishment, which can damage a child’s relationship with school. Parents rightfully question, “Why was my child kept from something engaging because of a behavior issue?”
Instead: Protect access to learning and use logical consequences that are connected, respectful, and restorative.

9. Failing to Communicate Positively with Families

Mistake: Only contacting parents when there’s a problem - usually by email or with a negative tone.
Why they avoid it: When the only messages home are negative, parents become defensive and feel alienated. This often leads to complaints or pushback.
Instead: Aim for 3:1 positive-to-corrective communication, and always approach concerns with curiosity, not blame: “I’d love to partner with you to support James’ focus during math.”

10. Over-Relying on the Principal or Office Referrals

Mistake: Sending a student to the office for routine classroom behaviors or calling for admin backup too quickly.
Why they avoid it: This removes the opportunity to build classroom accountability, and it may result in inconsistent consequences - or none at all. It also signals to parents that the teacher can’t manage their child.
Instead: Manage what you can in the room, use tiered interventions, and involve admin strategically for serious or ongoing issues.

These mistakes are easy to fall into - especially on tough days. But avoiding them builds a classroom culture rooted in respect, trust, and professional integrity, which keeps students learning, parents supportive, and you in control.

In the fast-paced world of teaching, it’s easy to fall into habits that seem efficient in the moment but have unintended consequences over time. By recognizing and avoiding these common pitfalls, teachers can strengthen classroom relationships, maintain a positive learning atmosphere, and build trust with families. Effective classroom management is not about rigid control, but about intentional decisions that foster safety, responsibility, and mutual respect. When teachers lead with professionalism and empathy, they create classrooms where all students - and adults - can thrive.