3 Things Teachers Need to STOP Doing Immediately (If You Want Better Classroom Management & Less Burnout)
Sep 07, 2025
Teach Like a TopTEN™
3 Things Teachers Need to Stop Doing Immediately
If you're working harder than your students, start here.
For years, I thought becoming a better teacher meant working harder.
Better lesson plans.
Better organization.
Better classroom management.
More time.
More effort.
More of me.
And if I'm being honest, I spent years carrying way too much of the classroom myself.
I answered every question.
I solved every problem.
I reminded students of everything.
I worked harder than the people I was teaching.
What finally changed wasn't another strategy.
It was realizing I was focused on the wrong things.
Strong classrooms aren't built by doing more.
They're built by focusing on what matters most.
That's why these are the three things I would stop doing immediately if I wanted a stronger classroom, more student ownership, and fewer frustrations throughout the day.
None of them require more work.
But all of them can change how your classroom runs.
1. Stop Calling Your Students “Friends”
I know.
It sounds kind.
It sounds welcoming.
It sounds like the right thing to say.
But after more than 20 years in education, here's what I've learned:
The words we use shape what students believe about themselves.
And sometimes the smallest language habits have the biggest impact.
Calling students “friends” may feel harmless, but it can unintentionally lower expectations.
Here's why:
- It blurs the line between teacher and peer.
- It weakens academic identity.
- It misses an opportunity to reinforce purpose.
Your classroom isn't a social club.
It's a community built on Student Voice, Relationships, and High Expectations.
Instead of “friends,” try language that builds identity:
- “Writers, take out your notebooks.”
- “Mathematicians, what do you notice?”
- “Scientists, let's start the investigation.”
- “Scholars, level up that response.”
Those words do more than get attention.
They communicate:
“You belong here. What we do here matters. And you're capable of doing hard things.”
That's the power of teacher language.
It doesn't just direct behavior.
It shapes identity.
And identity influences how students participate, contribute, and show up every day.
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2. Stop Doing All the Thinking
This one might sting a little.
Because most teachers don't even realize they're doing it.
Answering every question.
Solving every problem.
Reminding students of everything.
Working harder than the people they're teaching.
I know because I used to do it too.
I thought I was being helpful.
What I was actually doing was creating dependence.
If students need you for everything, they never learn to think for themselves.
Try this instead:
- Ask students what they think before giving them the answer.
- Use partner discussion before whole-group discussion.
- Build opportunities for students to solve problems together.
- Create leadership roles that require decision-making.
- Use “Ask Three Before Me” whenever it makes sense.
The goal isn't to make students dependent on you.
The goal is to help students become confident without you.
That's where ownership begins.
3. Stop Trying to Fix Behavior
This may be the most important one.
Most teachers spend the year trying to fix behavior.
The talking.
The blurting.
The lack of responsibility.
The off-task behavior.
But behavior is usually the result of something deeper.
The real questions are:
What are students experiencing every day?
What are they practicing every day?
What are they responsible for every day?
Students support what they help create.
When students have opportunities to:
- Lead
- Contribute
- Make decisions
- Solve problems
- Reflect on how the classroom is running
Everything begins to change.
Not overnight.
But consistently.
Because students stop feeling like passengers.
They become participants.
And that's when classroom culture starts making behavior management easier.
Instead of asking:
“How do I stop the behavior?”
Start asking:
“How can I build more ownership?”
Most classroom problems aren't student problems. They're ownership problems.
TEACH LIKE A TOPTEN™
Keep Building the Classroom You Actually Want to Teach In
Strong classroom culture is not built from random activities. It is built through the routines, expectations, language, relationships, and student ownership students experience again and again.
Instead of asking,
“What activity can I do?”
Start asking,
“What experience can I create for my students?”
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Keep Reading
Want to keep building culture first? Here are a few teacher favorites for routines, classroom community, student ownership, and stronger classroom structures.
01 The One Ritual That Transformed My Classroom Culture
02 How One 15-Minute Weekly Habit Transforms Classroom Behavior and Classroom Culture
03 Classroom Organization That Builds Community, Not Just a Pretty Room
ABOUT SARAH
This Is Not Another Classroom Management Quick Fix
I’m Sarah Legault, founder of the Teachers Empowerment Network, instructional coach, and former classroom teacher with more than 20 years of experience helping teachers build stronger classrooms.
My work is built on one belief:
Culture first. Behavior second.
That does not mean behavior does not matter. It means behavior makes more sense when the classroom culture, routines, expectations, relationships, and student ownership are intentionally built first.
I do not help teachers collect more random tips. I help teachers build practical, culture-first frameworks they can actually use — frameworks that make the small moments of teaching stronger: how students enter, talk, transition, participate, reflect, take ownership, and contribute to the classroom community.
My work is rooted in three core pillars: High Expectations, Student Voice, and Relationships. When those pillars are built intentionally, classroom management becomes less about chasing behavior and more about building the conditions where students can learn, participate, and grow.
Real Talk. Real Tools. Real Results.
If you are tired of piecing together random ideas and hoping they work, you are in the right place.
Build the classroom you actually WANT to teach in.
Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share classroom tools and self-care products I’ve personally used or genuinely believe support effective teaching and teacher well-being. Thank you for supporting the Teachers Empowerment Network, also known as the Top TEN Teachers Network.
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