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When aiming for equity in the classroom, there is a nonnegotiable premise: Knowing your students! In today's U.S. schools, a large subgroup of students needed to be known and understood, are English Language Learners (ELLs). ELLs are the fastest-growing segment of the student population in American schools, growing 60% in the last decade, as compared with 7% growth of the general student population (Grantmakers for Education, 2013). Although they present a very diverse array of strengths, needs and challenges, teachers are often mislead to focus solely on the language descriptors of the English Language Proficiency (ELP) Level students are classified in by their State's Language assessment. While states across the country have adopted different proficiency tests, they all share a common framework for the levels and language descriptors, ranging from Level 1 with limited or no understanding of English, up to Level 5, which identifies students showing fluent understanding and communication in the English Language.

The cornerstone of teaching, is not just the ability to teach, but foremost, the ability to manage a class effectively so one can teach! A class that is not managed well, is not favorable for teaching and consequently not conducive to learning. In spite of the fact that schools rules and behavior expectations are somewhat universal, varying slightly based on the communities they serve, teacher’s classroom management styles differ greatly based on teachers’ personalities, values, and experience, along with the teacher's perspectives on different behavioral frameworks and philosophies. Throughout my many years of teaching at the same school, I have been presented with several approaches to student behavior and classroom management. Although with new names and varied strategies, they all suggest the same foundational classroom management principles, such as being proactive by establishing a well-grounded structure for your class, setting high expectations, focusing on the behavior, not the child, avoiding high emotions and treating students with dignity.