Fake It Till You Make It: Authority and Classroom Management

Classroom management is a real challenge. Having routines and structure is important for commanding attention and establishing authority, but that is not the only way to do it. These are good strategies, but as teachers, we also need to have confidence and self-belief while teaching. Otherwise, students can quickly lose respect for us, and we may struggle to maintain control and authority in the classroom.

I have been coaching for about six years and have been coaching full-time for the past two years. When I first started coaching in 2021, I worked with 9 and 10 year-olds. Coaching this age group was typically easier because I could throw balls at them, teach them the basics, and rely on the fact that they did not have much previous knowledge of baseball. Now, I am coaching higher-level players who have a much greater understanding of the game. Because of this, I have to think more carefully about what I say and how I explain things. This can be intimidating because sometimes players ask me questions that I am not sure how to answer.

One of the biggest pieces of advice I received from a veteran coach was, “You have to be assertive. Even if you are unsure of yourself, say what you think it is because it can always be corrected in the future by you.” This advice really kicked me into gear because it gave me a greater sense of leadership. I realized that I am in this position for a reason, and I have to push my self-doubt to the side and be strong for the players and for my reputation as a coach. To me, this relates to the idea of “fake it till you make it.” Even though I first heard this advice in a baseball setting, I think it applies to the classroom as well. Even if I do not know the answer to a question, I need to be confident and honest in my response. If I am unsure, I can tell my students that I will look into it and come back with the correct answer. I do not need to pretend that I know everything, but I do need to show confidence and demonstrate that I am willing to find the answer.

Last year, I also had the privilege of volunteering with a number of teachers. One of the questions I asked them was, “How do you always have control over the classroom?” One teacher explained that he does not always have control. However, he told me, “You also have to know what kind of teacher you want to be. Based on that, you can start developing your own systems and routines.”

Looking back on that conversation, I want to be a teacher who is known for being fair and just. I want to be a teacher who has fun with students but also knows when it is time to work. With this in mind, one teacher I worked with had an excellent routine with his K–4 classes. At the beginning of class, students would complete a warm-up and then become quiet. One part of the routine was for students to run three laps around the gym and then sit quietly in the middle of the gym while they waited for instructions.

This routine served two purposes. First, it created structure and consistency. Second, it gave students a “home” spot. For example, if a Grade 2 class was learning how to pass a soccer ball and the teacher wanted to split them into teams, he could tell the students to return to the middle of the gym. The students would automatically know that they needed to be quiet and listen because that was what they had practiced every day through their routine.

This experience helped me understand that classroom management is not just about having authority or being the loudest person in the room. It is about creating clear expectations, developing consistent routines, and having confidence in yourself as a teacher. I am still developing my own teaching style, but these experiences have helped me realize that confidence and consistency will be important parts of the teacher I want to become.

BrendanC@OTU-L&D-1301