Home sweet home?

It seems as I go to work from day to day I still have the mindset that I'm simply on a semester long trip with my school and I'll be going home soon. But that is simply not true. I could be here a long time. So I figure if I'm to start thinking of this place as home, I have to make it feel like home. I never thought I'd be considering what is the best type of furniture to buy to make a place feel like home, that's always been done for me (thanks Mom). Even in college I didn't really care what my room or townhouse looked like just as long as I could live there for a few months. It's a task that will take some work, but I'll get it eventually.
As far as teaching goes, things are getting somewhat better. I am trying to find the delicate balance between the good/strict teacher and the teacher that lets things slide because ultimately at a private school keeping the kids and parents happy is the #1 priority. It's kind of frustrating at times but like everything else here it will simply take some getting used too.

Jason

Authority

So after a few weeks of teaching I have come to realize that I must be more strict with the students. Even though some of them seem nice, the "appealing to their good nature" approach just didn't seem to be working. So I upped the anti a little bit last class. I started by taking away all of their cell phones at the start of class which was surprisingly easy. My next step was to show one student in particular that I am in charge. I've given him a lot of chances and that day I decided enough was enough. To make a long story short he was acting up a lot and would simply not listen to me. So I told him if he wouldn't sit down I'd send him to the office, and he looked at me and decided to try and call my bluff and said "OK let's go." and to his surprise I wasn't bluffing. I took him to the office to see his adviser and he came back 10 minutes later not looking too happy. Take that 10 year old kid who I'm supposed to be more mature than!

Jason