Polly Bath: When students are misbehaving in the back of the class, we automatically ask, “What’s going on back there?”

Just go back there! If you think there is something going on back there, just go.

Even if you’re in mid-sentence or passing something out, it doesn’t matter. Just go back there. I find that visibility is where I get the most bang for my buck.

Kids don’t misbehave when you’re in view. That is why I always say, “Be visible.” In high school, especially when the bell rings, if every adult stepped out in the hall, we wouldn’t have a lot of those hallway problems.

Kids are smart enough to look to see if an adult is watching before they do something. Your presence is all they need sometimes.