I stand in front of my class, teaching math. I act enthusiastic about integers, but that doesn't stop Luis Reyes from crying and standing on his chair. He had talked while I was speaking, left his seat without asking, and refused to write in his math journal. I gave him a yellow card, and tears are the result. That's definitely a minus on the behavior contract.

Is this what it's like to be a parent?

I always thought teaching was about engaging students in fascinating content. Now I realize that my job is to condition students to accept and obey a set of normative rules. Is this the price of health benefits?