I guess today everyone has a phone. But in the old days there were many homes that didn't have a phone, or said they didn't. And these kids were often the biggest problem. I tried to pry that information out the first day with a fact sheet I sent home. Check the Emergency contact cards - there were neighbors or relatives.
Still, the only way to get to some people was a home visist, which in elementary school was more doable I guess than high schools. It took a lot of exasperation to take this step - people were sensitive to the things they lacked so this was a step that needed thinking through.
The most vivid memory was after about 6 weeks of one kid driving me crazy - his brother did the same the year before but never as bad - this was a notorious family whose members had tormented the school for over a decade - I told him to tell his mom I would be coming the next day.
I won't get into the details of that visit, but mom and I clicked and after that I never had any problems. Was it the kid who changed? Sure. But I still think the biggest change as mine. Seeing this big wise guy kid with his mom got me to look at him in a different way and his actions in class made me laugh rather than get annoyed.
Years later he used to come back to see me - twice after serving 7 year terms- and he once called me from prison.
I think you're right that everyone has a phone nowadays, and the challenge for the modern teacher is often procuring the right number. If you're treacherous and unscrupulous enough, though, anything is possible.
Everyone have a phone? Ha! Even if they do, the information on those emergency blue cards are inaccurate by mid-September.
Calling home is one part of the deal. I agree it's teacher obligation to keep in contact with parents and keep them invested in the process of working with you to educate their child.
Yet, not so surprisingly, a lesson plan that has components of motivation, a strong hook, and that's being taught on the right instructional level is over half of behavior management. Most of the issues I see with classrooms are because kids are 1) frustrated the material is too hard, or 2) bored out of their minds. Knowing your kids and teaching to their level is most of the battle, which if not done correctly, no behavior modification chart can save you from a kid snapping pencils or pounding on their desk.
In my high school about 25% of the phone numbers were phony. Great post on classroom management.
I remember this last year. So helpful.
The funny thing about your first AP is that she probably didn't have the first clue what SHE was talking about, either. We start back, sans kiddos, on Monday. REALLY looking forward to the 2-hour faculty meeting, followed by the 2-hour department meeting! 
Great advice ... that too many of the people who will hear it from me next week will ignore. On the other hand, chances are those who ignore it won't be there to hear it from me again next year.
I never did have a phone in my room, but akin to your 'call during the test' technique, I used to say to my class, 'These are some of the phone numbers I will be calling this evening if I don't have projects on my desk by the end of the day.' It was as close to a magic wand as I ever had.
FWIW, every kid whose parent never answered the phone had a parent who worked ... and it was never too hard to find out where. In the worst case scenario, eventually the emergency contact gets tired of being called because someone else's kid acted up and they find the parent's work number for you.
Great ideas....I've been teaching for 18 years and it never dawned on me to call a parent in the middle of class while the disruption was going on...never too old to learn a new trick .Thanks
I need to remember all of this all over again. It's crazy how even as you're linking me I just kinda forgot it all since it's been such a great summer. Time to become Mr. V again.
From s above:
Knowing your kids and teaching to their level is most of the battle
This would be easier if ed schools and their sycophants in the DOE would stop insisting on mixed-ability classes in the name of "social justice".
Hi Math Guy,
Personally, I think all kids should be at their own levels, and if social justice is one reason they aren't, it's not alone. Kids are misplaced for many reasons--counselors who make mistakes or don't know what they're doing, teachers who pass kids who should fail (often under undue pressure from administration), incorrect grades from previous schools, invalid, inaccurate, and inappropriate tests...
I could go on, but it would take a long time. I believe in social justice, but I don't think it's well-served by placing kids inappropriately. Nor does it serve the kids.
When you have an administration that cares only about statistics, an administration that wants to give kids credit for "seat time," an administration that dumps kids into the most reprehensible environments as a matter of course, well, there's not a whole lot of chance you're gonna see social justice of any kind.
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