In previous generations, students knew when to sit down quietly. They may or may not have been in their seats, but they certainly knew that they were violating rules if they stood or talked after the bell rang. Those clear rules made discipline much easier. However, it seems that those days are over.

Today's typical classroom begins late. At some point, the teacher arrives in class, and then negotiates with the students to sit down. That’s right – the children make believe that they don't see the teacher, so she has to plead with them to head for their places. After considerable effort, the teacher may be able to begin the class.

This is hardly considered a victory for the teacher. It was preceded by a battle between the teacher and the students. There were clear winners and losers.

The class begins all too often with a tug-of-war. The losing side is often offended by an incident that took place in the process. <

That tug-of-war may set the stage for the rest of the class. Teacher and students are likely to continue testing each other. Any perceived weakness on the part of one side will affect the subsequent classroom discipline.

No wonder teachers complain about controlling their classes. The class was started in the wrong way, and it often goes downhill from there.

This unnecessary effort that was expended when starting each class can be taxing and tiring for teachers. It added to an already long day and a big job. It wasn't worth gaining those extra minutes.

In other words, a lazy teacher would start the class on time and avoid that extra effort.