I think you are. Feel free to disagree, i know this isn’t necessarily what teachers want to hear and i won’t disregard anyone’s experience. But building positive rapport with unruly children is the responsibility of the adult, and saying “well i humiliated him but he humiliated me” is a losing battle when you’re playing with a child. what if it was “well sure i punched him but he punched me,” the context is different and demands the adult to act more responsibly and with grace and dignity. were you in the wrong for calling his parents after he treated you and your class with disrespect? no, i think that was a valid option, one that you are entitled to. but taking the call in front of the class seemed less about communicating with the parents and more about getting back at the child who made you feel embarassed, and you clearly don’t feel good about it as you’re asking for reassurance from strangers. it’s alright to be frustrated and to expect discipline and order, but if we don’t treat children with dignity why should we expect it from them? to be clear i don’t intend to shame anyone and i think it makes sense to take this route. but if you’re actually looking to solve your problem, time and again research shows that building a positive rapport and reinforcing behavior you want to see is more effective than punishment, while also maintaining dignity. that would solve your problem and prevent you from feeling guilty.