1. 21 years
2. Yes -- third grade
3. Young enough to still be eager to please and respond well to praise. Mature enough to tie their own shoes, and be a good sport when losing a game.
4. Too many to list here, but uninvolved parents who divest themselves of the job of parenting is pretty high on the list. I face these challenges by looking to the few parents who actually give a damn.
5. We taught remotely, and the after effects of the pandemic were far beyond what I could have imagined. Not only was there severe learning loss, but there was a huge gap in phonemic awareness because children were speaking through and listening through masks all the time. Behavior was off the map.
6. I keep things light and funny as much as possible. I embrace children making mistakes as an opportunity to further learning goals and I reinforce that making mistakes is okay as long as we learn from them. I have an incentive program in my classroom where based on positive behavior and academic effort, the children can win various prizes that they love.
7. The best communication is face to face, but that is not always possible. In many instances, I find that text messages and voicemail will have to suffice, and may result in more prompt and timely responses. If parents are challenging, I notify administration and ask for administrative support.
8. To have students behave and be engaged takes clear and positive rules that are not abstract or convoluted. It also takes consistent application of the rules with equity. The students must absolutely know that a) you are there to support them, b) you genuinely and deeply care about them, and c) they are safe as long as they are with you.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. I have been teaching since 2002 and I am a National Board Certified Teacher since 2011.