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In his dass, kids know the drill. At the start, homework should be handed in. If you didn't do it, you'll have to complete the assignment during recess and fill out a paper explaining what happened, why it's a problem ("Now Mr. Gordon doesn't know if I understand decimals..."), and how you intend to prevent it from happening again.

And yet, inevitably, one or two will try to explain why they didn't do their work and why, why, why, they shouldn't have to stay in at recess. They will get no satisfaction from Gordon. They will barely get any response at all, which is the key to his successful discipline style, he says.

"As soon as a teacher starts to lecture, 'I told you not to lose that, I told you to put it in the backpack,' there's not a kid around who won't jump in because there's a chance to win," Gordon says.

Gordon likes "Bummer!"-it suits the 30-something teacher. But it doesn't matter what one-liner you choose-as long as you swiftly turn your attention elsewhere after delivering it.

IT DOES TAKE A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD-YOU, THE PARENTS, AND YOUR ADMINISTRATOR. BUT HOW DO YOU MAKE NATO OUT OF THESE OFTEN-OPPOSED FACTIONS?

12 GO ON HOME VISITS. During the summer at South Heights Elementary School in Henderson, Kentucky, every teacher, including Head Start teacher Wendy Mitchell, visits students and parents at home. That way, the first contact with parents is a casual and friendly one.

"We put on our South Heights T-shirts and just sit on the porch, or go inside, whatever the family prefers. It just builds that feeling of respect and mutual trust," says Mitchell.

Thirteen SEND A CARD. Before school starts, Tennessee's Hazen pre-addresses blank postcards for each family and then, as the weeks go by, she jots quick, friendly notes. "If you do the work at the front end, it doesn't take two minutes," Hazen says.

14 PREPARE A PARENT CONTRACT. Surely you spell out the rules for students. That's Discipline 101, right? But you also should tell parents what you expect. Each August, LaJoyce Weatherspoon sends home a contract for students and parents to sign, outlining her rules and consequences. "Folders are required and worth 25 percent of the final grade. Folders are issued by the teacher one time only. If lost or damaged, it is the student's responsibility to replace it," she warns.

15 GIVE A BONUS. If phone calls and visits to umpteen parents aren't for you, take a tip from New Jersey social studies teacher Michael D'Amato, who gets parent buy-in and better student achievement at the same time. D'Amato develops study guides for each test, goes over them with students two days before the exam, and then sends them homeward. Kids who go over the guide with a parent or family member and get it signed earn a five-point boost on their test score.

"It makes it convenient for families to quickly quiz their children on the material," says D'Amato, a middle school teacher in Linden, New Jersey, and author of a recently published book of classroom tips (The Classroom; www.theclassroombook.com).