Teachers must learn to control their classrooms before they can even begin to think about reading, writing and arithmetic.

"It's not just about discipline," said Felecia Lee, the Georgia Association of Educators local uniserv director. "It's a whole umbrella of things."

Most importantly, teachers must plan, she said. They must plan and be prepared for class. Otherwise, schoolchildren will notice.

"Instantly, a kid knows, just like an adult knows, she doesn't know what she is doing," Mrs. Lee said. "Then you've lost credibility."

The Georgia Association of Educators has been working with the Richmond County school system to train a group of Richmond County teachers how best to manage their classrooms. Last year, the association surveyed teachers and found discipline and class management to be the most important issues for teachers.

Managing a classroom can be a greater challenge than teaching, and it's becoming more important with more children acting out and more educators entering the classroom as a second career, Mrs. Lee said. Business leaders can't manage the way they would in an office, and soldiers can't lead the way they would in the military.

Retired Col. Jeff Hill has found leading in the Air Force much different from leading in a JROTC program at T.W. Josey High School.

Managing students can be tough because some of them resist following him to avoid conforming, he said.

The professional development through the teachers' association, however, has taught him to better relate to students, Col. Hill said.

"You can be friendly, but not necessarily be their friend," he said.

The three-day professional learning course is teaching educators to recognize their own varied teaching styles and different learning styles of pupils.

Teachers are also learning how to handle defiant and hostile children, when to ask for help and what rules they must follow.

Mrs. Lee said students know which teachers are lax and which ones don't play.

"It's called survival. It's just the way we are wired," she said.

Classroom management is about more than having a quiet, orderly classroom, said Wanda Lynn of the Georgia Association of Educators.

"An effective teacher has good classroom management," she said. "We do believe that good classroom management does have an impact on student instruction."

Reach Greg Gelpi at (706) 828-3851 or greg.gelpi@augustachronicle.com.