Overcoming Age and Learning to be Mean

Today during my world history class my students were particularly chatty. After a couple attempts to try and get their attention I decided to wait for them to end their conversations as opposed to talking over them. In that moment my classroom mentor stepped in and began reprimanding the students for their behavior. She called out students individually and alluded to their failing grades. Many students snickered as individuals were publicly embarrassed and one student even verbally cosigned. My mentor heard the student co-sign and told her to get her stuff as she would be leaving class. The student tried to explain herself but my classroom was not interested in negotiating. 

After class my CM and I debriefed. She asked if I was just not comfortable calling students out or if I had not noticed their behavior. I expressed that it was probably a mixture of both and that I would attempt to be more self aware. She expressed that she thinks I need to be harder in the way I verbally discipline them and call students out individually as a means of making an example for the class. To some extent I agree with her feedback and think my students see me more of an older sister figure as opposed to the head disciplinarian, like a mother. Nonetheless, I am not sure if I fully subscribe to the philosophy of publicly making students feel disrespected as a means of gaining communal respect. I can see how this type of humiliation may lead to resentment and potentially hurt my relationships with these students. On another note, I think there is something to be said for the fact that I look like them racially and am constantly mistaken as a student. Phenotypically, it may be difficult for my students to associate as an authority. As I move forward I will keep you posted on how I navigate these lines and assert my self as a loving-respetful & respected, authority figure...