The honeymoon between you and your students is over when:

1. They clearly hear you say to stop talking – look right at you, and keep on talking to their friend.
2. They feel free to be grumpy around you. They were grumpy before, but they were hiding it!
3. They tell you the whole 15 minute story about why they are angry at their friend instead of saying that it was “nothing”.
4. They admit they didn’t do their homework because they were playing Fortnite with a friend instead of making up a lame excuse like they had an emergency tonsillectomy – all the while talking in a whisper – which continues for the whole day!
5. You take away their basketball because they wouldn’t stop playing after recess ended (instead of warning them). They act like they hate you for 10 minutes then go back to normal.

The end of the honeymoon is good. It means that the students are confident enough in their relationship with you that they are able to be themselves – showing the good and the needs improvement parts. A caring teacher establishes that they will treat students well no matter how the students act and this allows the students to be themselves.