First of all, I believe that all children are capable to learn any subject within their cognitive level. Children are generally strong kinesthetic learners. They are either strong auditory or visual learners. It is up to the teacher to provide many opportunities which involve all three modalities, and not just focus on one method.
Secondly, I believe teaching reading is the most important part of a teacher's job. My definition of reading includes decoding, comprehension, and writing. It is impossible to teach one without the other. That is why I use data backed methods to increase reading levels. I try to make reading fun and relevant to their lives .
Finally, you need to EARN the respect of the children. You can only gain that respect by being consistant and fair. I believe children crave adult attention which makes them feel secure in their world. They know they can trust you and be protected and guided to make the right decisions.