disipline sucks when the "teacher eyes" don't work

So I have this student. He hasn't done anything in my class all year. Today he starts trying. He actually did something! What prompted his miraculous turn around in effort, participation, and attitude? Medication? Possibly. The conversation I had with him last week about being stuck with me for another year until he gets to jr high, and we both were going to have no fun if his behavior continued? I doubt I am that motivating, so I don't know. Currently my most likely idea is that his body was swapped by aliens...

Unfortunately, that success was marred by the fact I had to tell a group of three fourth graders that if they didn't shape up, I would make them sit in a room with their heads down during my class, and to learn music because I wasn't letting them off the hook, they could spend their recess attending 2nd grade music classes. I have a feeling I am going to have to follow through on my threat before they believe I am serious.

The third grade highlight of the day came when I realized a truely "charming" boy (in this usage "charming" means "likes beating on anything that moves, especially other students, but worms and other small animals he happens upon work too") has not acted up in my class since before spring break (I write down their behavior each day) I watched today. He was out of control in the hall on the way to my room, he entered the door, he was the textbook perfect student for thirty minutes (hands folded in lap, eyes on me, feet criss cross, voice off, I couldn't even fault his stinking posture), then we lined up to leave for the day and he started hitting people so he got the "honor" of walking with me to his bus. This puzzles me.

I also won the respect of one of my most shut-down pre-teen-y attitude-filled 6th graders today. How you ask? I lifted his backpack over my head. He didn't think I could lift it off the ground. I am amazing. Do what it takes, right?