When I began my student teaching, I hardly knew what classroom management was (as a concept, let alone how to execute it!). I'd love to say that as an educator, I've always believed that a well-managed classroom is the foundation for a successful learning experience, but that is actually something that I learned over the course of a hard first year of teaching. It only takes a few classes to go up in flames before you begin exploring any and all strategies and techniques to create an engaging, supportive, well-managed classroom.
In this post, I'm excited to share with you ten classroom management ideas that have had a profound impact on my teaching journey. By incorporating these ideas into your own practice, you too can create a transformative environment where students thrive and reach their full potential.
1. Have a place for everything and keep everything in its place.
Maintaining an organized classroom is essential for smooth daily operations. Ensure that everything in your classroom has a designated place, whether it's supplies, books, or student work. Teach your students the importance of organization and encourage them to return items to their designated spots after use. This practice promotes responsibility and saves valuable instructional time.
2. Visualize what you want each part of the day to look, sound, and feel like. Put your visualization into words and translate it into student-friendly language.
Take time at the beginning of the year to envision how you want your classroom to function during different parts of the day and get wildly specific.
When you deliver your reading lesson, how should the class look, sound, and feel? At their desks? Sitting alertly or slumping in chairs? Completely silent or whispering or conversing?
When you ask your students to turn and share their thoughts with their partners, how does it look, sound, and feel? Does the class erupt into noise? Do your students speak in low voices? Do they shift their whole bodies to face one another or just turn their heads?
There are no right or wrong answers to the above questions! The point is to get incredibly clear about what you expect your room to look like. When we are clear with our own expectations, we can better share them with our students. This clarity sets our students up to be all the more successful in our classroom environments.
3. Explicitly teach your students how they should look and sound throughout different parts of your day.
Once you've visualized every last detail of your day, explicitly teach your students the appropriate behaviors you are looking for in each situation. Explain how they should look, such as sitting attentively or maintaining eye contact, and how they should sound, such as using low voices or taking turns speaking. Leave nothing up for interpretation or debate. As Brené Brown says, "Clear is kind!"
4. Come up with short phrases to reinforce classroom expectations and values.
Create concise, memorable phrases that reflect your expectations and values. We are looking for phrases that can be said quickly, without detracting from the lesson or work, but that also communicate the expectations to students clearly. These phrases can serve as powerful reminders for students to follow the established expectations and can help build a culture around specific values that you select for your room.
For example, "Please turn your sounds off to show respect to your teammates." or "We pick our pencils up and start right away because we make good use of time in this room." or "We do not use language like that. We are an all-the-time kind class."
5. Plan out your system of consequences and rewards and stick with it consistently.
Establishing a clear system of consequences and rewards is essential for maintaining order in your classroom. Here's a post I wrote about the systems that I use in my classroom. Be sure that whatever system you choose, you clearly explain it to your students and you stick with it! The consistency promotes fairness and helps students understand the consequences of their actions.
6. Positively narrate behaviors that meet the expectation throughout the whole day.
Acknowledging students who demonstrate positive behaviors reinforces those behaviors AND motivates other students to follow suit. Throughout the day, provide verbal recognition for students who meet your classroom expectations. This positive narration encourages a culture of respect and encourages students to engage in positive actions.
Some examples of phrases you can use are, "I see Jordyn picked his pencil up and started his work right away. He wasted no time." or "Marie is sitting with her belly to the table and her head up straight. She looks ready to do her best thinking." or "Marco is silently tracking me, showing he is ready to learn during this lesson."
7. Reteach expectations like its the beginning of the year after any break or when you get a new student.
After any extended break or the arrival of a new student, take a moment to reteach your expectations. It's always best to assume everyone forgot everything, rather than assuming everyone remembered the expectations and growing angry at your tenth whole class reset post Christmas break.
Though it may seem tedious, the reteach will save you time and your sanity in the long run.
8. Practice being a calm, collected, fearless leader with daily affirmations and deep breaths.
As teacher leaders, our demeanor sets the tone for the classroom. Start your days with some daily affirmations. Practice deep breathing exercises so that when a student loses their cool, you can keep yours. They need you to be their rock.
This self-care practice equips you with the tools to handle challenges and model emotional regulation for your students. Your composure will inspire a similar sense of calm in the classroom.
9. Teach your students how to maintain the classroom environment.
When you follow tip #1 and assign a place for everything, it is easy to then teach students to maintain an orderly classroom. Making classroom maintenance a shared responsibility also takes a load off of your shoulders--less to reset at the end of each day! Explicitly teach students the skills necessary for keeping the classroom clean and organized. Build a bit of time into your daily routines to allow for this to happen regularly. Instilling a sense of ownership in the classroom environment fosters respect, responsibility, and pride among students.
10. Incorporate team building exercises into your weekly routines.
Building a sense of community and teamwork is vital for a harmonious classroom. Dedicate regular time for team-building exercises and activities that encourage collaboration, communication, and problem-solving. These activities could include cooperative games, group projects, or just sharing around a circle. Team building fosters positive relationships among students, strengthens the classroom community, and enhances overall classroom management.
It is my hope that some of these ideas transform your classroom like they did mine! Remember, consistency, clear communication, positive reinforcement, and connection are key to maintaining an environment that fosters optimal learning and growth. I'd love to hear from you in the comments--which ones are your must gave strategies?
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