Classroom management begins before the first day of school, but it’s never too late to implement new strategies.
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Here are 20 classroom management ideas that you can implement today.
By collaborating with students to establish rules and expectations, you can increase student buy-in and establish rapport with students by showing that you value their voices.
This makes a great first-day-of-school activity because it gets the students talking, collaborating, involved in their education from day one. Take it a step further by asking students to model what it looks like to follow the rules.
Host one-on-one check-ins with your students. Ask them how they’re doing, if they’re comfortable with the course material, if they like their desk placement, etc.
These check-ins open the door to communication, establish trust, and provide insight on areas where you can improve their learning experience.
Managing an environment conducive to learning involves ensuring consequences are fair and consistently applied. Refrain from punishing the whole class (such as making them write “I will not talk while the teacher is talking” 100 times) when a student or group of students are misbehaving.
Punishing the whole class undermines your classroom management plan, as it can make students feel that they will be punished no matter what they do, resulting in a lack of motivation to behave.
Use positive behavior supports in the classroom by creating a token economy! In a token economy, students receive points for exhibiting positive behaviors. Those points can then be redeemed for a variety of classroom rewards and virtual prizes. The rewards can vary based on the age of the students.
Platforms such as Live School make it easy to implement a token economy in your classroom. Teachers, parents, and students can viewpoints and comments in the platform, making it an effective communication tool as well.
In addition to rewards, verbal positive reinforcement can also encourage positive behavior. When a student has a great day, call the parents and let them know! It makes students feel appreciated, and it makes the parents proud.
Offering praise to students while in the classroom can also serve another purpose: it encourages other students to do the right thing because they realize that you’re paying attention!
Increase engagement by incorporating students' interests into your lessons. Give your students a survey (another great first week of school activity!) to find out about their interests and hobbies.
Including their interests doesn't have to be complicated. Use popular celebrities’ names in your word problems, or ask students to create TikTok-style videos to explain concepts.
Incorporating your students' interests makes learning fun, and when learning is fun, students are less likely to get off task or exhibit attention-seeking behaviors.
It’s important for children to have structure, and routines ensure that everyone knows what to do and when to do it. Plan how you want students to enter and exit the classroom, line up, and perform other common tasks.
Give the students plenty of opportunities to practice the routines, so they become second nature to students.
Although teachers are there to teach academic content, students are always watching the behavior of the adults in the building.
This means that by modeling the behaviors you want students to exhibit, they see that no one is “above the law.”
Students pay attention to how you interact with your colleagues, how you react when you’re wrong, etc., so be aware of your actions and use your mistakes as teachable moments.
Staying close to students will allow you to monitor them and correct behaviors without disrupting the rest of the class.
Try this out: Next time a group of students is off task, don’t stop instruction. Just casually walk to their group, stand there, and continue teaching. More than likely, they’ll stop talking.
Sometimes it's easy to forget that students need breaks too, just like adults. They’re often in class for six or seven hours a day, and after hours of instruction, even the most engaging lessons can leave students feeling mentally drained.
Schedule brain breaks and add them to your daily routine.
During these breaks, allow students to stretch, talk to a friend, or do whatever else you deem appropriate. Allowing them to have brain breaks shows them that you understand that they've been working hard and reminds them that it’s okay to rest.
The physical organization of the classroom can also impact classroom management. Move furniture so that there are no blind spots and you can easily monitor students.
Organize desks, stations, and other furniture in a way that looks neat and uncluttered. Simple fixes, such as opening a window or adding a plant, can make the classroom feel more inviting and comfortable.
Unplanned downtime presents an opportunity for students to get off task, and sometimes it can be difficult to get them back on track.
Plan transitions, so students never need to wonder “what’s next?”. For example, when transitioning from instruction to the work period, tell students to take out their notebooks and answer the question on the board.
That way they have their next steps rather than waiting on everyone to have their notebook out before receiving the next instruction.
Help students create personal and academic SMART goals and talk to them regularly about their progress. This is a great classroom management strategy because it gives the students something to aim for and focus on while also teaching them independence.
Encourage independence by giving your students opportunities to make choices. Not only does this show them that you value their voices, but it also places responsibility on them as a partner in their education.
Make sure that you're okay with all of the options that the students can choose from.
Letting your students make choices, and supporting their choices, shows them that you recognize and appreciate their differences and preferences.
Nonverbal cues, such as a “teacher look” can help with classroom management because you can correct disruptive behavior without actually stopping instruction to address a student.
Shaking your head no, using a gesture such as putting your finger over your lips to signal “quiet down,” or just making eye contact are sometimes enough to correct student behavior and get them back on track.
Nonverbal cues also keep students from feeling embarrassed, which can often result in a power struggle as they try to “save face.”
Regain class attention with a fun call-and-response.
You and your students can work together to come up with your call and their response. It can be something silly like saying “Scooby Dooby Doo,” to which they’ll stop whatever they’re doing and respond “Where are you?”.
Use lyrics to a song, funny phrases, or even knock-knock jokes.
The key is to choose something that will bring their attention back to you without you having to talk over them or continuously say “everyone listens” or “let me get your attention.”
When children are given responsibilities, it shows that you trust them. Ask your students to help you think of jobs.
Simple tasks such as writing the agenda on the board, sharpening pencils at the end of the day, or collecting notebooks at the end of class can make students proud that they’re playing a role in making sure the class runs smoothly. Class jobs are excellent classroom management examples.
Creating a behavior contract can ensure students understand what’s expected of them and agree to adhere to those expectations.
You can extend this behavior management strategy by having the students create the rules and expectations together (like what was discussed earlier). The process will give them an additional opportunity to review those expectations and ask questions.
Developing relationships is important for classroom management. Some simple ways you can do this is by making sure that you're calling your students by their preferred names and pronouncing them correctly.
Ask all students to pronounce their names for you on the first day of school, even if you feel like the pronunciation is easy. This sets a foundation of respect.
Also, have fun with your students! Smile, laugh, greet them at the door and do different things to show them your personality while still being professional. This allows them to identify you as a person who cares about them versus a teacher just doing a job.
It’s inevitable that sometimes, students will have bad days and act out. They might be upset about something that happened at home, or maybe they’re in an argument with a friend.
Regardless, recognizing the students isn’t in a good place emotionally and giving them time to cool down can deepen trust with the students and ease the tension in the classroom.
This allows them to process their emotions in a healthy way and then get back on track. Have a “cool down” corner, or allow the students to go to an area, such as the media center, for a few minutes.
Sometimes even the best classroom management tips or classroom management rules can’t prevent the occasional behavior incident. When these situations occur, try not to take them personally.
You’re working with students who have different personalities, attitudes, and pet peeves. However, by implementing these classroom management strategies, you can feel confident that you’re doing your part to create a positive learning environment where your students feel safe and supported.
If your looking for help specifically tailored to your grade level you should check out kindergarten classroom management, elementary classroom management, middle school classroom management, high school classroom management, or take a deep dive into how pbis and classroom management can work together. You can also further your research by checking out our list of the best classroom management articles.
Are you looking for more classroom management tips? Check out episode 34 of our podcast.
Here are 20 classroom management ideas that you can implement today.
By collaborating with students to establish rules and expectations, you can increase student buy-in and establish rapport with students by showing that you value their voices.
This makes a great first-day-of-school activity because it gets the students talking, collaborating, involved in their education from day one. Take it a step further by asking students to model what it looks like to follow the rules.
Host one-on-one check-ins with your students. Ask them how they’re doing, if they’re comfortable with the course material, if they like their desk placement, etc.
These check-ins open the door to communication, establish trust, and provide insight on areas where you can improve their learning experience.
Managing an environment conducive to learning involves ensuring consequences are fair and consistently applied. Refrain from punishing the whole class (such as making them write “I will not talk while the teacher is talking” 100 times) when a student or group of students are misbehaving.
Punishing the whole class undermines your classroom management plan, as it can make students feel that they will be punished no matter what they do, resulting in a lack of motivation to behave.
Use positive behavior supports in the classroom by creating a token economy! In a token economy, students receive points for exhibiting positive behaviors. Those points can then be redeemed for a variety of classroom rewards and virtual prizes. The rewards can vary based on the age of the students.
Platforms such as Live School make it easy to implement a token economy in your classroom. Teachers, parents, and students can viewpoints and comments in the platform, making it an effective communication tool as well.
In addition to rewards, verbal positive reinforcement can also encourage positive behavior. When a student has a great day, call the parents and let them know! It makes students feel appreciated, and it makes the parents proud.
Offering praise to students while in the classroom can also serve another purpose: it encourages other students to do the right thing because they realize that you’re paying attention!
Increase engagement by incorporating students' interests into your lessons. Give your students a survey (another great first week of school activity!) to find out about their interests and hobbies.
Including their interests doesn't have to be complicated. Use popular celebrities’ names in your word problems, or ask students to create TikTok-style videos to explain concepts.
Incorporating your students' interests makes learning fun, and when learning is fun, students are less likely to get off task or exhibit attention-seeking behaviors.
It’s important for children to have structure, and routines ensure that everyone knows what to do and when to do it. Plan how you want students to enter and exit the classroom, line up, and perform other common tasks.
Give the students plenty of opportunities to practice the routines, so they become second nature to students.
Although teachers are there to teach academic content, students are always watching the behavior of the adults in the building.
This means that by modeling the behaviors you want students to exhibit, they see that no one is “above the law.”
Students pay attention to how you interact with your colleagues, how you react when you’re wrong, etc., so be aware of your actions and use your mistakes as teachable moments.
Staying close to students will allow you to monitor them and correct behaviors without disrupting the rest of the class.
Try this out: Next time a group of students is off task, don’t stop instruction. Just casually walk to their group, stand there, and continue teaching. More than likely, they’ll stop talking.
Sometimes it's easy to forget that students need breaks too, just like adults. They’re often in class for six or seven hours a day, and after hours of instruction, even the most engaging lessons can leave students feeling mentally drained.
Schedule brain breaks and add them to your daily routine.
During these breaks, allow students to stretch, talk to a friend, or do whatever else you deem appropriate. Allowing them to have brain breaks shows them that you understand that they've been working hard and reminds them that it’s okay to rest.
The physical organization of the classroom can also impact classroom management. Move furniture so that there are no blind spots and you can easily monitor students.
Organize desks, stations, and other furniture in a way that looks neat and uncluttered. Simple fixes, such as opening a window or adding a plant, can make the classroom feel more inviting and comfortable.
Unplanned downtime presents an opportunity for students to get off task, and sometimes it can be difficult to get them back on track.
Plan transitions, so students never need to wonder “what’s next?”. For example, when transitioning from instruction to the work period, tell students to take out their notebooks and answer the question on the board.
That way they have their next steps rather than waiting on everyone to have their notebook out before receiving the next instruction.
Help students create personal and academic SMART goals and talk to them regularly about their progress. This is a great classroom management strategy because it gives the students something to aim for and focus on while also teaching them independence.
Encourage independence by giving your students opportunities to make choices. Not only does this show them that you value their voices, but it also places responsibility on them as a partner in their education.
Make sure that you're okay with all of the options that the students can choose from.
Letting your students make choices, and supporting their choices, shows them that you recognize and appreciate their differences and preferences.
Nonverbal cues, such as a “teacher look” can help with classroom management because you can correct disruptive behavior without actually stopping instruction to address a student.
Shaking your head no, using a gesture such as putting your finger over your lips to signal “quiet down,” or just making eye contact are sometimes enough to correct student behavior and get them back on track.
Nonverbal cues also keep students from feeling embarrassed, which can often result in a power struggle as they try to “save face.”
Regain class attention with a fun call-and-response.
You and your students can work together to come up with your call and their response. It can be something silly like saying “Scooby Dooby Doo,” to which they’ll stop whatever they’re doing and respond “Where are you?”.
Use lyrics to a song, funny phrases, or even knock-knock jokes.
The key is to choose something that will bring their attention back to you without you having to talk over them or continuously say “everyone listens” or “let me get your attention.”
When children are given responsibilities, it shows that you trust them. Ask your students to help you think of jobs.
Simple tasks such as writing the agenda on the board, sharpening pencils at the end of the day, or collecting notebooks at the end of class can make students proud that they’re playing a role in making sure the class runs smoothly. Class jobs are excellent classroom management examples.
Creating a behavior contract can ensure students understand what’s expected of them and agree to adhere to those expectations.
You can extend this behavior management strategy by having the students create the rules and expectations together (like what was discussed earlier). The process will give them an additional opportunity to review those expectations and ask questions.
Developing relationships is important for classroom management. Some simple ways you can do this is by making sure that you're calling your students by their preferred names and pronouncing them correctly.
Ask all students to pronounce their names for you on the first day of school, even if you feel like the pronunciation is easy. This sets a foundation of respect.
Also, have fun with your students! Smile, laugh, greet them at the door and do different things to show them your personality while still being professional. This allows them to identify you as a person who cares about them versus a teacher just doing a job.
It’s inevitable that sometimes, students will have bad days and act out. They might be upset about something that happened at home, or maybe they’re in an argument with a friend.
Regardless, recognizing the students isn’t in a good place emotionally and giving them time to cool down can deepen trust with the students and ease the tension in the classroom.
This allows them to process their emotions in a healthy way and then get back on track. Have a “cool down” corner, or allow the students to go to an area, such as the media center, for a few minutes.
Sometimes even the best classroom management tips or classroom management rules can’t prevent the occasional behavior incident. When these situations occur, try not to take them personally.
You’re working with students who have different personalities, attitudes, and pet peeves. However, by implementing these classroom management strategies, you can feel confident that you’re doing your part to create a positive learning environment where your students feel safe and supported.
If your looking for help specifically tailored to your grade level you should check out kindergarten classroom management, elementary classroom management, middle school classroom management, high school classroom management, or take a deep dive into how pbis and classroom management can work together. You can also further your research by checking out our list of the best classroom management articles.
Are you looking for more classroom management tips? Check out episode 34 of our podcast.
Here are 20 classroom management ideas that you can implement today.
By collaborating with students to establish rules and expectations, you can increase student buy-in and establish rapport with students by showing that you value their voices.
This makes a great first-day-of-school activity because it gets the students talking, collaborating, involved in their education from day one. Take it a step further by asking students to model what it looks like to follow the rules.
Host one-on-one check-ins with your students. Ask them how they’re doing, if they’re comfortable with the course material, if they like their desk placement, etc.
These check-ins open the door to communication, establish trust, and provide insight on areas where you can improve their learning experience.
Managing an environment conducive to learning involves ensuring consequences are fair and consistently applied. Refrain from punishing the whole class (such as making them write “I will not talk while the teacher is talking” 100 times) when a student or group of students are misbehaving.
Punishing the whole class undermines your classroom management plan, as it can make students feel that they will be punished no matter what they do, resulting in a lack of motivation to behave.
Use positive behavior supports in the classroom by creating a token economy! In a token economy, students receive points for exhibiting positive behaviors. Those points can then be redeemed for a variety of classroom rewards and virtual prizes. The rewards can vary based on the age of the students.
Platforms such as Live School make it easy to implement a token economy in your classroom. Teachers, parents, and students can viewpoints and comments in the platform, making it an effective communication tool as well.
In addition to rewards, verbal positive reinforcement can also encourage positive behavior. When a student has a great day, call the parents and let them know! It makes students feel appreciated, and it makes the parents proud.
Offering praise to students while in the classroom can also serve another purpose: it encourages other students to do the right thing because they realize that you’re paying attention!
Increase engagement by incorporating students' interests into your lessons. Give your students a survey (another great first week of school activity!) to find out about their interests and hobbies.
Including their interests doesn't have to be complicated. Use popular celebrities’ names in your word problems, or ask students to create TikTok-style videos to explain concepts.
Incorporating your students' interests makes learning fun, and when learning is fun, students are less likely to get off task or exhibit attention-seeking behaviors.
It’s important for children to have structure, and routines ensure that everyone knows what to do and when to do it. Plan how you want students to enter and exit the classroom, line up, and perform other common tasks.
Give the students plenty of opportunities to practice the routines, so they become second nature to students.
Although teachers are there to teach academic content, students are always watching the behavior of the adults in the building.
This means that by modeling the behaviors you want students to exhibit, they see that no one is “above the law.”
Students pay attention to how you interact with your colleagues, how you react when you’re wrong, etc., so be aware of your actions and use your mistakes as teachable moments.
Staying close to students will allow you to monitor them and correct behaviors without disrupting the rest of the class.
Try this out: Next time a group of students is off task, don’t stop instruction. Just casually walk to their group, stand there, and continue teaching. More than likely, they’ll stop talking.
Sometimes it's easy to forget that students need breaks too, just like adults. They’re often in class for six or seven hours a day, and after hours of instruction, even the most engaging lessons can leave students feeling mentally drained.
Schedule brain breaks and add them to your daily routine.
During these breaks, allow students to stretch, talk to a friend, or do whatever else you deem appropriate. Allowing them to have brain breaks shows them that you understand that they've been working hard and reminds them that it’s okay to rest.
The physical organization of the classroom can also impact classroom management. Move furniture so that there are no blind spots and you can easily monitor students.
Organize desks, stations, and other furniture in a way that looks neat and uncluttered. Simple fixes, such as opening a window or adding a plant, can make the classroom feel more inviting and comfortable.
Unplanned downtime presents an opportunity for students to get off task, and sometimes it can be difficult to get them back on track.
Plan transitions, so students never need to wonder “what’s next?”. For example, when transitioning from instruction to the work period, tell students to take out their notebooks and answer the question on the board.
That way they have their next steps rather than waiting on everyone to have their notebook out before receiving the next instruction.
Help students create personal and academic SMART goals and talk to them regularly about their progress. This is a great classroom management strategy because it gives the students something to aim for and focus on while also teaching them independence.
Encourage independence by giving your students opportunities to make choices. Not only does this show them that you value their voices, but it also places responsibility on them as a partner in their education.
Make sure that you're okay with all of the options that the students can choose from.
Letting your students make choices, and supporting their choices, shows them that you recognize and appreciate their differences and preferences.
Nonverbal cues, such as a “teacher look” can help with classroom management because you can correct disruptive behavior without actually stopping instruction to address a student.
Shaking your head no, using a gesture such as putting your finger over your lips to signal “quiet down,” or just making eye contact are sometimes enough to correct student behavior and get them back on track.
Nonverbal cues also keep students from feeling embarrassed, which can often result in a power struggle as they try to “save face.”
Regain class attention with a fun call-and-response.
You and your students can work together to come up with your call and their response. It can be something silly like saying “Scooby Dooby Doo,” to which they’ll stop whatever they’re doing and respond “Where are you?”.
Use lyrics to a song, funny phrases, or even knock-knock jokes.
The key is to choose something that will bring their attention back to you without you having to talk over them or continuously say “everyone listens” or “let me get your attention.”
When children are given responsibilities, it shows that you trust them. Ask your students to help you think of jobs.
Simple tasks such as writing the agenda on the board, sharpening pencils at the end of the day, or collecting notebooks at the end of class can make students proud that they’re playing a role in making sure the class runs smoothly. Class jobs are excellent classroom management examples.
Creating a behavior contract can ensure students understand what’s expected of them and agree to adhere to those expectations.
You can extend this behavior management strategy by having the students create the rules and expectations together (like what was discussed earlier). The process will give them an additional opportunity to review those expectations and ask questions.
Developing relationships is important for classroom management. Some simple ways you can do this is by making sure that you're calling your students by their preferred names and pronouncing them correctly.
Ask all students to pronounce their names for you on the first day of school, even if you feel like the pronunciation is easy. This sets a foundation of respect.
Also, have fun with your students! Smile, laugh, greet them at the door and do different things to show them your personality while still being professional. This allows them to identify you as a person who cares about them versus a teacher just doing a job.
It’s inevitable that sometimes, students will have bad days and act out. They might be upset about something that happened at home, or maybe they’re in an argument with a friend.
Regardless, recognizing the students isn’t in a good place emotionally and giving them time to cool down can deepen trust with the students and ease the tension in the classroom.
This allows them to process their emotions in a healthy way and then get back on track. Have a “cool down” corner, or allow the students to go to an area, such as the media center, for a few minutes.
Sometimes even the best classroom management tips or classroom management rules can’t prevent the occasional behavior incident. When these situations occur, try not to take them personally.
You’re working with students who have different personalities, attitudes, and pet peeves. However, by implementing these classroom management strategies, you can feel confident that you’re doing your part to create a positive learning environment where your students feel safe and supported.
If your looking for help specifically tailored to your grade level you should check out kindergarten classroom management, elementary classroom management, middle school classroom management, high school classroom management, or take a deep dive into how pbis and classroom management can work together. You can also further your research by checking out our list of the best classroom management articles.
Are you looking for more classroom management tips? Check out episode 34 of our podcast.
Here are 20 classroom management ideas that you can implement today.
By collaborating with students to establish rules and expectations, you can increase student buy-in and establish rapport with students by showing that you value their voices.
This makes a great first-day-of-school activity because it gets the students talking, collaborating, involved in their education from day one. Take it a step further by asking students to model what it looks like to follow the rules.
Host one-on-one check-ins with your students. Ask them how they’re doing, if they’re comfortable with the course material, if they like their desk placement, etc.
These check-ins open the door to communication, establish trust, and provide insight on areas where you can improve their learning experience.
Managing an environment conducive to learning involves ensuring consequences are fair and consistently applied. Refrain from punishing the whole class (such as making them write “I will not talk while the teacher is talking” 100 times) when a student or group of students are misbehaving.
Punishing the whole class undermines your classroom management plan, as it can make students feel that they will be punished no matter what they do, resulting in a lack of motivation to behave.
Use positive behavior supports in the classroom by creating a token economy! In a token economy, students receive points for exhibiting positive behaviors. Those points can then be redeemed for a variety of classroom rewards and virtual prizes. The rewards can vary based on the age of the students.
Platforms such as Live School make it easy to implement a token economy in your classroom. Teachers, parents, and students can viewpoints and comments in the platform, making it an effective communication tool as well.
In addition to rewards, verbal positive reinforcement can also encourage positive behavior. When a student has a great day, call the parents and let them know! It makes students feel appreciated, and it makes the parents proud.
Offering praise to students while in the classroom can also serve another purpose: it encourages other students to do the right thing because they realize that you’re paying attention!
Increase engagement by incorporating students' interests into your lessons. Give your students a survey (another great first week of school activity!) to find out about their interests and hobbies.
Including their interests doesn't have to be complicated. Use popular celebrities’ names in your word problems, or ask students to create TikTok-style videos to explain concepts.
Incorporating your students' interests makes learning fun, and when learning is fun, students are less likely to get off task or exhibit attention-seeking behaviors.
It’s important for children to have structure, and routines ensure that everyone knows what to do and when to do it. Plan how you want students to enter and exit the classroom, line up, and perform other common tasks.
Give the students plenty of opportunities to practice the routines, so they become second nature to students.
Although teachers are there to teach academic content, students are always watching the behavior of the adults in the building.
This means that by modeling the behaviors you want students to exhibit, they see that no one is “above the law.”
Students pay attention to how you interact with your colleagues, how you react when you’re wrong, etc., so be aware of your actions and use your mistakes as teachable moments.
Staying close to students will allow you to monitor them and correct behaviors without disrupting the rest of the class.
Try this out: Next time a group of students is off task, don’t stop instruction. Just casually walk to their group, stand there, and continue teaching. More than likely, they’ll stop talking.
Sometimes it's easy to forget that students need breaks too, just like adults. They’re often in class for six or seven hours a day, and after hours of instruction, even the most engaging lessons can leave students feeling mentally drained.
Schedule brain breaks and add them to your daily routine.
During these breaks, allow students to stretch, talk to a friend, or do whatever else you deem appropriate. Allowing them to have brain breaks shows them that you understand that they've been working hard and reminds them that it’s okay to rest.
The physical organization of the classroom can also impact classroom management. Move furniture so that there are no blind spots and you can easily monitor students.
Organize desks, stations, and other furniture in a way that looks neat and uncluttered. Simple fixes, such as opening a window or adding a plant, can make the classroom feel more inviting and comfortable.
Unplanned downtime presents an opportunity for students to get off task, and sometimes it can be difficult to get them back on track.
Plan transitions, so students never need to wonder “what’s next?”. For example, when transitioning from instruction to the work period, tell students to take out their notebooks and answer the question on the board.
That way they have their next steps rather than waiting on everyone to have their notebook out before receiving the next instruction.
Help students create personal and academic SMART goals and talk to them regularly about their progress. This is a great classroom management strategy because it gives the students something to aim for and focus on while also teaching them independence.
Encourage independence by giving your students opportunities to make choices. Not only does this show them that you value their voices, but it also places responsibility on them as a partner in their education.
Make sure that you're okay with all of the options that the students can choose from.
Letting your students make choices, and supporting their choices, shows them that you recognize and appreciate their differences and preferences.
Nonverbal cues, such as a “teacher look” can help with classroom management because you can correct disruptive behavior without actually stopping instruction to address a student.
Shaking your head no, using a gesture such as putting your finger over your lips to signal “quiet down,” or just making eye contact are sometimes enough to correct student behavior and get them back on track.
Nonverbal cues also keep students from feeling embarrassed, which can often result in a power struggle as they try to “save face.”
Regain class attention with a fun call-and-response.
You and your students can work together to come up with your call and their response. It can be something silly like saying “Scooby Dooby Doo,” to which they’ll stop whatever they’re doing and respond “Where are you?”.
Use lyrics to a song, funny phrases, or even knock-knock jokes.
The key is to choose something that will bring their attention back to you without you having to talk over them or continuously say “everyone listens” or “let me get your attention.”
When children are given responsibilities, it shows that you trust them. Ask your students to help you think of jobs.
Simple tasks such as writing the agenda on the board, sharpening pencils at the end of the day, or collecting notebooks at the end of class can make students proud that they’re playing a role in making sure the class runs smoothly. Class jobs are excellent classroom management examples.
Creating a behavior contract can ensure students understand what’s expected of them and agree to adhere to those expectations.
You can extend this behavior management strategy by having the students create the rules and expectations together (like what was discussed earlier). The process will give them an additional opportunity to review those expectations and ask questions.
Developing relationships is important for classroom management. Some simple ways you can do this is by making sure that you're calling your students by their preferred names and pronouncing them correctly.
Ask all students to pronounce their names for you on the first day of school, even if you feel like the pronunciation is easy. This sets a foundation of respect.
Also, have fun with your students! Smile, laugh, greet them at the door and do different things to show them your personality while still being professional. This allows them to identify you as a person who cares about them versus a teacher just doing a job.
It’s inevitable that sometimes, students will have bad days and act out. They might be upset about something that happened at home, or maybe they’re in an argument with a friend.
Regardless, recognizing the students isn’t in a good place emotionally and giving them time to cool down can deepen trust with the students and ease the tension in the classroom.
This allows them to process their emotions in a healthy way and then get back on track. Have a “cool down” corner, or allow the students to go to an area, such as the media center, for a few minutes.
Sometimes even the best classroom management tips or classroom management rules can’t prevent the occasional behavior incident. When these situations occur, try not to take them personally.
You’re working with students who have different personalities, attitudes, and pet peeves. However, by implementing these classroom management strategies, you can feel confident that you’re doing your part to create a positive learning environment where your students feel safe and supported.
If your looking for help specifically tailored to your grade level you should check out kindergarten classroom management, elementary classroom management, middle school classroom management, high school classroom management, or take a deep dive into how pbis and classroom management can work together. You can also further your research by checking out our list of the best classroom management articles.
Are you looking for more classroom management tips? Check out episode 34 of our podcast.
Deiera Bennett is a freelance EdTech copywriter with a background in marketing and 6 years of experience as an educator. When she’s not writing, you can find her binge-watching The Office for the 5th time, spending time with family, or looking up recipes on Pinterest.
A well-managed classroom is a classroom where students feel safe and supported as they learn. As with anything education-related, it’s important to get to know your students and determine what strategies work best for them. Effective classroom management begins before the first day of school, but it’s never too late to implement new strategies.
Here are 20 classroom management ideas that you can implement today.
By collaborating with students to establish rules and expectations, you can increase student buy-in and establish rapport with students by showing that you value their voices.
This makes a great first-day-of-school activity because it gets the students talking, collaborating, involved in their education from day one. Take it a step further by asking students to model what it looks like to follow the rules.
Host one-on-one check-ins with your students. Ask them how they’re doing, if they’re comfortable with the course material, if they like their desk placement, etc.
These check-ins open the door to communication, establish trust, and provide insight on areas where you can improve their learning experience.
Managing an environment conducive to learning involves ensuring consequences are fair and consistently applied. Refrain from punishing the whole class (such as making them write “I will not talk while the teacher is talking” 100 times) when a student or group of students are misbehaving.
Punishing the whole class undermines your classroom management plan, as it can make students feel that they will be punished no matter what they do, resulting in a lack of motivation to behave.
Use positive behavior supports in the classroom by creating a token economy! In a token economy, students receive points for exhibiting positive behaviors. Those points can then be redeemed for a variety of classroom rewards and virtual prizes. The rewards can vary based on the age of the students.
Platforms such as Live School make it easy to implement a token economy in your classroom. Teachers, parents, and students can viewpoints and comments in the platform, making it an effective communication tool as well.
In addition to rewards, verbal positive reinforcement can also encourage positive behavior. When a student has a great day, call the parents and let them know! It makes students feel appreciated, and it makes the parents proud.
Offering praise to students while in the classroom can also serve another purpose: it encourages other students to do the right thing because they realize that you’re paying attention!
Increase engagement by incorporating students' interests into your lessons. Give your students a survey (another great first week of school activity!) to find out about their interests and hobbies.
Including their interests doesn't have to be complicated. Use popular celebrities’ names in your word problems, or ask students to create TikTok-style videos to explain concepts.
Incorporating your students' interests makes learning fun, and when learning is fun, students are less likely to get off task or exhibit attention-seeking behaviors.
It’s important for children to have structure, and routines ensure that everyone knows what to do and when to do it. Plan how you want students to enter and exit the classroom, line up, and perform other common tasks.
Give the students plenty of opportunities to practice the routines, so they become second nature to students.
Although teachers are there to teach academic content, students are always watching the behavior of the adults in the building.
This means that by modeling the behaviors you want students to exhibit, they see that no one is “above the law.”
Students pay attention to how you interact with your colleagues, how you react when you’re wrong, etc., so be aware of your actions and use your mistakes as teachable moments.
Staying close to students will allow you to monitor them and correct behaviors without disrupting the rest of the class.
Try this out: Next time a group of students is off task, don’t stop instruction. Just casually walk to their group, stand there, and continue teaching. More than likely, they’ll stop talking.
Sometimes it's easy to forget that students need breaks too, just like adults. They’re often in class for six or seven hours a day, and after hours of instruction, even the most engaging lessons can leave students feeling mentally drained.
Schedule brain breaks and add them to your daily routine.
During these breaks, allow students to stretch, talk to a friend, or do whatever else you deem appropriate. Allowing them to have brain breaks shows them that you understand that they've been working hard and reminds them that it’s okay to rest.
The physical organization of the classroom can also impact classroom management. Move furniture so that there are no blind spots and you can easily monitor students.
Organize desks, stations, and other furniture in a way that looks neat and uncluttered. Simple fixes, such as opening a window or adding a plant, can make the classroom feel more inviting and comfortable.
Unplanned downtime presents an opportunity for students to get off task, and sometimes it can be difficult to get them back on track.
Plan transitions, so students never need to wonder “what’s next?”. For example, when transitioning from instruction to the work period, tell students to take out their notebooks and answer the question on the board.
That way they have their next steps rather than waiting on everyone to have their notebook out before receiving the next instruction.
Help students create personal and academic SMART goals and talk to them regularly about their progress. This is a great classroom management strategy because it gives the students something to aim for and focus on while also teaching them independence.
Encourage independence by giving your students opportunities to make choices. Not only does this show them that you value their voices, but it also places responsibility on them as a partner in their education.
Make sure that you're okay with all of the options that the students can choose from.
Letting your students make choices, and supporting their choices, shows them that you recognize and appreciate their differences and preferences.
Nonverbal cues, such as a “teacher look” can help with classroom management because you can correct disruptive behavior without actually stopping instruction to address a student.
Shaking your head no, using a gesture such as putting your finger over your lips to signal “quiet down,” or just making eye contact are sometimes enough to correct student behavior and get them back on track.
Nonverbal cues also keep students from feeling embarrassed, which can often result in a power struggle as they try to “save face.”
Regain class attention with a fun call-and-response.
You and your students can work together to come up with your call and their response. It can be something silly like saying “Scooby Dooby Doo,” to which they’ll stop whatever they’re doing and respond “Where are you?”.
Use lyrics to a song, funny phrases, or even knock-knock jokes.
The key is to choose something that will bring their attention back to you without you having to talk over them or continuously say “everyone listens” or “let me get your attention.”
When children are given responsibilities, it shows that you trust them. Ask your students to help you think of jobs.
Simple tasks such as writing the agenda on the board, sharpening pencils at the end of the day, or collecting notebooks at the end of class can make students proud that they’re playing a role in making sure the class runs smoothly. Class jobs are excellent classroom management examples.
Creating a behavior contract can ensure students understand what’s expected of them and agree to adhere to those expectations.
You can extend this behavior management strategy by having the students create the rules and expectations together (like what was discussed earlier). The process will give them an additional opportunity to review those expectations and ask questions.
Developing relationships is important for classroom management. Some simple ways you can do this is by making sure that you're calling your students by their preferred names and pronouncing them correctly.
Ask all students to pronounce their names for you on the first day of school, even if you feel like the pronunciation is easy. This sets a foundation of respect.
Also, have fun with your students! Smile, laugh, greet them at the door and do different things to show them your personality while still being professional. This allows them to identify you as a person who cares about them versus a teacher just doing a job.
It’s inevitable that sometimes, students will have bad days and act out. They might be upset about something that happened at home, or maybe they’re in an argument with a friend.
Regardless, recognizing the students isn’t in a good place emotionally and giving them time to cool down can deepen trust with the students and ease the tension in the classroom.
This allows them to process their emotions in a healthy way and then get back on track. Have a “cool down” corner, or allow the students to go to an area, such as the media center, for a few minutes.
Sometimes even the best classroom management tips or classroom management rules can’t prevent the occasional behavior incident. When these situations occur, try not to take them personally.
You’re working with students who have different personalities, attitudes, and pet peeves. However, by implementing these classroom management strategies, you can feel confident that you’re doing your part to create a positive learning environment where your students feel safe and supported.
If your looking for help specifically tailored to your grade level you should check out kindergarten classroom management, elementary classroom management, middle school classroom management, high school classroom management, or take a deep dive into how pbis and classroom management can work together. You can also further your research by checking out our list of the best classroom management articles.
Are you looking for more classroom management tips? Check out episode 34 of our podcast.
A well-managed classroom is a classroom where students feel safe and supported as they learn. As with anything education-related, it’s important to get to know your students and determine what strategies work best for them. Effective classroom management begins before the first day of school, but it’s never too late to implement new strategies.
Here are 20 classroom management ideas that you can implement today.
By collaborating with students to establish rules and expectations, you can increase student buy-in and establish rapport with students by showing that you value their voices.
This makes a great first-day-of-school activity because it gets the students talking, collaborating, involved in their education from day one. Take it a step further by asking students to model what it looks like to follow the rules.
Host one-on-one check-ins with your students. Ask them how they’re doing, if they’re comfortable with the course material, if they like their desk placement, etc.
These check-ins open the door to communication, establish trust, and provide insight on areas where you can improve their learning experience.
Managing an environment conducive to learning involves ensuring consequences are fair and consistently applied. Refrain from punishing the whole class (such as making them write “I will not talk while the teacher is talking” 100 times) when a student or group of students are misbehaving.
Punishing the whole class undermines your classroom management plan, as it can make students feel that they will be punished no matter what they do, resulting in a lack of motivation to behave.
Use positive behavior supports in the classroom by creating a token economy! In a token economy, students receive points for exhibiting positive behaviors. Those points can then be redeemed for a variety of classroom rewards and virtual prizes. The rewards can vary based on the age of the students.
Platforms such as Live School make it easy to implement a token economy in your classroom. Teachers, parents, and students can viewpoints and comments in the platform, making it an effective communication tool as well.
In addition to rewards, verbal positive reinforcement can also encourage positive behavior. When a student has a great day, call the parents and let them know! It makes students feel appreciated, and it makes the parents proud.
Offering praise to students while in the classroom can also serve another purpose: it encourages other students to do the right thing because they realize that you’re paying attention!
Increase engagement by incorporating students' interests into your lessons. Give your students a survey (another great first week of school activity!) to find out about their interests and hobbies.
Including their interests doesn't have to be complicated. Use popular celebrities’ names in your word problems, or ask students to create TikTok-style videos to explain concepts.
Incorporating your students' interests makes learning fun, and when learning is fun, students are less likely to get off task or exhibit attention-seeking behaviors.
It’s important for children to have structure, and routines ensure that everyone knows what to do and when to do it. Plan how you want students to enter and exit the classroom, line up, and perform other common tasks.
Give the students plenty of opportunities to practice the routines, so they become second nature to students.
Although teachers are there to teach academic content, students are always watching the behavior of the adults in the building.
This means that by modeling the behaviors you want students to exhibit, they see that no one is “above the law.”
Students pay attention to how you interact with your colleagues, how you react when you’re wrong, etc., so be aware of your actions and use your mistakes as teachable moments.
Staying close to students will allow you to monitor them and correct behaviors without disrupting the rest of the class.
Try this out: Next time a group of students is off task, don’t stop instruction. Just casually walk to their group, stand there, and continue teaching. More than likely, they’ll stop talking.
Sometimes it's easy to forget that students need breaks too, just like adults. They’re often in class for six or seven hours a day, and after hours of instruction, even the most engaging lessons can leave students feeling mentally drained.
Schedule brain breaks and add them to your daily routine.
During these breaks, allow students to stretch, talk to a friend, or do whatever else you deem appropriate. Allowing them to have brain breaks shows them that you understand that they've been working hard and reminds them that it’s okay to rest.
The physical organization of the classroom can also impact classroom management. Move furniture so that there are no blind spots and you can easily monitor students.
Organize desks, stations, and other furniture in a way that looks neat and uncluttered. Simple fixes, such as opening a window or adding a plant, can make the classroom feel more inviting and comfortable.
Unplanned downtime presents an opportunity for students to get off task, and sometimes it can be difficult to get them back on track.
Plan transitions, so students never need to wonder “what’s next?”. For example, when transitioning from instruction to the work period, tell students to take out their notebooks and answer the question on the board.
That way they have their next steps rather than waiting on everyone to have their notebook out before receiving the next instruction.
Help students create personal and academic SMART goals and talk to them regularly about their progress. This is a great classroom management strategy because it gives the students something to aim for and focus on while also teaching them independence.
Encourage independence by giving your students opportunities to make choices. Not only does this show them that you value their voices, but it also places responsibility on them as a partner in their education.
Make sure that you're okay with all of the options that the students can choose from.
Letting your students make choices, and supporting their choices, shows them that you recognize and appreciate their differences and preferences.
Nonverbal cues, such as a “teacher look” can help with classroom management because you can correct disruptive behavior without actually stopping instruction to address a student.
Shaking your head no, using a gesture such as putting your finger over your lips to signal “quiet down,” or just making eye contact are sometimes enough to correct student behavior and get them back on track.
Nonverbal cues also keep students from feeling embarrassed, which can often result in a power struggle as they try to “save face.”
Regain class attention with a fun call-and-response.
You and your students can work together to come up with your call and their response. It can be something silly like saying “Scooby Dooby Doo,” to which they’ll stop whatever they’re doing and respond “Where are you?”.
Use lyrics to a song, funny phrases, or even knock-knock jokes.
The key is to choose something that will bring their attention back to you without you having to talk over them or continuously say “everyone listens” or “let me get your attention.”
When children are given responsibilities, it shows that you trust them. Ask your students to help you think of jobs.
Simple tasks such as writing the agenda on the board, sharpening pencils at the end of the day, or collecting notebooks at the end of class can make students proud that they’re playing a role in making sure the class runs smoothly. Class jobs are excellent classroom management examples.
Creating a behavior contract can ensure students understand what’s expected of them and agree to adhere to those expectations.
You can extend this behavior management strategy by having the students create the rules and expectations together (like what was discussed earlier). The process will give them an additional opportunity to review those expectations and ask questions.
Developing relationships is important for classroom management. Some simple ways you can do this is by making sure that you're calling your students by their preferred names and pronouncing them correctly.
Ask all students to pronounce their names for you on the first day of school, even if you feel like the pronunciation is easy. This sets a foundation of respect.
Also, have fun with your students! Smile, laugh, greet them at the door and do different things to show them your personality while still being professional. This allows them to identify you as a person who cares about them versus a teacher just doing a job.
It’s inevitable that sometimes, students will have bad days and act out. They might be upset about something that happened at home, or maybe they’re in an argument with a friend.
Regardless, recognizing the students isn’t in a good place emotionally and giving them time to cool down can deepen trust with the students and ease the tension in the classroom.
This allows them to process their emotions in a healthy way and then get back on track. Have a “cool down” corner, or allow the students to go to an area, such as the media center, for a few minutes.
Sometimes even the best classroom management tips or classroom management rules can’t prevent the occasional behavior incident. When these situations occur, try not to take them personally.
You’re working with students who have different personalities, attitudes, and pet peeves. However, by implementing these classroom management strategies, you can feel confident that you’re doing your part to create a positive learning environment where your students feel safe and supported.
If your looking for help specifically tailored to your grade level you should check out kindergarten classroom management, elementary classroom management, middle school classroom management, high school classroom management, or take a deep dive into how pbis and classroom management can work together. You can also further your research by checking out our list of the best classroom management articles.
Are you looking for more classroom management tips? Check out episode 34 of our podcast.
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