Classroom Management is something all teachers worry about.
Whether I’m helping a school or district with Mastery Learning, or presenting at a conference, the topic of classroom management never seems to go away. This is for good reason, especially because if your classroom is not managed well, it’s hard to create an environment where learning can thrive. Classroom management is also something that seldom gets discussed in the context of teacher preparation, which focuses more on pedagogy and instructional practices. Let’s be honest…that one class on management most of us took, didn’t do a whole lot.
Many teachers, whether they are veterans or in their first year, have developed classroom management strategies from trial and error. This can create bad habits from systems and routines developed out of desperation, rather than best practices.
I want to share five tried and true classroom management tips that can help any classroom.
Tip #1: Build Trust and Relationships With Your Students
At the core of any positive classroom culture or management strategy is trust and relationships with your students. You can build this in many ways, including learning about their interests, being transparent and honest, and always (even if it isn’t easy) trusting that they want to do the right thing. You can also utilize unstructured time (lunches, hallways, recesses) to have non-academic conversations and interactions. All of these things will begin to forge relationships and trust with your students, who will then be more willing to give you their best effort and follow the directions and rules you set in your classroom.
Tip #2: Create Systems and Routines in Your Classroom
This feels obvious and un-necessary to say, but time and time again I see it as an area of focus for educators I observe. If you can create a system or a routine for any process in your classroom…do it! Whether it’s bathroom breaks, sharpening pencils, asking questions, or participating in group activities…do it! By setting systems and routines that meet the needs of your learners and your classroom, you can avoid a lot of issues before they happen. By setting clear expectations, you can also provide a predictable environment for students to learn in. When they know what to expect they can focus on what matters.
Tip #3: Don’t Be Confrontational:
So many management issues or classroom “blow-ups” occur because a teacher approaches a student with either a negative tone or assumption that then creates a confrontational environment. Most students will go into “defense” mode and it will create a situation that de-rails a lesson or classroom’s productivity. When you approach a student never accuse or approach them in an authoritarian manner. Approach them with a simple question or clarifying statement like: “Do you need some help before you get started?” . If you approach with care and support the learner will be more likely listen.
[CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO ON HOW TO HANDLE STUDENT CONFRONTATIONS]
Tip#4: Create a Positive Culture & Celebrate Growth
Always try to create a positive culture in your class that celebrates individual growth and group achievements. For every negative action or redirection there should be multiple positive acknowledgement’s whether that is encouraging statements, positive “awesome notes” you drop on a desk, or just non-verbal praise for students. When this is modeled for students they will begin to show it to others.
Tip#5: Increase Student Ownership & Accountability:
Anytime you can create opportunities for student ownership or accountability in your classroom, you are creating a more conducive environment for learning. Teacher-centered classrooms demand more attention from the teacher, in terms of classroom management. When a classroom shifts to more student-centered practices the space, environment, and culture are owned by the learners. This increases accountability for every student.
Bonus Tip & Final Thought:
Management strategies in any successful classroom should always start with quality instruction and implementation of best practices. When differentiation is more than a word, and all students needs are met, your classroom will have management issues that can actually resolve themselves. I encourage you to try all of these things in your own classroom, and strive to improve them everyday. Above all else, always continue to focus on instruction that is created to let students thrive in your classroom. At the end of the day, an engaged, productive learner is not one that will cause you management issues.
