4 of the Best Classroom Management Tips and Tricks
Classroom management is something teachers either feel extremely confident in, or extremely lacking in. No matter where you land, Lauren Conner and Mister Brown have four actionable tips that can help your classroom management style.
I can remember sitting in my first education position interview; I had to interview with the superintendent of the district in order to get the position. I was slightly terrified, as it was a one-on-one interview and I was barely twenty. I had shared with him that I was working toward a teaching credential, and he promptly asked me, “What is your classroom management strategy?” My mind immediately went blank and I am sure a look of pure panic crossed my face. After stumbling around an answer, the superintendent stopped me and went to his shelf to pull a book off; Teaching with Love and Logic. This book changed my life and my teaching style. I highly recommend it. While I have since melded my classroom management philosophy into my own hodgepodge of different strategies, Teaching with Love and Logic gave me the perfect foundation on which to stand.
Classroom management is something teachers either feel extremely confident in, or extremely lacking in. No matter where you land, here are some actionable tips that can help your classroom management style:
Have A Plan
[1:00] When you walk into your classroom, you need to know what your plan is for the day. You need to know what your students are doing, and you need to know how they are completing that task. For example, in my planner, often I will note the activity or the task, and I will also note whether it is to be done individually during silent work time, as group work, or as partner work. I will also note what students can do after they finish their work.
I have a favorite quote from one of my college professors; she always told me, “The brain needs a job” (Dr. Sara Johnson). Essentially, when a student’s brain has a job to work on, the teacher’s job is easier because that student has an occupied brain. An idle brain is asking for trouble, especially in middle school. Classroom management is achievable when you have a plan and students have a job.
2. Communicate Your Expectations Clearly
[2:05] Many teachers make the mistake of telling students their expectations the first day or week of school, and then never revisiting those expectations throughout the year. It is imperative to your classroom management that you intertwine your expectations with your instructions.
For example, when I give my students a group assignment, I tell them the instructions of the assignment, and we briefly talk through the group expectations. I ask them what the group expectations are, and they give me answers like, “We need to stay on task!”, “We need to talk in quiet voices.”, or “We need to stay in our seats.”. Not only does this remind students of the expectations, but it gives me ground to stand on when I need to have a conversation with a student. The excuse of, “I didn’t know!” no longer works, because we talked about what was expected.
Even if you think your students know your expectations, you need to revisit those expectations. Walking somewhere as a class? Expectations. Going to lunch? Expectations. Cleaning the classroom? Expectations. Your students need to know what your expectations are in order for your year to run smoothly.
3. Be Kind and Consistent With All Rules and All Students
[13:50] There’s no way around it, this one is tough. Students who understand the consequences and know that all actions are dealt with fairly are more likely to meet expectations.
In the recent past, I had an extremely difficult class. There were several students who frequently struggled to meet expectations. My job was to give those students consequences when they failed to meet expectations. When I did this calmly and kindly, they were more likely to learn from the situation than when I let the action upset me.
However, my job was also to give fair consequences to the students who regularly met expectations and failed occasionally. When my extremely difficult students saw that they were not being “picked on” or “singled out” and that everyone received a fair consequence for not meeting an expectation, my “street cred” increased, and my classroom management became easier. All students must be given fair and consistent consequences in order for classroom management to truly work.
4. Foster A Classroom of Safety and Mutual Respect
[16:50] Every student at some point in your classroom is going to have an “off” day. As educators, our job is to teach students. A student who is “off” cannot learn. When I have a student who comes in and is clearly having a rough day, I try to pull the student outside and have a conversation with them. More often than not, the student will share with me what is bothering them.
At that point, I have a decision to make. I have learned that if a student is truly having a rough day, allowing that student to take a few minutes and breathe outside on my ramp might be just what they need. This fosters an environment of safety and mutual respect. My student at that moment understands that I care for them and their mental health, and I respect their emotional state. Students who feel safe and respected are more likely to behave for you as the teacher. Relationships are a huge part of classroom management.
Every teacher is going to approach classroom management differently because we all have different personalities and styles in the classroom. What works for one person may not work for another. I have found these strategies to work extremely well in my classroom, and I hope that in sharing them you can find success as well!
[22:50] Bonus Tips and Tricks for Classroom Management
