“The classroom should be an entrance into the world, not an escape from it.” ~John Ciardi
Teaching is a profession that requires a broad set of skills to help students rise to their potential. While many of these skills involve the pedagogical elements of being a teacher, there is no denying that effective classroom management skills are essential if teachers are to engage their students and deliver positive outcomes.
At Alludo, we want to make sure that teachers have everything they need for a successful and productive classroom experience and that’s why we have included microlearning activities related to classroom management in our professional development catalog. To help you understand the importance of classroom management, here’s some information plus nine examples of effective classroom management strategies to try.
A classroom management plan is a simple but effective behavior management tool that teachers can use to maintain order in the classroom and help students reach their potential. It plays an important role in student education and is thus an essential tool for teachers.
First and foremost, a classroom management plan is a set of rules that is designed to hold students accountable for their behavior without scolding or yelling at them. It should lay out what behavior is expected and the consequences for not adhering to the rules.
For example, one rule might be that all students must raise their hand and be acknowledged by the teacher before speaking. The first violation might result in a verbal warning while the second might earn the student a short time-out.
Having a set of rules in place allows teachers to quickly address any behavioral issues while maintaining boundaries with students and setting expectations.
The second thing a classroom management plan must do is set out procedures for how the classroom operates in a variety of situations. Some situations to cover might include the following:
The right classroom management plan can boost student engagement by setting classroom expectations.
Smart classroom management has significant benefits for teachers, individual students, and the school as a whole.
By setting rules for appropriate behavior, classroom management has a direct impact on both student effectiveness and student learning. Teachers can focus on teaching because they’ll have fewer behavioral issues to address. With clear boundaries and less disruptive behavior around them, students can put their attention on learning.
An orderly and well-managed classroom contributes to student success. According to a 2022 study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology, students in classrooms where management strategies were employed spent more time on task than students in classrooms without such strategies and experienced improvements in test scores as a result.
While more research is necessary to determine which strategies have the biggest impact on student achievement, it’s not surprising that reducing disruptions would lead to better student outcomes.
The relationships teachers have with their students play a key role in student learning. When students feel seen, heard, and valued, they’re less likely to be disruptive and more likely to perform well in school.
Classroom management plans lay the groundwork for teachers to build productive working relationships with students because everybody in the classroom knows what to expect.
Teachers get comparatively little time with students, so it’s essential to protect time in the classroom and use it as efficiently as possible. The right classroom management plan will both protect teachers’ time in the classroom and allow them to leverage the time they have with students for the best results.
It might not seem like having plans and strategies in place would make a big difference, but students thrive when they know what’s expected of them.
To help you develop a classroom management plan of your own, here are nine effective classroom management strategies as examples of what you could implement.
When setting expectations for students, make the consequences for disruptive behavior as small as possible at first. If the minimum consequence is effective as a deterrent, you’ll be able to save big consequences for more serious infringements.
Disruptions in the classroom are most likely to occur during transitional times: as students arrive in class before the bell rings, between activities, or when they’re preparing to leave the classroom. You can create a routine that will tell students what to do and rehearse it to minimize problems.
Positive reinforcement can go a long way toward getting students on board with your classroom management plans. You can help them to see you as an ally by sending a positive letter or calling their parents to praise them.
Consequences should be limited to the students who break the rules. Punishing the entire class is not a good strategy because it penalizes the students who are following the rules, disincentivizing them to continue doing so.
Students are most likely to buy into your classroom management plan and see you as an ally when they have a choice in some of what they do. For example, you might give them a choice between a take-home quiz or completing an assignment in class.
It’s not useful to have goals if your students aren’t aware of them. They’re more likely to control their behavior if you announce a goal ahead of time. An example would be, “Today it took two minutes for the entire class to settle down after the bell rang. Let’s try to get it under a minute tomorrow.”
In any management situation, it’s easy to lay down the initial ground rules but may be difficult to keep them consistent as time passes. It’s important to remember that if students behave inappropriately and there are no consequences, the likelihood of it turning into an ongoing problem increases. Be consistent to get consistency.
Nobody likes arbitrary rules, so taking the time to explain to your students why a rule is in place and when it applies can go a long way toward getting them to buy into your classroom management plan.
Inclusivity is essential for student learning, so you should review your classroom management plan with your special education team and with an eye toward accommodating students with IEPs and 504 plans. Remember that these students may need additional explanations or modified rules.
Even with an effective classroom management plan in place, there may be times when teachers need to address a difficult classroom or behavior from students who may be more disruptive than usual. Here are some pointers that can help you regain control:
Difficult behavior is challenging but having a strong classroom management plan in place will give you a foundation to handle any problems that arise in the classroom.
The Alludo PD platform provides teachers with a choice and a voice in what they learn. Any teacher who wants to create a classroom management plan can do so with help from the courses and microlearning activities included in our professional development catalog.
The bottom line is that preparing teachers with the means to learn about effective classroom management strategies can save them time and stress in the classroom and beyond. It also improves student achievement and success.
The Alludo platform allows teachers to complete microlearning activities on their own time and encourages engagement with gamification and rewards. 0ur platform itself can serve as inspiration to help teachers develop systems that work to inspire and encourage students.
Creating and implementing a classroom management plan can help teachers by helping students understand what’s expected of them. The result is that teachers can make better use of their time in the classroom – and students reap the benefits in the form of improved outcomes.
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