Strategies for classroom management are crucial for managing behavior in the classroom! Often, we think of behavior charts, incentives, and rewards when we refer to strategies for classroom management, managing the classroom consists of so much more! Laying the groundwork for effective strategies for managing the classroom begins long before the students enter the classroom.
Establishing strong class management skills is essential for new teachers so that their classrooms can run like a well-oiled machine.
These strategies for classroom management, when put in place, are well worth the time and effort. They will establish lasting relationships and clarify expectations.
Classroom management doesn’t need to be hard! Proper planning can set the pace for systems that will allow you to confidently manage your classroom. Get organized with this free classroom management guide
Let’s take a closer look at management techniques that you can put in place even before the children enter your classroom!
Classroom Systems
Setting up classroom systems provides the teacher with an overall plan for how the class will flow. Systems can be viewed as the backbone of the rest of the strategies for classroom management. Classroom systems include things like; where will the students wait to enter and exit the room? How will they do lunch count and attendance? Will they sit on the rug when they enter the room or at their tables? Walk through your daily schedule and see what you will need to establish. Think of how you can clearly communicate classroom systems with the students in classroom spaces. You can begin small and build on these classroom management strategies for elementary students to encourage independence in the classroom.
Routines
Consistent and sequential routines are strategies for classroom management. The way we structure the day is significant when establishing classroom management strategies for elementary children. Consistently establishing an order of the daily schedule will give students the security of knowing the day’s sequence. Visual schedules and posters that show the expected behavior provide a visual reference for your children. Visual cues and references are a quick easy way to help you in managing behavior in the classroom.
Physical space
Physical furniture design and arrangement are to be considered when planning strategies for classroom management. Do the room and furniture design lend themselves to running patterns? Does the environment reflect the developmental needs of the learners? An effective classroom manager takes all these things into consideration. Walk through the room to see if the furniture layout encourages a balanced flow for the learner to move through. Anticipate problem areas such as, where the children will line up, and where they will wait to use the bathroom. Be sure the tools that they need to accomplish a center are located at the center, to prevent the children from wandering back and forth!
Rewards
Rewards can be used for managing behavior in the classroom. They can often be successful strategies for classroom management. They can range from whole group incentives to school-wide positive behavior systems! There are instances where you may need to provide a reward for an individual sticker chart or smile chart all of the above would be examples of classroom management plans.
I personally, use a combination of intrinsic and external rewards. There is great power in earning a job or receiving a shout-out card!!
