Classroom Management Strategies & Techniques that Work

Written by Grant Fodness

Why Classroom Management Is Important

Classroom management can be defined as what a teacher does to create a learning environment supportive of students' academic and social-emotional development and is a big challenge for many educators. Students cannot learn, and teachers cannot teach effectively in poorly run classrooms.

Every class needs a classroom management plan consisting of guidelines, rules, and expectations so that each student knows what behaviors they are expected to exhibit and what is not allowed. Research has shown that how a classroom is managed affects students' behavior, academic performance, and social-emotional development.

All students benefit from quality classroom management programs, so teachers must use effective classroom management strategies. A high-quality classroom management plan:

• Ensures the classroom is orderly
• Improves learning and social-emotional development
• Increases the amount of time students are academically engaged
• Decreases the number of negative behaviors teachers must handle

Chaotic classrooms lead to more burnout and higher teacher stress, so developing an effective classroom management plan is especially important for managing teacher stress and burnout. Many teachers feel extremely stressed and burnt out each day because their classroom is chaotic. They often feel like they spend the whole day managing students and behaviors instead of doing what they signed up to do — teach.

Using effective classroom management strategies is especially important for new teachers. Many teacher education programs fail to address classroom management adequately when preparing teachers for the field. When new teachers get to the classroom, they often feel overwhelmed and unsupported in classroom management, and they struggle until they establish a quality classroom management system.

Overall, an effective classroom management system makes a teacher's life easier and less chaotic, with a bevy of positive effects on students' learning, growth, and development.

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Classroom Management Styles

Research shows that there are four classroom management styles:

• Authoritarian
• Authoritative
• Permissive
• Indulgent

Authoritarian

In the authoritarian classroom, the teacher is in complete control. Think of the teacher as a drill sergeant. There is not much room for flexibility in the rules, punishment is frequent, and the teacher has likely not built quality relationships with their students. Some students require the rigid structure of this classroom management style, while others may falter without a relationship with their teacher.

Authoritative

Authoritative teachers control their classrooms but encourage student participation and collaboration in classroom management. Student feedback is valued and allows for some flexibility in setting classroom rules and procedures. Authoritative teachers likely care a great deal about their students and strive to build positive relationships with each of them. Because of the high student engagement and positive classroom environment, students experience incredible academic, social, and behavioral growth when teachers use this classroom management style.

Permissive

The permissive classroom is highly unstructured and not engaging. Teachers with this classroom management style are overly passive and do not enforce rules consistently, nor do they try to build positive relationships with their students. Instead, teachers have low standards and don't hold their students accountable — causing students to fall well short of their potential in the classroom.

Indulgent

The final classroom management style is indulgent. Teachers who adopt the indulgent classroom management style stress freedom and student involvement but lack control. This teacher is usually well-liked by the students and builds great relationships with their students. Often, students think of the indulgent teacher as one of their friends. But the lack of control and structure prevents students from being held accountable for their behavior, and students often suffer from the lack of rigor needed to succeed academically.

Classroom Management Strategies

There are many different classroom management strategies that teachers can use when it comes to managing a classroom full of students. No matter the age or grade level, teachers can rely on strategies to develop their whole classroom management system.

Most effective classroom management strategies are centered around building a positive classroom environment or community that is appealing and inviting for students and focuses on preventative measures rather than reactive strategies.

Although there is a variety of strategies teachers may choose to deploy, each strategy can fit into one of two classroom management categories:

• Content management
• Behavior management

Effective classroom management systems involve a mix of content and behavior management strategies, so teachers should consider both when forming their comprehensive classroom management program.

Behavior Management Strategies

Behavior management refers to classroom management in which clear rules and expectations are established and explicitly communicated with the class. These rules and expectations are consistently enforced and retaught as needed. Many effective classroom management plans use a mix of preventative or proactive strategies, redirections, and consistent consequences to manage student behavior in the classroom.

In this type of classroom management, the emphasis is typically placed on building positive relationships and creating a positive learning environment or classroom community to foster learning and social-emotional development. Instead of focusing on punishment and negative behaviors, it focuses on what behaviors are expected of students, giving them praise or other reinforcement when they meet or exceed these expectations. When students do not meet these behavioral expectations, consistently fair consequences are given.

Here are some effective behavior management strategies:

Operationally Define Behavioral Expectations

Teachers should operationally define the positive behaviors they expect their students to exhibit. This means clearly defining exactly what each behavior should look like for their students.

If a class rule is "hands to self," for example, what does that actually look like? Each student likely has a different idea of what "hands to self" means, so the teacher must explicitly state what is expected.

Additionally, if a teacher doesn't know exactly what it looks like to follow each of their rules, how can they be expected to enforce them? If each behavioral expectation is operationally defined, it takes some guesswork out when enforcing rules as part of a teacher's classroom management plan.

Explicitly Teach Behavioral Expectations

Another helpful behavior management strategy is explicitly teaching behavioral expectations. Students need explicit instruction on how to exhibit every expected behavior. Teachers should not expect students to exhibit desired behaviors without teaching them that desired behavior. A first-grade teacher wouldn't expect their students to know how to read without teaching them how to read, so teachers shouldn't expect students to exhibit desired behaviors without teaching them.

This is especially important when teaching in a diverse classroom or one with English Language Learners (ELLs). If a classroom's behavioral expectations do not match the expectations of that student's home or culture, they will likely need explicit instruction to meet the classroom expectations.

Teachers may find it helpful to give frequent reminders and reteach expected behaviors as needed — especially after a long weekend or holiday break. Students' home lives are often much less structured than in school, so it can be a bit of an adjustment to get back into the structure provided at school. Students may need additional reminders and reteaching when they return after a break.

Clearly Post Behavioral Expectations

Clearly posting behavioral expectations is another behavior management strategy many teachers have found to be successful in their comprehensive classroom management plan. Teachers wishing to incorporate this strategy into their classroom management system should keep all rules and behavioral expectations clearly posted in their classroom so that students can refer to them as needed.

This strategy could be adapted to fit students of all ages and levels. For example, students in primary grades may need visuals to accompany the posted classroom rules if they're still learning to read. In higher grade levels, posting a list of written rules may suffice.

Most experts recommend a maximum of five rules or expectations at a time, which is easier for students to remember. Some students may have difficulty remembering more than five rules at a time, so keeping it under five is a good limit.

Utilize Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is an extremely important behavior management strategy, and it can take on various forms as part of a comprehensive classroom management system.

Utilizing positive reinforcement or rewarding students for exhibiting and exceeding behavioral expectations creates a more positive classroom environment. Instead of focusing on punitive systems or only using consequences to manage student behaviors, teachers can focus on positive behaviors and build a more positive classroom environment.

Some teachers oppose positive reinforcement systems because they think they are bribing students or teaching students that they will always be rewarded for exhibiting positive behaviors. The truth is that positive reinforcement can take many forms and doesn't always have to be tangible. It can even be something as simple as a teacher recognizing when a student exhibits the desired behavior or allowing the class to work toward a fun activity. Regardless, research has also shown that positive reinforcement systems are more effective than punitive or consequence-based approaches.

Maintain Regular Positive Communication with Students' Families

Much like utilizing positive reinforcement, making regular positive contact with students' families can help build a positive classroom environment and manage student behavior. For many families, the only time they receive a call from school is when there is a problem, which can lead to a more negative outlook on school.

Instead of only calling home when things aren't going well, teachers should make regular positive phone calls with families to further build positive relationships. A positive phone call, message, or email is a great way to reinforce students' behavior and makes them more likely to exhibit those positive behaviors regularly.

Keep Consistent Consequences

Although the focus is on positive reinforcement and positive behavioral expectations, students still need to be held accountable for their misbehavior. They need consistent consequences for their behavior when they fail to meet a behavioral expectation or break a classroom rule.

Teachers should develop a set of consistent consequences to give when students exhibit undesired behaviors. Developing a set of consistent consequences takes away stress for the teacher and removes emotions from making the decision.

The most effective consequences target the function of the student's behavior. For example, a student may interrupt class or speak out of turn to obtain attention from the teacher or their peers. In this case, reprimanding the student would not be an effective consequence because the teacher is giving the student the attention they desire. Ignoring the student's disruption and giving the student attention for exhibiting positive behavior would be a more effective strategy.

Similarly, if a student does something to get out of having to do an assignment or task, sending them to the office will likely maintain that behavior and make them more likely to do it when they don't want to do an assignment because the function of their behavior is being met.

Consider Inclusivity

A teacher's classroom management plan needs to include all learners in their class. Most classes have at least one student with an individualized education program (IEP) or 504 plan who requires accommodations and modifications to participate in the general education classroom. Each classroom management technique, rule, and consequence should be examined through the lens of inclusion.

For example, one student may need additional reminders of classroom rules if they have memory issues or slower cognitive processing. Or, if a student has a history of trauma, for example, certain consequences may not be appropriate for that student compared to the rest of the class.

No matter the rule, technique, or consequence, teachers should consider incorporating inclusive instructional strategies when developing their comprehensive classroom management program.

Content Management Strategies

Content management refers to managing the movement, materials, and space in the classroom, along with how the curriculum is presented. Teachers may have to be creative to effectively manage the content side of the classroom, utilizing curriculum or presenting lessons in different ways and managing space and the layout of the classroom differently.

It's important to note that each class is different, so what works in one classroom or with one year's class may not work for the next, and the teacher may have to make modifications based on this.

Here are a few effective content management strategies that teachers can use when developing their content management plan.

Build Strong Relationships

The most important thing in developing any classroom management or content management plan is building relationships with the students. Students who trust their teachers are more likely to follow classroom rules and expectations and will likely put more effort into completing assignments and coursework.

Teachers should make every effort they can to get to know their students on a personal basis. Greeting them at the door, asking them questions about their night or weekend, and remembering what they like and dislike can all go a long way in building a positive, trusting relationship with a student.

Building strong relationships with students build a more positive classroom atmosphere, which goes far in effectively managing class content.

Teach and Practice Procedures and Transitions

Transitions can be a hectic time in any classroom, whether it's a transition outside of the room or within the room. Just like sounding out words or basic math facts, students need explicit instruction and practice with procedures for transitioning in and outside the classroom.

What are students expected to do when math is over and time to transition to reading instruction? Teachers should teach students how to put their device or book away and move to the carpet for instruction, for example.

What about when it's the end of the day and students need to pack up? Again, teachers should teach students how to pack up and allow them to practice the skill until they can do it independently.

These expectations and routines should be taught at the beginning of the year and retaught as needed during the year.

To effectively manage the content of a classroom, teachers should also avoid abrupt changes from one activity to another without a heads-up or transition routine or period. Utilizing visual timers or warning students when a transition is about to occur can help minimize disruptions when it is time to transition.

Keep Desks Clear

Teachers may also need to manage the materials of the classroom, including what students have out on their desks and the layout of the room. It seems like a simple thing to do, but many teachers forget about it.

A simple reminder at the beginning of a lesson for students to put certain things away or have their desks clear further content management and limit student distractions.

Consider Classroom Layout

The organization, structure, and layout of the classroom could also cause certain classroom issues. For example, if there is a small area where multiple students need to go at a specific time, it could cause issues simply because there are many students in that area at once. Teachers may have to manipulate the layout of desks, tables, and other pieces of classroom furniture to manage their classrooms effectively.

It may also be helpful to consider what teachers hang on their walls, ceilings, and bulletin boards as decorations and class aids. Certain things could distract students, or an overly-cluttered space could cause students to lose focus during classroom instruction. For those reasons, teachers need to pay attention to the layout and organization of their classrooms.

Maximize Student Engagement

Managing the curriculum or lessons taught to the class is another important content management strategy. Bored students will find something to entertain themselves; unfortunately, what they choose to entertain themselves with is often distracting, disruptive, or against classroom rules.

For that reason, teachers need to develop engaging lessons that encourage student participation and keep their attention. This can be difficult if a teacher is given a more rigid curriculum with scripted lessons, but teachers can be creative in modifying these lessons to be more engaging.

The pacing and length of the lessons are also important considerations. Certain activities can't take too long and cause students to dwell on them. Lessons also can't be too difficult so students are lost and give up. It may take some trial and error and modifications based on each individual class, but finding ways to maximize student engagement is a crucial content management strategy.

Add Movement Breaks

One way that teachers can maximize student engagement is through movement breaks. Movement breaks can take on various forms and are little breaks during or in between lessons when students are allowed to move around or do a fun, active activity. They can be a very effective component of a teacher's classroom management plan.

There are all sorts of ways teachers can use movement breaks in the classroom. Whether it's a short dance party, a quick workout, or just taking a walk around the room, movement breaks are very effective in increasing student engagement and managing class content.

Whole Brain Teaching

Whole brain teaching is a system that involves using call and response to get students' attention. To start the whole brain teaching method, teachers must first develop a list of the call-and-responses they want their students to use and explicitly teach these to their students.

A common call-and-response is when the teacher says, "Class, class" and the class responds with "Yes, yes." Teachers can be creative here and use call-and-response strategies that are interesting to the students and will keep them engaged.

After teaching the call-and-responses to the class, the teacher will do them throughout the day and reinforce or praise students for giving the correct response. Although this content management strategy may involve a lot of teaching in the beginning, it ensures that students are engaged and reinforces classroom rules and expectations at the same time.

The Role of Students in Classroom Management

The development and implementation of an effective classroom management system lie on the shoulders of the teacher, but each student should be involved in the process and have some say in how the classroom is managed. Including students in the development of the classroom management plan can be very effective in getting students to buy into the rules and expectations of the classroom and create a classroom community.

Teachers can do this in multiple ways, but a simple strategy is to have a conversation with the class about what rules they expect or think should be enforced in the classroom. As this conversation continues, the teacher can explain why certain rules are enforced and others are not, and this helps students understand the reasoning behind classroom rules. If a student can see how not raising their hand to speak is disruptive and disrespectful to the rest of the class and the teacher, they are less likely to exhibit that behavior because they understand the rationale behind it.

If having an open discussion like this is not practical or may not work for a teacher's class, they can have students write down their suggestions and submit them anonymously. This may be an especially helpful alternative for students who are hesitant to speak up in class. The teacher can then read through the responses and select a few to discuss with the whole class.

Gathering student opinions like this and including students in the decision-making process gives the class some ownership over their learning environment and helps develop a community-like classroom culture. Instead of seeing school as a place where students come to be told what they can and cannot do, they see their classroom as a caring community — one in which they play a role in determining that it runs smoothly. They see it as a positive place, instead of a negative or punitive one, which leads to better learning, social-emotional and behavioral development, and classroom management systems.