Need some quick and effective classroom management techniques to keep the school day on track? Try some of the easy classroom management ideas below to stay focused and keep students learning all day long. They’re perfect for new teachers and veteran teachers alike!
Bite-Size Classroom Management Tips
A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place
If it is in your classroom, it should have a labeled space where it lives. Put it there, use it, return it. Teach your students to return things to their proper spot so that time is not wasted trying to find supplies, notebooks, and more.
Be a Paper Tamer
Instead of loose papers, use notebooks whenever possible. Math notebooks, social studies notebooks, science notebooks, spelling and language arts notebooks. The more contained you can keep the paper, the easier it is to tame. Be sure to get a wheeled carrier to take things home from school, because notebooks are a lot heavier than individual papers.
Rockin’ Routine
Introduce a modern day clean-up song that even your middle school students will love. Choose a 90-120 second upbeat song that, when played, signals clean-up and transition time. A fun, cheerful song can help put everyone in a better mood and keep them on track during transitions. For younger students, Yo Gabba Gabba’s Hold Still is a fun option. Older students might prefer something like Rascall Flatts’ Life Is a Highway from the Disney/Pixar movie Cars.
Helpers Unite
Stress the importance of classroom jobs and assign everyone a task. When students are invested in their classroom’s appearance and functionality, the class will run more smoothly.
Visitor Ambassador
When visitors stop by the classroom, students are instantly distracted. Instead of stopping what you are in the middle of, have an appointed “Visitor Ambassador” whose job it is to greet the visitor and take any messages or papers that they may need to leave. This helps the other students stay focused on their work and gives you a few minutes to find a good place to stop in the lesson you are teaching.
What are some of your favorite bite-size classroom management techniques? Share them with us below!