10 Effective Strategies For Classroom Management
1. Say “Hello” and greet your students with a smile every day (if possible, stand in the doorway and say hello to each student by name as they enter the classroom). Show them that you are happy to see them.
2. Make time to hear your students thoughts, ideas, and opinions. Take a genuine interest and give a response that shows you care.
3. Post rules where everyone can see them and phrase rules in the positive. (I personally like to call them expectations rather than rules, but that is up to you).
Examples of class rules phrased in the positive:
-Quiet while working
-Complete assignments
-Raise hand to ask questions or make comments
-Show respect to others (e.g., hands and feet to self, use kind words, ask to borrow belongings)
4. Have each child sign a contract in the beginning of the year agreeing to follow the rules.
5. Review your rules every morning until everyone in the class is following them regularly. Go back to reviewing them every morning if any student stops following the rules on a regular basis.
6. Use verbal praise to reinforce rules (e.g., “You guys worked so quietly today and completed all your work! Nice job!”). Also use positive body language, at times, to show your approval (e.g., smiling, giving thumbs up, nodding in approval).
7. When a rule is broken, point to the rule, make eye contact with the student or students who broke the rule, and restate it using a neutral, business like tone (we raise our hands in class, we remain quiet while working, etc.). Eliminate the word can (e.g., “can you raise your hand?” “can you be quiet?”). It is not up to them. It is a directive from you that they are expected to follow. Some children respond well to a simple visual gesture to remind them of the rule, rather than stating it verbally. A visual gesture could be raising your own hand (to remind the student to raise his hand) or pointing to the area where the student is supposed to be
8. Allow students to earn privileges (fun activities) for completing work and following class rules. Depending on your classes’ age, developmental level, frustration tolerance, and ability to sustain attention for long periods of time, you may want to have them work to earn fun activities two times a day (e.g., once before lunch and once at the end of the day) rather than just one time at the end of the day. Some classes may even benefit from earning fun activities three times a day. You have to assess what type of schedule will benefit your classroom.
Some ideas for privileges include:
-15 minutes of “talk with peers” time
-half hour game time
-watching a special video
-half hour of sitting quietly at their desks while doing an activity of their choice (e.g., reading a book of choice, drawing)
9. Use redirection (e.g., say “finish writing your sentence” instead of “stop talking” or “look up here” instead of “stop looking out the window”). Nonverbal redirection, like tapping the students paper or book in the spot where they should be, as a reminder to get back on task, is often effective as well.
10. Tell your students what you want them to do instead of what you don’t want them to do (e.g., say “quiet in the hallway” instead of “no talking in the hallway”, “keep your hands to yourself” instead of “no hitting.”) Children respond better when you tell them what to do instead of what not to do.
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