Classroom Management is one of the essential skills teachers need to be successful. It’s also the most elusive, since it requires cultivation that comes only with teaching experience. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a rookie, these tried and true tips will help you and your colleagues master the art of classroom management.
5 – Keep Moving
As the teacher, you are the focus of your students. Whether they are working on an exercise, or involved in a discussion, the teacher needs to be constantly moving. Try to arrange the students’ desks in ways that allow for you to cruise past them as you go through the lesson. Seeing you walk by will help nudge them to remain on task.
4 – Keep Students Accountable
No matter what the day’s lesson entails, make sure students have work to do that motivates them to stay on task. Even if it’s just mini-assessments sprinkled throughout the lesson, make sure you’ve planned these checkpoints that require students to engage and know what’s expected of them to succeed.
3 – Put the Rousers Front and Center
Once the year starts, most teachers quickly figure out which students tend to enjoy the spotlight, whether the good or not so-well behaved. Those students seek attention, so give it to them by putting them front and center. This will help focus them, as they won’t have anyone in front of them. They will know your eyes are always on them, even when they’re actually on other students.
2 – Get Students Working Right Away
As soon as students enter your classroom, prompt them with an assignment. Creating an environment where students habitually start working will ease any unforeseen excitement they may be carrying over from their last class or lunch. Setting a known structure to your class time will only help keep students on task.
1 – Respect Your Students.
Once you have all the structure, tasks, and accountability built into to your daily lessons, it’s essential to show your students that you respect them. Ultimately, students want to know their teacher isn’t out to get them, but actually views everyone as an individual. Treat each student kindly and with respect, and they will comfortably follow your classroom rules and meet your expectations.