LEAven Blog

I have been a teacher for 27 years, and one question I am often asked by colleagues, future teachers, and new teachers is, “What is the best way to manage a classroom?” While there is no single answer to this question, there are strategies and techniques that I have used over the years as a teacher and administrator that have worked to keep students well-behaved and engaged in classroom instruction.

Explicit Modeling
Modeling the routines and procedures that students should exhibit in the classroom is probably one of the easiest and most effective ways to ensure students behave in class.  Teachers must show students the expected behaviors of a classroom and have students model those exact behaviors.  It sounds so simple, yet I have often seen educators tell students what the expected behaviors entail without showing them what those behaviors should look like.  For example, if it is expected that students line up quietly by the classroom door before leaving the room, the teacher should have them practice this skill by lining up quietly.  If students do not demonstrate the necessary behaviors, they should practice again by walking to the door, forming a line, and remaining quiet. If students are expected to read silently for 10 minutes, practicing this behavior is essential. Set a timer and have the class practice active reading. If off-task behavior is seen, the timer is reset for the following day.  The goal is to reach 10 minutes of uninterrupted, active, silent reading.  Explicit modeling will allow for an organized, functioning classroom.

Consistency
As a previous administrator, I observed many classrooms.  The classrooms where I noticed strong management were those where the teacher was consistent.  Students tended to listen to teachers who consistently modeled and addressed the room’s expectations.  For example, if students were told to complete a task independently but a group of students was talking in the corner of the room, the teacher would address the students calmly and directly. The students would be redirected to complete the independent task. The consistency lies in the teacher doing this for any student, at any time, who was not following the expectations. Students watch and learn quickly whether the teacher will consistently address off-task behavior.  The students will follow that teacher’s lead. Consistency is key.

Think positively
Teachers who assume the best with their students tend to phrase words in a positive light.  For example, if students are not following directions, it could be beneficial to say, “I don’t think my directions were clear enough, let’s revisit” rather than, “Some of you are not listening.” Positivity changes the classroom environment to an engaging, safe place for students to learn. Praising students who are doing what is expected allows others to see that positive behaviors are noticed, more so than the negative. If we think the best of our students, they will rise to the occasion.

Lesson Planning
When the teacher has explicit, planned lessons ready for the day, students tend to engage more and misbehave less. It is better to overplan than underplan. Students have little time for off-task behavior when lessons are delivered clearly and explicitly.  In my experience, if the lesson ended early or there was not enough to do, students tended to engage in off-task behavior. I found that lessons using diverse strategies, such as “Turn and Talks,” kept all students engaged throughout. ‘Paired Reading’ also improved engagement as all students were accountable to a partner.  Overall, engaging, active lessons result in fewer unwanted behaviors.

While classroom management is essential for effective learning, simple strategies will go a long way. Spending the first few weeks of the year explicitly teaching strategies and routines will result in a successful school year.  Remember that following breaks, students may need a refresher of those strategies and routines. It is always okay to revisit procedures and expectations as needed.