August 5, 2025
As a new teacher, it can be very exciting to think about the new students you’ll be teaching, the lessons you’ll be preparing and all the other fun activities you hope to perform with the class. However, you probably already know that students can get chaotic. Preparing management strategies in the classroom can help you and your students have a smoother and more positive experience. This article breaks down the guidelines you can consider.
What Is Classroom Management?
Classroom management pertains to the systems and strategies you can use as a teacher to ensure a productive and effective classroom environment. Creating a classroom management plan can help you set the stage for the rest of the school year. You will need to exercise strong organizational and problem-solving skills to create and adapt the plan to your specific circumstances.
Effective classroom management can lead to fewer class disruptions and lower behavioral problems from students. More traditional teachers may prefer a heavily structured approach, where they impose strict behavioral and performance standards. Meanwhile, more modern approaches tend to be flexible and student-centered.
Whatever means you prefer, the ultimate goal of classroom management is to foster a collaborative and inclusive learning atmosphere that benefits the students, parents and you as their teacher.
Factors Affecting Classroom Management
The main factors affecting classroom management include:
- Policies and procedures: These pertain to the classroom rules and how they should be implemented. There should also be consequences for misbehaviors, although this doesn’t really pertain to punishment.
- Time management: This includes routines or structures that the class follows. Which activities should the students do and when? How are these routines implemented?
- Behavioral management: Classroom behavior management refers to the means you motivate your students and how you can encourage more participation. You may also consider protocols if you find that problematic behaviors are arising.
- Modes of teaching: The modes of teaching affect classroom management, as the lack of student engagement can be a real problem for teachers. Disengagement can affect student morale and performance.
Effective Classroom Management Strategies
The best classroom management strategies center around clarity, responsibility and relationships. Consider the following when creating your management plan:
1. Set Clear Expectations and Promote Student Responsibility
At the start of the school year, it’s important to clearly explain what you expect from the class. Together with the students, you can create rules they will willingly want to follow, such as those related to homework and class participation. You can also provide students with specific roles in the classroom, which can include a light monitor, line leader and attendance taker positions. You can then display these rules and assignments in your classroom management posters to remind everyone of their responsibilities.
Planning the rules with the students creates a sense of ownership and responsibility. Additionally, you can discuss potential consequences for breaking these rules. These consequences are not necessarily punishments, but rather, discussions on the impact of their actions and what they can do instead.
Punishments can break your relationship with the students, and good relationships are essential in creating a healthy class environment. If more problems occur, you can also brainstorm solutions together, which encourages a sense of collaboration. Following the steps for functional behavioral assessment (FBA) can help you out, which includes:
- Describing the behavior
- Creating a hypothesis and potential causes for the behavior
- Identifying potential replacement behavior
- Strategizing on how to implement the replacement behavior
Additionally, you, as the teacher, should model the ideal behavior you wish to see from your students. This may include using polite language, maintaining eye contact and refusing to interrupt another person when they are speaking.
2. Encourage Consistency and Proper Routines
Creating good classroom routines helps students build the muscle memory of following what’s expected of them. In the morning, a good routine sets them up for success for the rest of the day. The end-of-day routine will also help students get out of the door safely and quickly. Additionally, creating focus routines midday can help them perform uninterrupted work and finish assignments as needed.
Like all human beings, students perform better with structure. A mindfully curated structure can make school days more enjoyable and manageable for both you and your students.
3. Create Valuable Connections
Trust is essential in effective classroom management, which is why you have to foster good relationships with your students. It’s ideal to create a classroom culture where students feel safe, heard and productive, which can leave a lasting impression on them as they grow older. A well-managed classroom isn’t necessarily a quiet classroom, but is a community with a sense of belongingness.
Additionally, encouraging empathy from students will benefit everybody, as they practice understanding the feelings and perspectives of their fellow classmates. When students feel respected and valued, you may also see fewer behavioral issues and improved learning.
4. Incorporate Exciting Activities With Lesson Plans
To help students learn their lessons effectively, you can design a curriculum that is engaging and relatable to their lives. For instance, you may gamify your lesson plans and provide incentives for students who achieve certain milestones, like a specific percentage on exams. Leveraging technology can also make the class more exciting for tech-savvy students.
Additionally, you can improve students’ critical thinking skills by questioning their assumptions regarding different lessons. This may increase engagement and encourage an open mind as they try to decipher what your lessons are about. Plus, for every new lesson you plan to start, you can hook your class’s interest by mentioning snippets that can pique their curiosity.
5. Celebrate Wins and Improvements
Positive reinforcement is helpful in keeping your students’ motivation high. By praising their efforts, acknowledging their achievements and even offering rewards for their successes, you get to make them feel that what they do matters, encouraging positive behaviour. Sincere praises can also inspire the class, improve a student’s self-esteem and reinforce the instructions you want the students to follow.
Rewards don’t have to be huge. For instance, they can be stickers or verbal praise. If the class achieves a specific milestone together, you can even throw a mini-party where they can enjoy some snacks and games. Having an incentive chart can help you and your students keep track of their progress.
6. Build Transparent Relationships With Parents
Apart from building good relationships with students, creating transparent relationships with parents can also improve motivation in the classroom. For instance, you can inform a child’s parents if the child has achieved something good in school. This can be a great surprise for the kid when they get home.
Equally important, you should inform the parents of any potential issues the student has in school. If parents are on board with creating a positive classroom environment, this can mean that they will help you reinforce more positive behaviors at home.
Resources From Kurtz Bros. Can Help You Out
Creating an effective classroom management strategy doesn’t have to be rocket science. With the help of Kurtz Bros., you can build a collaborative, engaging and productive environment beneficial for you and your students. As a leading supplier of school supplies from trusted brands, you can select from our classroom management tools to help you out.
We have been working with schools for over 130 years, which means you can trust that we’ll deliver quality products that can enhance your students’ educational experience. Whether you’re teaching preschool, elementary or high school students, you’re likely to find products that can cater to your needs. We have thousands of products in stock and have access to hundreds of brands. Explore our online store today to get started.
