You can create the lesson plan to end all lesson plans — the most individualized, engaging, and differentiated activities with opportunities for collaboration and hands-on learning — but if you are unable to manage the classroom effectively, all the time and energy invested into creating those lesson plans may be for naught.
Classroom management sounds simple enough, but it involves deploying and sustaining a number of strategies, protocols, and boundaries in order to create an environment where students can learn. According to Robert Marzano, classroom management involves all of the following:
- Setting clear expectations and consequences
- Establishing clear learning goals
- Exhibiting assertive behavior
- Providing flexible learning goals
- Taking a personal interest in students
- Using equitable and positive class behaviors
- Utilizing strategies to manage high needs students
Teachers manage their classrooms with words, signals, symbols, cues, proximity, and nonverbal communication. They understand that every student behavior (positive or negative) represents a communication or need, be it attention, validation, structure, or help. A study by Brophy (1996) found that the most effective classroom managers did not treat all students the same; rather, they employed different strategies with different types of students. Teachers with strong classroom management skills possess a ‘with-it-ness’ that develops through experience. Research shows that effective classroom management reduces undesirable behaviors from most of the students in a classroom and increases student participation in the lesson (Arin, et al., 2016).
Effective classroom management skills are foundational to student achievement. We’ve compiled our top 10 best articles on classroom management for novice and experienced teachers alike to refresh their skills, reframe their thinking, or try a new approach. Focus specifically on strategies for elementary or high school, dig into supporting ‘difficult’ students, or learn how to ‘gamify’ classroom management. There’s something in this list for every teacher at every level. Let us know which classroom management strategies have been the most impactful for you and your learners!
Our Top 10 Best Articles On Classroom Management
The 4 Dos And Don’ts Of Effective Elementary School Classroom Management
8 High School Classroom Management Strategies That Empower Students
The Building Blocks Of A Responsive Approach To Schoolwide Behavior
Assuming The Best: The Power Of Teaching Through Positive Assumption
When We Ask Black Teachers To Discipline Black Students
6 Strategies For Dealing With ‘Difficult’ Students
A Process For Responding To Your Most Challenging Students
When Students Break The Rules, Emphasize The Effect On Others
Improving Discipline In High School By Gamifying Good Behavior
4 Timeless Elements Of Strong Student-Teacher Relationships
Every Classroom Is A Team And Every Teacher Is A Coach
References
Arın, E., Tunçer, B. K., & Demir, M. K. (2016). Primary school teachers’ views on constructive classroom management. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 8(3), 363-378.
Brophy, J. E. (1996). Teaching problem students. New York: Guilford.