Educators Share Their Best Behavior Management Tips

I know most teachers with good classroom management strategies would say the answer to the title question is “usually not.”

If you are normally a more reserved teacher, then yelling could certainly take them by surprise. lol.

But, at least it has been my own personal experience, that many students get yelled at at home quite a bit, and have learned to tune it out.

Here’s a great classroom management plan to try – if you raise you voice three times or more at a student or at a class, then take it as fact it doesn’t work.

Getting louder than the noise from the classroom is typically an easy thing to do with no special tools needed, no materials, and no planning ahead, but if that classroom management idea isn’t effective, then why keep trying to make it work and hope that students won’t repeat the same behavior again?

Maybe it is time to try some fresh and new behavior management techniques, for your sanity and the kids’ behaviors.

What is classroom management?

I wish I could toss a classroom management plan template that worked 100% of the time for all the different management scenarios in a school. If so, I would be a billionaire for sure.

Smart classroom management involves finding effective strategies and keeping them in your teacher toolbox. Classroom management books by great authors, such as Harry Wong, are great inexpensive places to begin creating your behavior management idea collection.

Veteran teachers can share solutions that have worked for them over the years. They will be the first to tell you that encouraging students, setting up your classroom decor, learning student names, motivating students, and classroom organization is all important – BUT teaching children social emotional learning will be the most important and time-consuming job most days.

Why is classroom management important?

By having a list of classroom strategies you can pull from, you are able to see what does and does not work for individual children. These positive proactive steps will save hours of time for beginning teachers, substitute teachers who are coming in when you are not available, and even other elementary teachers who work with that same student at the school.

Classroom behavior can mean the difference between a teacher who is energized and ready to teach the world to her students. Or the teacher who struggles to get out of bed and make the trek to work each day.

Knowing what works for your teaching style and grade level, whether that’s 4th grade or middle school, is huge. You want to make sure you and the students feel good about the classroom rules that are set up together. If you give students a chance to have a role in those classroom management techniques, they are far more likely to follow them.

Need some visual aids to assist students in following those guidelines? I love pocket charts for their practical nature!

What are some strategies for classroom management?

Classroom control can be a skill that is sharpened with practice. You will get better at it the more time you spend in a school classroom. Having your teacher toolbox with lots of different articles and suggestions will save you time and time again.

So, what can you do to get students’ attention without having to be louder than them?