How To Simplify Classroom Management

Clip charts, prize boxes, incentive systems, seating arrangements, stickers, pep-talks, noise makers, red cards, table points, trinkets, tokens, awards, erasers, free time, computer time, first in line, contracts, privileges, and… enough!!!

It can make you want to scream.

For many, classroom management has become too complicated.

It doesn’t need to be. All you need are a few guiding principles.

So clean out the clutter and confusion and stop putting your faith into mere “ideas.”

Strip your classroom management program down to what works.

And cut out the rest.

Simplify

The following principles simplify classroom management and allow you to focus on what’s really important.

Together, they represent an approach that works regardless of where you teach or who your students are.

Rules

You need a set of classroom rules that cover every possible misbehavior. These rules need to be posted prominently, taught thoroughly, and reviewed frequently.

Consequences

You need to enforce every rule violation with a consequence. A warning followed by time-out is standard fare.

A Willingness To Enforce

You have to be willing to enforce a consequence every time a rule is broken. This is critical to effective classroom management. Most teachers don’t follow through consistently.

Calm, Quick Interaction

You must communicate with misbehaving students in a way that doesn’t cause friction (i.e., anger, hurt feelings, dislike) between you.

This means be calm, quick, and then move on. Never argue with students, scold them, or take a student’s behavior personally.

Interest & Enjoyment

Creating a fun, stimulating learning environment covers up a multitude of classroom management mistakes.

Kids who like school behave better—a lot better. This holds true regardless of who the student is or what their problems were in the past.

Rapport

Building rapport through humor, trust, and likability gives you leverage, allowing you to wield powerful influence with students.

Classroom Environment

A clean and peaceful classroom, student freedom and independence, and a sense of belonging to a special group, create classroom leverage.

If your students like/love being in your classroom, they won’t want to be separated from it. This is what makes time-out work.

A World That Makes Sense

Your students must know what to expect every time they enter your classroom. Therefore, you must be consistently pleasant.

Decide never to engage in yelling, scolding, sighing, sarcasm, or other reactions of frustration. They will undermine your ability to manage your classroom.

Check your whims, bad moods, and negative thoughts about students at the door.

Knowledge

Our goal at Smart Classroom Management is to help you become proficient using each of these principles.

Although the approach simplifies classroom management and removes the confusion about what really works and what you need to focus on, it takes a depth of knowledge to implement these principles effectively.

Every week we’ll share shortcuts, strategies, and techniques that will increase your ability to do just that. So keep reading and learning, and you’ll never again struggle with classroom management.

Instead, you’ll thrive. Your students will thrive. And you’ll be the teacher you always wanted to be.

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Similar Posts:

• The Only Classroom Rules You’ll Ever Need
• Should Your First Consequence Be A Warning?
• Why You Shouldn’t Care If Your Students Misbehave
• Your Daily Checklist For Effective Classroom Management
• How To Handle An Angry, Verbally Aggressive Student

Tagged as: classroom management, joyful teaching, misbehavior, simplify, teacher job satisfaction