Classroom Management Ideas
Tried, Tested and Proven Ways to Make the Classroom Run Smoothly
Sep 29, 2009
Teachers are constantly looking for new ways to help make a classroom run smoothly. A teacher with some years of experience has tucked away many songs and rhymes that can defuse any situation. He or she has experienced first hand the feeling of when a class has spun out of control. It is through these experiences, a teacher reflects about what management techniques work and what did not.
Setting Expectations
Knowing what behaviours a teacher wants and does not want in the classroom is key. Letting children know what the expectations are is crucial. Allowing students to create a classroom rules chart is a great way to create a positive management system. Once this chart is made a new rule can always be added when a situation arises and a new rule needs to be added to the chart.
A teacher should have his or her own expectations added if these do not come up during class discussion.. For example, students do not talk when the teacher is talking. Setting expectations are essential and students will always strive to meet the expectations set.
Classroom Seating
Assigning seats to students in the beginning of the start of school is very important. By the second week, a teacher may feel the need to change the initial seating arrangements for some students. It is by the end of the second week, a teacher sees who works well together and who does not.
It is important to have assigned seating during circle or carpet time. Using masking tape to make lines, circles or even stripes with names on the tape will be of great help.
Songs and Rhymes
Do as I'm Doing Follow, Follow Me song: Singing this line while fingers snapping the students should be snapping along. Then sing the line again but change the action to tapping a foot and the students should be following along. Keep singing the line of the song and doing an action until all students are all participating. To end the song, sing the line with an action then say "and stop" at the end with hands on hips.
If You can Hear the Sound of my Voice: Repeat the sentences "If you can hear the sound of my voice clap your hands" Then clap hands once. If not all the class is looking then repeat sentence for a second time and clap hands twice. If all students are not partaking then repeat sentence for a third time and clap hands three times. If not all students are responding then lights are turned off and the class is told there is a one-minute silence.
How the teacher will be getting everyone's attention and its consequence should be explained during the rules discussion.
Chris, Cross Applesauce: This is a great rhyme to use when needing children to sit properly on the carpet with crossed legs.
Routines in the Classroom
Setting routines from lining up as a class to placing shoes in the hall need to be taught to manage the classroom successfully.
All teachers have experienced students who need to be first in line at any cost. There is a simple remedy to this problem. A teacher can try calling months of the year and ask for children with birthdays in those months to stand in line. A teacher can call students to line up using the alphabet. "If your name begins with an A, please stand in line". Also, a teacher may use types of clothing or colours of clothes. For example, "All the students who have are wearing a sweater please stand in line." or "If you are wearing something with yellow in it please stand in line."
If standing in line becomes to noisy, then students need to go back to their desks. It is important to set expectations for standing in line. When the noise level becomes too loud a consequence needs to be given. After a few times of going back to desks, other students will help and remind those making the noise to stop.
When walking in the hall is not up to a teacher's expectation, then returning to class and starting again is needed. Setting the expectation of what types of behaviours are required from students is not only for the classroom but when moving out from the room around the school.
Setting expectations and classroom routines are crucial for establishing classroom management. Using rhymes and songs will enable a teacher to gain control of the class without using a loud voice to do so. Letting students create a class list of rules is another way to give students control over what is and is not acceptable behaviours in and out of the classroom.
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