Classroom Management 101

     I used to believe that along with the core teaching classes, there should be a class dedicated just to classroom management for undergraduates. In reality, every teacher has their own way of managing their classroom that is learned through trial and error along with tips and tricks from other teachers.
    I cringe when I think back to my first couple of years as a rookie. Yikes.  I had a lot to learn about keeping a classroom running smoothly.

Experience and good teacher mentors armed me with the skills not only to keep my classroom running effectively, but to eventually have a classroom that manages itself.
   I'm going to share with you some of the tips and tricks of classroom management I've learned over the years.  My hope is that you find something helpful you can use in your classroom.

Classroom Management Tips and Tricks

 Routine, Routine, Routine, It's imperative to establish class routines and procedures from day one.  Kids need it. It gives them comfort to know what is happening and what is expected. 

          a) Have the daily agenda posted somewhere each day. 

          b) Establish a consistent routine and place for turning in work.

          c) Keep transitions during the day running smoothly by forming clear expectations for this time. Example, call one table at a time to line up. The table that has materials put away and quiet lines up first and so on. 

Here are some questions to ask yourself to ensure that your class procedures and expectations are in place. 

• Do my students know when a good time is to sharpen their pencils and what to do if their pencil breaks if it's not a good time?
• Do my students know the rules for working in groups or partners?
• Do my students know what to do if they need help with something?
• Where can the students look to find what their homework is for the evening?
• What is my classroom procedure for packing up at the end of the day? 
• How do the students know when it's time to be quiet?

These are just a few tips. There are many tricks I have to share. In my next post I'll address the tricks I've learned for the questions above. 

Click below for a Freebie to get you started. 

Classroom Signs