6 Classroom Management Strategies Every Teacher Should Know

Classroom management is a teacher’s process for maintaining students’ safety, focus, and productivity throughout the school day. A poorly managed classroom leads to chaos and disengagement, which can affect student outcomes and cause teacher stress. Great classroom management techniques can turn the whole learning environment around, but it doesn’t happen instantly, especially in today’s complex world of learning.

Contemporary educators work with diverse learning communities and often need to support dual language learners. Some work in hybrid or remote settings. Classroom management sets the stage for success, and City University of Seattle is here to help.

6 Classroom Management Strategies That Actually Work

Classroom behavior management is essential at every level, whether you’re an elementary teacher or instructing at the college level. Small children will need different approaches than teen and adult learners, but the basics are the same in every setting.

1. Create a Focused Learning Environment

Arrange desks so students can see you and the whiteboard. A U-shape works well and facilitates whole-class discussion. Keep supplies where students can access them and use written or picture-based labels, depending on students’ ages.

Finally, make sure the classroom isn’t overly cluttered. Too many posters and signs can be distracting, even for adults. Applying these distraction-free classroom tips can help students stay on task and avoid overstimulation.

2. Set Expectations and Enforce Them Consistently

It’s never too early to start thinking about expectations — even if you haven’t started teaching yet. Know how you want the classroom to run, and think about how you’d set those expectations with different age groups.

Discuss those expectations on the first day and ask students if they have anything to add. Once you have a defined set of rules and boundaries, start reinforcing them at every opportunity. Letting things slide is a slippery slope.

3. Model Good Behavior

Students of all ages are more likely to behave responsibly when you do the same. If you expect students to be quiet when you’re talking, don’t shout over them. This can be particularly important for a SPED teacher whose students struggle with communication.

4. Cultivate Relationships With Students

All student behavior comes from a need, even if it’s only the need to feel heard. It’s much easier to address issues when you know what motivates a student to act in a certain way. Building relationships also demonstrates to students that you care, making it easier for them to follow your lesson plans.

5. Address Issues Early and Privately

While it can be tempting to discipline a disruptive student in the moment, public confrontations can embarrass students and put them on the defensive. They can even cause other students to act out in solidarity.

Instead, deal with inevitable disruptions one-on-one. Some students will respond with a simple proximity-based redirect, such as standing near their seat. Others will need a moment alone with the teacher while others work.

6. Praise Positive Behaviors

If you have clearly established classroom norms and rules, students know what you expect of them. Praising them for making a good choice helps to reinforce the importance of those expectations — even if the student is a teen or adult. You’d frame the praise differently for an older student, but a “thank you” goes a long way for students of any age.

Research shows that this approach is more effective for building positive behaviors over the long term and can even improve student achievement.

Classroom Management Styles

There are four basic classroom management techniques, each reflecting a distinct classroom culture. They are:

• Authoritarian: The teacher imposes a rigid set of rules and leads based on adherence to structure instead of mutual respect.
• Authoritative: The teacher is in charge, but student engagement is high. Authoritative teachers typically build strong relationships with students and encourage students to participate in setting expectations.
• Permissive: The teacher does not enforce rules or set expectations by building relationships. Behavioral expectations are low, and students are likely to be disengaged.
• Indulgent: Teachers care and often have friendly relationships with students, but they lack boundaries and tend to allow unproductive levels of freedom.

Research shows that an authoritative approach generally leads to better student outcomes, as teachers can maintain classroom control and positive relationships with students.

Signs of Strong (and Poor) Classroom Management

Assessing your classroom management success is integral to skill development. You’re likely managing your class well if you see:

• Active lesson engagement
• Little disruptive behavior
• Understanding of routines and procedures
• More time spent on instruction versus behavior management

Poorly managed classrooms also have telltale signs, and they don’t always involve students shouting or jumping out of their seats. You might need to work on classroom management if you frequently have to:

• Talk over students
• Repeat instructions multiple times before students follow them
• Explain what to do next, because students don’t know the routine
• Spend more time creating and implementing consequences than teaching

If you’re dealing with these issues, it’s time for a reset. Take prep time to develop routines for the school day and each transition within it. Treat the next day like the first day of school. Explain the new routines and talk about expectations. Make the students part of the conversation.

Classroom Management in Different Learning Environments

As any teacher who worked during lockdown can tell you, classroom management is more challenging in a virtual or hybrid setting. The home setting can be even more distracting than the classroom, and teachers find their attention split, especially in a hybrid setting.

The key is remembering that kids are still kids. They need to feel engaged behaviorally, emotionally, and intellectually, and studies have shown that frequent communication plays a significant role in this engagement. Teachers in virtual and hybrid settings must be especially clear in their expectations and praise behaviors that keep the class focused.

What Is a Classroom Management Plan (and How to Build One)?

A teacher can manage the classroom more effectively with a structured plan. Create your first one or get started with a new class by following these five steps:

1. Set expectations as a class: Ask students what rules they’d expect and want you to enforce. Make a collaborative list, adjusting as needed to align with school policy.
2. Establish routines: Focus on daily transitions and events, such as morning arrivals, turning in work, asking to use the bathroom, and lining up. Use “do” instead of “don’t do” language, reminding students before the transition happens, so that they can do it themselves.
3. Explain positive and negative consequences: Be clear about what will happen if students break a rule, or if you catch them doing something good. Post visual aids and give verbal reminders, considering different learning styles.
4. Determine your cues: Create verbal and nonverbal signals that signal what you want students to do, such as give you their attention or sit down. For younger kids, create classroom management games that let them practice responding — perhaps with prizes if they get it right.
5. Share expectations with families: Once you’ve established expectations, send home a notice explaining your rules and enforcement procedures. Encourage parents to contact you with questions.

Build your Classroom Leadership Skills With CityU

Effective management helps everyone in the classroom. Students find it easier to focus, and outcomes improve. Teachers feel calmer and more confident, with the energy and motivation to pursue professional development.

Whether you’re an experienced teacher or considering a teacher preparation program for the first time, CityU is here to help with flexible certification and graduate education. Options include CityU’s:

• Master in Teaching program
• Elementary Education master’s
• Bachelor of Arts in education
• Alternative route to certification

Bachelor’s-level programs cover the fundamentals of classroom management, while master’s programs strengthen skills in management, leadership, and instructional design. Get info on education programs today and become the teacher you’ve always dreamed of being.