In another class, we were tasked with researching an inquiry question of our choice. Classroom management is one of the most nerve-wracking things about teaching for me. I know strategies are often learned “on the job” but I have heard many times that being prepared is key so I wanted to read about practical things I should remember when I face challenges with classroom management. My goal with this inquiry was to learn through reading and build up my “toolbox” with strategies to try or have on hand for my second teaching practicum. I enjoyed the research, reflections and resources that I found when working on that assignment so I wanted to turn it into a blog post where I could easily access it in the future. I have edited, added and reflected further in this blog post and hope to continue to add to my list of strategies as I continue on in my work.

“Effective classroom management is generally based on the principle of establishing a positive classroom environment encompassing effective teacher-student relationships”

(Korpershoek et al., 2014)

What is the goal?

When facing any challenge in the classroom I think it is important to remember the goal and desired outcome. In any classroom, I want to have a positive relationship with my students and a healthy classroom environment where learning can take place, this is why classroom management is important. Relationship with my students is the goal, but also the first step to achieving effective classroom management which in turn helps facilitate good relationships and environment.

What are Classroom management strategies?

According to the book “Effective classroom management strategies and classroom management programs for educational practice,” classroom management strategies are:

  1. Develop caring and supportive relationships
  2. Organize and implement instruction so that it optimizes student learning
  3. Encourage students’ engagement in academic tasks
  4. Promote the development of social skills and self-regulation
  5. Use appropriate interventions to help students with behavioural problems

When reading these I really connected with the specific wording and vocabulary used for number five. When addressing behaviour problems we should always maintain a mindset of helping the student, not just trying to stop the undesired behaviour. I am sure I have heard behavioural interventions described in this manner before, but for some reason when doing this research it connected and I think the language and mindset completely change the intervention.

The 5 P’s of Classroom Management

While reading I stumbled across the idea of “The 5 P’s of Classroom Management”. I decided to put together a mind map to visually represent my understanding of what each “P” looks like and how it relates to classroom management. Some classrooms use these as simplified classroom rules for students to adhere to, but I like the idea of reflecting on myself as the teacher and how each would apply to my work. 

What to do:

The following is a big list of some practical classroom management strategies, tips and tricks that I have accumulated from different resources. It is one that I hope to add to and reference throughout my upcoming practicum work.

  • Create engaging lessons
    • Change it up: do more than just note sets or practice questions, add projects, labs, hands-on activities, group work, demos, etc.
    • Plan for short attention spans
    • Use technology to your advantage
    • Use a hook at the start: video, question, activity, demo, etc.
    • Find ways to connect materials to “the real world” or known student interests
  • Be PROACTIVE not REACTIVE
    • Negotiate and set rules in place
    • Develop routines
    • Plan and prepare
    • Learn about your different students and make adjustments in your lesson plans for specific learning needs
  • Build relationship
    • Greet students at the door
    • Learn about their lives and interests
    • Start fresh each day 
    • Remember you are the teacher and your feelings are not reliant on your students
    • You may want to start “strict” and become more lenient with time but research shows that building relationships first is more effective in a classroom (Bohn, Roehrig, & Pressley, 2004)
  • Use humor
    • Avoid sarcasm
    • NEVER direct it at students
    • Keep it light and silly (announcement cat, fun videos, puns, etc.)
  • Attention signals
    • “Clap once if you hear me. Clap twice if you hear me. Clap three times if you hear me.”
    • “Put your hands on your head to show me you are ready to go”
    • Countdown to silence and attention at the front
  • Student feedback forms
    • Allow students to engage and have some input in their learning
    • This is an opportunity to reflect as a teacher and gain perspective 
  • Use non-verbal interventions to maintain lesson flow
    • Shaking head no
    • Moving locations in the class during instruction
    • Gesture for desired behaviour 
  • Call out behaviour anonymously (never single out students)
    • “There are some phones out that should be put away”
    • “I hear chatter and need your attention up at the front”
  • Consistency
    • Routines
    • Expectations
    • Encouragement
    • Corrections and interventions
    • When you treat every student equally it helps build trust and respect with the class. I believe this should be applied to all facets of life; treat others the way you want to be treated!
  • Non-verbal washroom request (bathroom routine)
  • Send positive feedback
    • Note, email or phone call home
    • Encouragement in class
    • Etc.
  • Allow for movement
    • Stretch breaks
    • Activities that get them moving around
  • ASK FOR HELP
    • Remember to ask other teachers and school staff for help if you are struggling with classroom management
    • As a TC I am being placed in this situation and have EVERY opportunity to receive help and guidance
    • asking for help is not a strength of mine so this point is extremely important for me to keep in mind and be intentional about

Things I learned during Practicum:

  • Planning and Preparation
    • Set up the classroom before the lesson: for example, when I was doing the group work on whiteboards I wrote the questions on the board beforehand and prepared the random group generator so there was little wait time for the students 
    • I did not prepare enough materials for my first lesson of practicum one. I underestimated how long the lesson would take and lost engagement towards the end of the class because the students finished their work and had nothing to engage their attention
  • Consistency
    • One thing I learned was to set clear and consistent expectations for students
    • I struggled to find the balance between being flexible for students who needed more time and also maintaining consistent expectations
  • Openers: engage students early on 
  • Know when to move on
    • If you observe the engagement dropping during an activity, consider moving on to the next thing or changing something up to reengage the students
  • Building relationships 
  • Admit when you are wrong, apologize and show them that it is ok to make mistakes

What I would like to try in the future:

Inventory sheets:

  • Helps with relationship-building
  • Allows you to get to know students early on
    • How do they learn?
    • What do they struggle with?
    • What do they enjoy about school or learning?
    • What are their interests?

This is a simple and practical way to start building relationships and gather information for more effective planning. I found the feedback forms at the end of the first practicum extremely helpful but wished I had an opportunity to implement the student feedback.

Resources:

For me to do further learning and to remember where the info from this post came from 🙂

19 Big and Small Classroom Management Strategies. (n.d.). Edutopia. Retrieved April 4, 2024, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/big-and-small-classroom-management-strategies-todd-finley 

Beaty-O’Ferrall, M. E., Green, A., & Hanna, F. (2010). Classroom Management Strategies for Difficult Students: Promoting Change through Relationships. Middle School Journal. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00940771.2010.11461726

Bixler, N. (2023, September 28). 14 effective classroom management strategies for middle school. Hāpara. https://hapara.com/blog/14-classroom-management-strategies-for-middle-school/ 

Dustova, G., & Cotton, S. (2015). Classroom management strategies. The CTE Journal, 3(2), 32. https://www.thectejournal.com/uploads/1/0/6/8/10686931/gandzhina.pdf 

Korpershoek, H., Harms, T., Boer, H., Kuijk, M., & Doolaard, S. (2014). Effective classroom management strategies and classroom management programs for educational practice.

Marzano, R., & Marzano, J. (2003). The Key to Classroom Management. Educational Leadership, 61, 6–13. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Robert-Marzano/publication/283749466_The_Key_to_Classroom_Management/links/56f26c0908aed354e57293d3/The-Key-to-Classroom-Management.pdf 

Middle School Classroom Management Strategies| Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. (n.d.). Retrieved April 4, 2024, from https://www.hmhco.com/blog/middle-school-classroom-management-strategies 

Selby. (2023, August 21). Exploring Patience in Teaching: Strategies for Cultivating a Positive Classroom Environment. Everyday Speech. https://everydayspeech.com/blog-posts/general/exploring-patience-in-teaching-strategies-for-cultivating-a-positive-classroom-environment/ 

The 5 Priorities of Classroom Management | Edutopia. (n.d.). Retrieved April 4, 2024, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/5-priorities-classroom-management-ben-johnson

The Five P’s of Professionalism in Education. (2023, May 9). GCU. https://www.gcu.edu/blog/teaching-school-administration/five-ps-professionalism-education