Your classroom management plan can be successful! I’ve got all your classroom management needs covered in these few easy steps.
Are you struggling with students who blurt out? Is it challenging to get through a lesson? Do you find your students repeatedly making poor choices? Do you want to keep your students more engaged and on task?
If so, struggle no more. I’ve got you covered!
Praise the Students
My number one go-to strategy for a successful classroom management plan is praise. I praise the students all day long, nonstop. I applaud the students for all desired behaviors. Behaviors may range from sitting correctly for the learning task to speaking in full sentences. Students eat this up. The more I praise, the better the responses.
When giving praise, be sure to be specific.
Instead of just saying, “Thank you, Adam, for sitting correctly.” You may want to add the specific desired behavior in the statement. Such as, “Thank you, Adam, for sitting up straight and looking at the screen.”
Instantly you will have the entire class on task, directing their attention to your lesson.
The act of praising students accomplishes two things.
1. It makes someone’s day. Their self-esteem increases. You have created an ally.
2. You have provided a reminder of the expected desire for the entire class.
Although you may feel it’s obvious, anytime you are having a “difficult day,” reflect on your praising ratio. Chances are, if you increase the praise, the behaviors will self-correct.
Clear and Consistent Classroom Management
Clear and consistent expectations are a must with any classroom management plan. When setting routines, you will want to establish a step by step guidelines for the desired behaviors. Don’t assume the student will know or do anything.
I highly recommend explaining and modeling every behavior step by step.
Instead of asking, “Students, take out your textbook and turn to page 9.” You may say, “Students, when I say ‘go,’ you will quietly take out your reading book. You will turn to page 9 without side chatter. Then you will show me you are ready to learn by previewing the text.”
As outlined above, the second teacher direction gave specifics for student behaviors. It’s essential to communicate to the students exactly what you want instead of making them guess.
As we create clear expectations, it’s important to remember that students will need consistency. Be sure to develop routines for each activity within your day and keep the expectations the same.
The more consistent you are with your expectations, the more consistent the students will be with their behavior. I like to say, “Consistency is king!”
Parent Involvement
Parent involvement is another critical component of my classroom behavior management plan. I feel strongly that all families need to know the good and the bad.
A simple conversation between a child and a parent can make a huge difference.
You will need to determine how often to communicate with your families. I have chosen to send home a daily behavior report. After all, you can never over-communicate.
Depending on the grade you teach and the specific students, you may need to segment the daily report. I prefer to provide my family with a breakdown of various chunks of the day. Here is a picture of my “behavior band” to demonstrate.
How it Looks in My Classroom
I have created a classroom management plan with a theme, “Sunshine and Rainbows.” Therefore, my behavior management plan includes a “Ray of Sunshine” theme. We have a sunshine pledge: which we recite each day. The word RAY reminds the students of expected behaviors.
My students record their behavior at four different points throughout the day. During this time, students have the chance to color an image to indicate the desired actions. If the student did not behave to expectations, the students do not color the picture.
ALL students reflect on their behaviors from the day and write one reflective statement to their families. For most students, this statement will consist of one proud action or praise received.
If a student is working on improving behavior, the student records that behavior goal. The form is then sent home daily for parental involvement.
Students wear their behavior band home as a bracelet and then loop each day’s band together to collect. The students and families enjoy watching the “Ray of Sunshine” reports grow each day!
Classroom Management Rewards
The last variable in classroom behavior management is to reward and challenge. The class determines the rewards.
As a class, we create a list of desired prizes that the students would want to earn. The students then collect the colored images on their behavior bands, which turn into points for a reward. The students later “cash” in their tallies for prizes or bonuses.
As the year progresses, the class adds to the reward list. Students are challenged by setting new goals for rewards. It’s a win-win for everyone.
If you are interested in viewing my Classroom Behavior Plan in more detail, check out this preview.
If you are ready to fine-tune your lessons to maximize your student engagement, you can sign up for my Free Engagement Checklist below.
Also, make sure your students have a solid grasp on paragraph writing. Check out my FREE Structured Paragraph Handbook, which will guide you and your students through the steps needed to create the perfect paragraph.
