4 Classroom Management Strategies & Resources for Calm, Happy Students

Inside: Practical and effective classroom management strategies for new teachers and veterans needing to refresh their approach to bring calm and order back to school life. Updated 11/27/24

There's nothing fun about a classroom that's out of control. It's stressful and unproductive. Thinking about kids running amok reminds me of something my husband often says. "Start how you intend to finish!" 

For me, that means starting the year with strong classroom management strategies in place and tools to help students who are struggling with emotional wellbeing or mental health issues.

Setting the rules at the start of the year means everyone is on the same page but classroom management isn't just about kids' behavior, it's also about how they cope emotionally.

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1. Ask Students to Help Establish the Rules

Young or old, no-one really likes to be told what to do or how to behave. Letting your students be involved in deciding on a set of classroom rules helps them to be more accepting of them. 

Start by explaining your reason for having rules in your classroom. Students need to know how they are beneficial for everyone. Tell them that rules provide clear guidelines about what is and isn’t acceptable. Knowing what you expect helps to prevent problems that can affect everyone. 

Be prepared before you discuss and decide on 3-4 main points you must include. Consider the variety of issues that arise during a typical day and make sure you cover them in your list. Explain to students that you’ve started the list but need help deciding on the last few points. 

Write your must-have rules down for everyone to see and discuss the reasons for having them with your class. Ask students to contribute their thoughts on what else to include and write their ideas beside your list. To narrow the student list (there will be lots of suggestions), group similar points and delete any that don’t get a majority rule, or you simply can’t allow. You want to arrive at a simple and easy-to-remember list of around 5-6 points.

Ideas for Classroom Rules

  • Being on time – Foster punctuality and time management.
  • The level of noise that is acceptable – Define quiet times and when speaking is encouraged.
  • Being kind and respectful to everyone and their belongings – Promote empathy and care.
  • Keeping hands, feet, and objects to themselves – Ensure physical safety.
  • Listening and not interrupting – Teach patience and turn-taking.
  • Using manners and being polite – Encourage kindness in communication.
  • Being prepared when they come to class – Instill responsibility.
  • Taking responsibility for actions – Promote accountability for behavior and work.
  • Staying focused and on task – Ensure active participation.
  • Following directions the first time – Support attentiveness.
  • Using classroom materials appropriately – Avoid waste or damage.
  • Keeping the classroom clean and organized – Encourage pride in their environment.
  • Raising hands before speaking or leaving seats – Maintain order and fairness.
  • Respecting personal space – Build comfort and boundaries.
  • Using technology responsibly – Teach digital citizenship if applicable.
  • Supporting and including classmates – Foster a sense of belonging.
  • Resolving conflicts peacefully – Teach problem-solving skills.
  • Celebrating diversity and individuality – Create an inclusive atmosphere.

When you’ve narrowed down your student list, add those points to your own. Make sure all your rules are easy to remember. Have each student copy them down and tape them to their desk or in a notebook for easy reference. You might also like to make a classroom poster. 

You'll also want to think about the consequences of not following the rules. This is another area where student input can be valuable. It’s pretty hard to complain about the consequences that students have helped put in place. 

Consequences should be logical, fair, and age-appropriate and not be a punishment. They should be a way to teach the desired behavior and only apply to the offending student. Never allow one student's actions to affect the entire class.

Ideas for Consequences When Breaking the Rules

  • Verbal Reminder – Calmly remind the student of the rule they have broken and the expected behavior.
  • Warning – Issue a clear, documented warning to highlight the seriousness of their behavior.
  • Loss of Privileges – Restrict access to preferred activities or privileges, such as free time or the use of specific classroom tools.
  • Behavior Reflection Sheet – Have the student complete a form that prompts them to reflect on their actions and suggest improvements.
  • Apology Letter – Require the student to write an apology to anyone affected by their behavior.
  • Time-Out or Cool-Down Period – Ask the student to take a short break to regain composure before rejoining the class. Your calm down corner is a great place for this.
  • Recess Detention – Use a portion of recess time for reflection or completing unfinished tasks.
  • Community Service – Assign tasks like cleaning up the classroom to emphasize accountability.
  • Meeting with the Teacher – Have a one-on-one discussion to address underlying issues and reinforce expectations.

2. Model and Encourage Kindness 

It’s well documented that kindness is a powerful value that can completely transform your classroom. Countless studies confirm that it improves social, emotional, and mental wellbeing and reduces anti-social and bullying behavior.

Kindness is one of the least difficult and tedious lessons to teach. If they’re not already used to behaving and speaking kindly, it won’t take long for students to form the habit when they experience the feel-good emotions associated with being kind.

Experiencing is the key to making it really stick. Just like reading and writing or anything else you want your kids to learn, it must be modeled and practiced regularly. Taking part in acts of kindness is a surefire way to get them addicted to this good old-fashioned value.

Ways to Nurture Kindness 

FREE Kindness Coloring Pages!

Free Kindness Coloring Pages For Kids To Color. Download Them For Random Acts Of Kindness Day. By Ripple Kindness Sel Activities.

3. Use Community Circles

Community circles allow children to acknowledge, celebrate, explore, offer encouragement, or address problems. They allow children a regular time to practice respect and listening while having the opportunity to share appreciations and feelings. Circle time is invaluable for learning to communicate, discover commonalities, problem-solve, and practice positive behavior.

Circles can also offer support and healing for children suffering a loss and are effective in addressing difficult or bullying behavior. Circles can be serious or fun depending on the topic but it's important to keep them structured and to the point.

Create an "I need box" for students who struggle to open up or whose problem is too personal to share during circle time. It allows them to alert you that they need to talk without drawing attention to themselves. 

See suggestions on how to use them here.

Use Community Circles To Build Friendships And Improve Wellbeing And The Classroom Culture.

4. Cultivate Connections

When students have a sense of belonging and feel supported, they have fewer insecurities about school. Positive relationships with their teacher and peers improve concentration and engagement levels. When kids feel like they’re in control of their learning they’re much less likely to be disruptive.

Ideas to Foster Connections

  • Ice-Breakers - Meet each student at the door at the start of the day with their preferred greeting like a hug, fist-pump, handshake, or high-five. 
  • Morning Tea - Schedule one-on-one or small group morning teas with students to get to know them better. This could even be used as a reward for positive behavior.  
  • Story Circles – Allow students to share personal stories during a designated time to deepen trust and understanding.
  • Give Compliments - Encourage students to compliment one another with an activity like “build ‘em up hotseat”.
  • Pair and Share Activities – Use structured discussions where students share ideas with a partner to foster connections with their peers.
  • Collaborative Projects – Assign group tasks that require teamwork to strengthen relationships. These could be making a bulletin board together or participating in an exciting secret mission.
  • Celebrate Diversity – Create activities where students share their culture, hobbies, or family traditions.
  • Peer Mentoring – Pair older students with younger ones to create a sense of belonging and teamwork.
  • Morning Check-Ins – Start the day by asking students how they feel or share something positive, helping build emotional connections
  • Notes of Encouragement - Use encouragement notes to build self-esteem and enthusiasm for positive contributions or send positive feedback notes to parents.
  • Be Present – Engage with students during recess or free time to show care and interest in their lives.
Student Encouragement Notes

BONUS - Brain Breaks

One of the easiest and most fun ways to keep students engaged and learning is using brain breaks!

Spending a few minutes on a brain break has so many benefits (read about them here), but the one we're highlighting in this post is for behavior management. 

It's proven that children are unable to concentrate for extended periods of time. When they are asked to sit still and pay attention during long lessons, many will start to fidget, poke the person in front of them, or chat with a classmate. At this point, you've lost them, and the quality and quantity of information being absorbed is compromised. 

Brain Breaks Cards For Elementary Students. Mindfulness And Movement Ideas For The Classroom For Student Wellbeing.

An easy way to get them back on track is to give them a short recess. When you break lessons up into digestible chunks with a quick two to three-minute brain break, you're not only paving the way to greater learning but also fending off bad behavior that can result from boredom.

Grab a set of brain break cards as part of your classroom management strategy! They're an effective way to improve mental health and wellbeing, as well as behavior and academic success!  

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Picture Of A Boy And Girl At School With The Caption: &Quot;4 Easy Ways To Manage Behavior And Improve Community.&Quot; An Image For A Blog Post On Classroom Management Strategies.
Lis

AUTHOR: Lisa Currie - Ripple Kindness Project
Lisa is passionate about contributing to a happier world by building emotional intelligence in kids through fun and engaging social-emotional learning resources. Her core value is kindness as she believes it to be the “mother” of all character traits. She started Ripple Kindness Project to spread kindness in schools and communities. She is also the founder and director of an outreach program that supports disadvantaged families.  

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