Back-to-school is an exciting time, even if you’ve been teaching for decades. Sure, you’re excited to welcome a new class of students, but getting back to class may also bring first-day butterflies, stress and concerns about your ability to groom successful learners.
The antidote to your anxiety, says Harry Wong, co-author of “The First Days of School” and “THE Classroom Management Book” (HarryWong.com), is a carefully thought out classroom management plan. “A well-managed classroom may even be more important to students than teachers since it provides a sense of structure, comfort and security,” says Wong. What’s more, in this type of organized environment, students are relaxed, focused and eager to learn.
A Culture of Consistency
Whether you’ve been teaching for years or this is your first year in the classroom, the cornerstone of successful teaching is creating a culture of consistency. Here’s how:
- Teachers typically fall into two categories: Proactive and reactive. “Proactive teachers plan ahead to prevent problems,” says Wong. “They visualize a classroom that runs itself and proactively create a plan to accomplish that vision.” Reactive teachers respond to problems as they arise. They think on the spot and inevitably waste valuable instructional time corralling class clowns and trying to control chaos.
- Successful classrooms are effective learning environments because they give students structure, guidance, focus and direction. Having a place for everything and everything in its place also helps streamline activities. The longer it takes students to find a pencil (or their crayons!), the less time they have to focus on the tasks at hand.
- A well-managed classroom uses procedures and routines so learning activities are executed smoothly. Effective teachers create procedures for everything—entering the room, turning in homework and participating in class discussions. Since students do best when they know what to expect, posting a daily agenda is critical, including the day’s schedule, an opening assignment and a lesson objective. “This enables kids to be self-starters who are on task from the moment they enter the classroom,” says Wong. A bonus: You won’t have to waste time fielding students’ questions about what they’ll be learning and when they’ll be transitioning between subjects.
- When children meet or exceed your expectations, praise them. But, instead of saying “Good job, Suzie!” Explain exactly what they did correctly. Not only will the student appreciate the acknowledgement—and grow from it—but your other students have another opportunity to learn what’s expected of them.
- Your attitude is even more important than your students’ in terms of creating a positive learning environment. “Children sense the positivity and enthusiasm that flows from you,” says Wong. Each day is a chance to wipe the slate clean and start fresh with a new plan. Each moment is a valuable commodity. When you treat it as such, students will match that expectation with eagerness and success.
Guiding Questions
While these are effective tips for every educator, your approach to creating a classroom management plan may differ depending on your career level. New teachers may focus on building an effective model to withstand the years, those with some “street cred” may need to evaluate where their plan works (and where it doesn’t), and educators nearing retirement might want to shake things up a bit. According to Wong, teachers at each level are guided by different key questions:
Use Your Educator Voice.
