Managing and maintaining a classroom full of 24 different personalities can be a challenge. How do you allow them to sharpen their pencils? Where do I pick up absent work and assignments? It’s important to know and make the boundaries for your classroom. Setting your expectations early will help your students understand how to thrive in your classroom. The key to classroom management is being consistent with your expectations and consequences. If you’ve ever wanted to get an in-depth look into the inner workings of another teacher’s classroom management strategies, then this blog post is for you.
1. How do you communicate expectations to your students?
From Day 1 in the classroom we review classroom expectations. Students complete a classroom expectations and procedures activity to familiarize themselves with the classroom expectations. On Day 2, we review the syllabus to learn academic expectations for the year. We also review classroom rules and consequences. It’s important to talk about these expectations. Students need to know them and review them often.
2. How do you communicate with parents?
It’s important to have the correct contact information for parents. I send home the First Homework Assignment to receive all contact information via email. I like to communicate with parents via email and telephone. Setting boundaries for communication is important at the beginning of the year. Remind parents that you are responsible for teaching their child and other children during the day. You will respond to emails and phone calls within 24-48 hours upon receipt during school business hours. Always be professional and kind when communicating.
3. What rules do you use for the classroom?
As Harry Wong wrote in The First Days of School, “You can accomplish anything with students if you set high expectations for behavior and performance by which you yourself abide.” So set simple expectations and rules for students. Use five or less rules for your students. Make them easy and clear to understand. Here are my rules for the classroom that I display on a bulletin board all year.
4. What do you write in your syllabus?
Everything that students need to know about their grade, testing, assignments, makeup work, expectations, rules, consequences, and communication are in the math syllabus. I’ve had principals tell me that the syllabus is too long, but when the syllabus is shortened it leaves too much room for questions. Put everything in your syllabus so that your students and parents know your expectations.
5. How do you assign consequences?
To receive a consequence first you must have broken one of the five classroom rules. If you broke one of the five classroom rules, first you get a warning. The second time you receive a lunch detention and this usually happens to stop the bad behavior. Students hate lunch detentions away from their friends. It’s time for them to reflect upon the choices they made and what they could do differently next time. I assign a lunch detention prompt for them to complete during the 30-minute lunch period.
6. How do you assign work to absent students?
One of the best systems in the classroom is the “While You Were Out” system. It’s easy to start and set up in your classroom. Students will know what they missed and how to get their assignments from the absent bin when you review this concept with them. You won’t have to tell them a million times because they’ll know exactly where to get their work from and how to do it.
7. What do you leave for a substitute teacher?
It’s best to leave enough work for students to be occupied for the whole time. Make it easy for yourself too by using a 1-page template instead of writing a thesis for your substitute. Here the best substitute templates to use in your classroom that principals have complimented as the easiest to read and leave remarks on.
8. What do students who finish early do?
The best thing to do with students who finish their work early is one of three things. First ask them to double check their work. Second, they can read a book. Third, you can set up an early finisher station in your classroom. This could be filled with math activities, math puzzles, or early finisher activities to keep your students’ mathematical minds going.
9. How do you promote good work and effort?
The best way to promote good student work and effort is with examples. The best classrooms are the ones that display student work and show student ownership, responsibility, and community. Displaying student work on a bulletin board or wall is the best way to demonstrate and show off great student work.
10. How do you assess students’ learning?
Every day is an opportunity to assess students’ learning. With math exit slips/tickets at the end of class you can gain an understanding of what they know. They are easy to assign to students and collect daily or weekly depending on how frequently they need to be assessed.
Managing your Classroom Every Day
You choose how you manage your classroom best for you and your students. Start from Day 1. Teachers who struggle with classroom management have failed to set up a system. Find a system that works for you. Be consistent with your system. Watch your students accept your system and respect you more for having a classroom management system.
Classroom Management Bundle
The classroom management bundle is perfect for setting up your classroom expectations for consequences, lunch detentions, parent communication, rules, and procedures. Download your classroom management bundle today!
