Classroom Management Teaching Resources
Bring your classroom management strategies to life with resources created for teachers, by teachers, with your classroom in mind!
This collection of digital and printable resources was designed to help elementary and middle school teachers create and implement classroom management plans that are both effective and supportive, building a place where students thrive.
Looking for new strategies to try or ideas to build your classroom routines and establish consistency? Read on for a primer from our teaching team!
What Is Classroom Management?
Maybe you know all this already. Then again, maybe you've got so much information swirling around your head that you could use a quick refresher! That's what we're here for.
Classroom management is the name for all those tools that teachers have in their toolkit that help a classroom run smoothly. It can include everything from your classroom behavior management systems to your instructional techniques, and it helps you hold students accountable for misbehavior. It's the very foundation of your classroom climate.
We like to think of classroom management a bit like we think of the framework for a house — it provides the basic structure for your learning environment and sets you up for success as a teacher while also setting your students up for success as learners.
How to Set Up Effective Classroom Management
Now that we've talked about the what, let's talk about the how!
When you haven't been teaching very long, it can be hard to figure out what's important and what's just loud noise.
There is no one-size-fits-all classroom management plan that will work for every teacher. The age of your students, the year level you're teaching, the needs of your students, and even your personality will all play a role in the way you run your classroom. With that in mind, your classroom management plan may change year after year as your teach new groups of kids.
All that said, you do not have to reinvent the wheel! The teachers at Teach Starter have more than a century of classroom management experience when you put us all together (hey, we're not that old!).
This toolkit draws on that wealth of experience to offer actionable steps and tips to create the classroom management strategies, behavior management plans and more that you'll need to build meaningful relationships with your students.
We've cut out the noise and focused on the most important classroom management tools for your new teacher toolkit. Consider this your favorite new pair of noise-cancelling headphones!
Focus on the Teacher-Student Relationship
A classroom management strategy is only as good as the relationship built between a teacher and their students. Connecting with your students — focusing on their strengths and their efforts — will have an impact on the overall climate of your classroom.
Those connections with your students will also help you tailor your teaching approaches to your students' individual needs, interests and learning styles.
Establish Classroom Rules and Behavior Expectations
Good classroom rules are key to preventing behavior issues and providing a framework for correction.
Your rules and expectations are also tied intrinsically to your teacher-student relationship! When students feel connected to their teacher, they are more likely to internalize the teacher's expectations and classroom rules.
Build Clear Routines and Procedures
Classroom procedures and routines are the core of classroom management in elementary and middle school, and they help keep the school day running smoothly.
The research tells us that kids crave structure, but they also test it — which is where your rules and expectations come into play.
Employ Positive Reinforcement
Being recognized for doing something right or "good" is a powerful motivator for all of us, including our students. Praising your students for their efforts and achievements, as well as their adherence to classroom expectations, reinforces positive behavior and encourages their classmates to follow suit.
Focus on Active Student Engagement
Active learning strategies, such as group work, hands-on activities and interactive discussions help kids learn, but they also play directly into behavior management. Active learning keeps students engaged and reduces the likelihood of disruptive behavior. It also promotes students with a sense of ownership and participation in the learning process.
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Grade 6 Daily Warm-Up – PowerPoint 1
An 80-slide PowerPoint presentation containing a variety of quick warm-up activities.
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Classroom Spinner Template - Movement Activities
A classroom spinner template focusing on exercise movements - perfect for brain breaks in the classroom.
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Proper Nouns Crossword Puzzle - Worksheet
A crossword researching different proper nouns.
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Mini-Mystery – Who Scared the Black Cat?
A logic-based Halloween-themed puzzle where students solve a mystery by reading clues.
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Student of the Week – Lower Grades
Celebrate the students in your classroom by having a Student of the Week program!
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Student of the Week – Upper Grades
Celebrate the students in your classroom by having a Student of the Week program!
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Memory Matcher Interactive Game (International Foods Theme)
An interactive match-up activity exploring foods of different cultures.
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Crazy Boxes – Multiplication Facts 1 to 12
Create a color pattern using multiplication facts of 1 to 12 with this color by number worksheet.
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Crazy Boxes – Multiplication Facts of 4, 6, 7, and 8
Create a color pattern using multiplication facts of 4, 6, 7, and 8 with this color by number worksheet.
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Using Google Classroom – Teaching Presentation
Teach students how to use Google Classroom with this 15-slide interactive presentation.
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Crazy Boxes – Multiplication Facts of 2, 3, 5, and 10
Create a color pattern using multiplication facts of 2, 3, 5, and 10 with this color by number worksheet.
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Behavior Reflection Sheet – Upper Grades
Get your students to reflect on their behaviors with this reflection worksheet.
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Behavior Reflection Sheet – Lower Grades
Get your primary students to reflect on their behaviors with this reflection worksheet.
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Sorcerer Supplies – Weekly Timetable
Printable Sorcerer Supplies themed weekly schedule to use in a teacher planner or on a wall in your classroom.
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Sorcerer Supplies – Weekly Task Chart
Printable Sorcerer Supplies themed weekly task chart to use in a teacher planner or on a wall in your classroom.
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THINK Strategy Poster
A poster explaining the THINK strategy.
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Virtual Meeting Icons
A set of flashcards and stickers to use when teaching virtual skills to students.
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The Adventures of Pirate Nope and Captain Yet – Comic
Problem-solve common challenges at school with a set of 4 comic-style posters.
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Number Talks - Hand Signal Poster Pack
Remind your students of the basic hand signals to use in number talks with this pack of 5 poster.
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Rules for Classroom Technology - Lower Grades Posters
Remind primary students of the rules when using classroom technology.
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Action, Helping, and Linking Verbs Exit Ticket
Quickly assess your students' understanding of action, helping, and linking verbs with this exit ticket template.
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Crazy Boxes – Multiplication Facts of 1
Create a color pattern using multiplication facts of 1 with this color by number worksheet.
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Crazy Boxes – Multiplication Facts of 2
Create a color pattern using multiplication facts of 2 with this color by number worksheet.
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Four Squares of Learning - A Getting to Know You Worksheet
Learn your students' expectations for the new school year with this first week of school activity.
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Crazy Boxes – Multiplication Facts of 10
Create a color pattern using multiplication facts of 10 with this color by number worksheet.
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Verbal Corrections for Students - Teacher Guide
Giving constructive feedback to students can be difficult. Use our handy teacher guide to choose appropaite feedback.
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Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down Expectations Sort
Review appropriate classroom behaviors with this sorting activity.
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Where Do I Sit? – Logic Puzzle – Level 1
A worksheet for students to identify where people are sitting in a video chat.
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Where Do I Sit? – Logic Puzzle – Level 2
A worksheet for students to identify where people are sitting in a video chat.
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New Year Charades
Get your students up and moving with a fun game of New Year Charades!
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Our Class Weekly Behavior Hive – Positive Behavior Tracker
Manage your students' BEE-havior with this beehive-themed display.
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Underwater Match-up Cards
A set of 30 underwater creature matchup cards to use in a variety of ways.