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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Behavior Reflection Sheet – Upper Grades
Get your students to reflect on their behaviors with this reflection worksheet.
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Order of Operations Dice Game
Practice order of operations with this set of 6 dice activity mats.
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Around in Circles Active Game
An active game to use when reviewing any type of content with your students.
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Coin Toss Active Game
An active, whole group game to play when learning coin recognition and counting money.
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Reward Tiles – Whole-Class Reward System
Encourage expected behaviors in the classroom with this reward system.
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Sample Behavior Goals
Use this list of 20 behavior goals to help when creating your students' behavior trackers.
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10 Expectations for Virtual Learning – Poster
A poster showing 10 expectations for students during remote learning.
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Brain Break Activity Cards
Give your students a quick brain break with this set of 19 whole-class brain break activity cards.
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Math Brain Teaser Task Cards
Spark critical thinking with math brain teasers embedded in real-world scenarios to engage and challenge your upper elementary students.
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Shazzam! Active Game
A whole class active game that encourages teamwork.
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Flexible Seating Expectation Mini-Posters
Provide expectations for using flexible seating in the classroom with printable anchor charts.
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Classroom Morning Routine and Agenda Slides
Use these cute, simple Google Slides morning routine slides to display important information for the day.
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2D and 3D Shapes Crossword with Solution
A crossword with clues for both 2D and 3D shapes.
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How to Make an Origami Fox — Step-By-Step Instructions for Kids
Teach your students about animal adaptations, predators, and more with an origami fox activity designed for your elementary science class.
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Mindfulness Coloring Sheet - Landscape
A lovely mindfulness coloring sheet.
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Student Behavior Discussion Cards for the Classroom
Print free student behavior discussion cards to encourage your class to think about what a positive learning environment looks like, sounds like, and feels like.
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Reciprocal Teaching - Role Bookmarks
Remind students of their reciprocal teaching roles during guided reading groups with this set of 4 bookmarks.
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Snakes and Ladders Game Board Template
Create a fun activity for any subject area with this black-and-white board game template.
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Charades Inspired - Good Behavior Game
Explore appropriate and inappropriate behaviors during the school year with a charades-inspired Good Behavior Game.
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Winter Logic Puzzles
Engage critical thinking skills with these winter logic puzzles that challenge students to use reasoning and deduction to solve fun, seasonal mysteries.
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Candy Cane Grams Template Pack
Start up an easy Christmas fundraiser with our Printable Candy Cane Grams Template Pack.
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Roll & Read - Icebreaker Card Game
Help students get to know each other by playing an exciting Icebreaker Card Game.
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Behavior Intervention Plan Template
Use our Behavior Intervention Plan template to monitor and track student behavior interventions and results.
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Parent Communication Log Templates
Download a printable parent communication log template pack to help you track and note parent contacts throughout the school year.
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Music Classroom Posters
Decorate, educate, and build classroom management with a set of printable Music Classroom Posters.
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Science Sparks - 4th Grade Science Activities
Give your students a little science boost with Science Sparks 4 – our newest set of fast finisher science activities for 4th grade!
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Science Sparks - 5th Grade Science Activities for Fast Finishers
Review science standards during classroom downtime with Science Sparks, a set of 5th grade science activities for fast finishers.
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Reading Comprehension Question Stems - Anchor Charts
Enhance instruction on the six reading comprehension strategies with our printable Reading Comprehension Question Stems Chart Pack.
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Math Task Cards Grade 1
Engage your 1st grade fast finishers with printable math task cards.
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Subject and Verb Agreement Test
Assess students’ understanding with this two-page subject and verb agreement test designed to reinforce and evaluate correct verb usage.
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Parallel and Perpendicular Lines Test
Administer this parallel and perpendicular lines test to assess your students’ ability to identify types of line pairs in a variety of settings.
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Weekly Progress Report Template
Use a printable weekly progress report template to keep parents up-to-date on their student's behavior and work habits.