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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Colonial America Crossword Puzzle
Review Colonial America vocabulary with a crossword puzzle.
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Parent-Teacher Conference Documentation Form
Use this printable Teacher-Parent Conference Form to organize your parent-teacher conferences ahead of time and keep accurate and detailed records of parent communication.
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Goods and Services Exit Tickets
Assess your students’ abilities to differentiate between goods and services with a set of twenty exit tickets.
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World Continents and Oceans Exit Tickets
Determine your students' mastery of Geography concepts with a set of twenty continents and oceans exit tickets.
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3-2-1 Exit Ticket Template
Test your students' knowledge at the end of class with this 3-2-1 exit ticket template.
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Comparing Three-Digit Numbers – Worksheet
Practice comparing 3-digit numbers with this hands-on worksheet.
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Math Mazes (Skip Counting)
Skip count your way through 3 printable math mazes that focus on number sequencing.
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Quiz and Swap - 2nd Grade End-of-Year Review
Prepare your students for their end of grade assessments with an End-of-Year Quiz and Swap Review Game.
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Quiz and Swap - 3rd Grade End-of-Year Test Prep Game
Get your students up, moving, and practicing third grade test prep skills with an End-of-Year Quiz and Swap Review Game.
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Roll and Cover – Telling Time to the Minute
Practice telling to the minute with this roll and cover game
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Count and Color the Coins - Differentiated Worksheets
Use skip counting and addition skills to determine which coins are needed for a given amount.
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How to Walk Like a... Instruction Cards
Help your students transition quietly through the hallways with this set of 4 instruction cards.
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Infinity Coloring Sheet Template
Create a growing class masterpiece with this infinity coloring activity—perfect for brain breaks, early finishers, and bulletin board displays.
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Classroom Wish List – Giraffe
Display your back-to-school needs for your new parents on this classroom wish list display.
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Color by Number - Multiplication Facts of 8
Throw out your boring fact practice and replace it with this color by number worksheet!
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Comical Chronicle Worksheets for 6th Graders
Practice different parts of speech with your 6th graders using this set of 10 ad-lib style stories.
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Color by Parts of Speech - Nouns, Verbs, and Adjectives - Octopus
A fun activity to use when learning about nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
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Mini-Mystery – Who Drank the Teacher's Coffee?
A fun, logic-based activity where students read clues to solve the mystery.
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Mini-Mystery – Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty?
A fun, logic-based activity where students read clues to solve the mystery.
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Color by Number - Numbers 10–20
A color by number activity for students to practice recognizing teen numbers.
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Search and Find – At the Beach
A beautifully illustrated beach scene containing everyday items that need to be found.
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Crazy Boxes – Multiplication Facts of 6
Create a color pattern using multiplication facts of 6 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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Order of Operations Dice Game
Practice order of operations with this set of 6 dice activity mats.
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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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Motivational Poster Pack
Motivate your students and colleagues with this set of 4 posters and postcards.
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Technology Routines Poster
Display this set of classroom technology routines and expectations near your electronic devices for smoother usage sessions.
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Multiplication Grid – Worksheet
Test your students' multiplication fluency with this half-page multiplication grid.
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Math Mazes – Factors
A set of math mazes that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge of factors.
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Tap Light Posters – Voice Level
Create voice-level expectations in the classroom with this set of 5 posters.
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Hundreds Chart Mystery Picture Task Cards
Practice identifying numbers 1-100 with this set of 32 mystery picture task cards.
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Color by Sight Words - 4 Words - Ladybug
A fun coloring activity to use when working with sight words.