Behavior Management Teaching Resources
Bring your classroom behavior management to the next level this school year with behavior management strategies and systems, classroom rules and expectations, student and classroom reward charts and more resources created by teachers for teachers like you!
This collection of teaching resources was developed by the expert teachers of Teach Starter to save teachers valuable time with printable and digital options ready to be downloaded and used — no extra prep necessary!
Just getting started with this part of your overall classroom management strategy? Jump in with this quick guide from our teacher team, including a definition of behavior management and strategies you can use in your classroom.
What Is Behavior Management?
Behavior management is a proactive strategy for teachers to handle behavior in the classroom. By setting up solid student organization strategies, creating clear rules and expectations, and providing consistent feedback, teachers set students up for success.
A good behavior management strategy will give students:
- Specific expectations
- Positive reinforcement when expectations are met
- Fair and consistent consequences when expectations are not met
One of the most popular behavior management strategies these days is CHAMPS, which stands for Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, and Participation. The goal is to provide students with an instructional structure that promotes responsibility and motivates students.
Why Is Behavior Management Important?
Strongly backed by research, behavior management strategies like CHAMPS have been shown to:
- Provide students with a sense of connection to school and their peers
- Promote a productive learning environment
- Minimize classroom disruptions
Behavior Management Strategies to Use in Your Classroom
Before we dig in too deeply, it's worth stressing that the goal of the strategies you're about to read is to accentuate the positive, that is, to keep control of the behavior in your classroom in a positive way.
We've also included a mix of strategies that will help you prevent negative behavior as well as some simple things you can do to curb unwanted behavior in the classroom.
Redirect
This technique is simple, yet effective. When you notice a child is off-task, simply move their attention from one thing to another. For example, if one student is distracting another student, you may direct their attention to the work at hand by saying you'll be over in a few minutes or simply asking that student what they are up to.
Ignore Secondary Behavior
When a child is being warned about inappropriate behavior, you may notice a secondary behavior, such as an eye roll or a delayed response to a question. This behavior is often to avoid humiliation in front of peers.
If the initial poor behavior has stopped, ignoring the secondary behavior — as long as no one is in danger and it hasn't caused additional classroom disruption! — can prevent the situation from escalating. If you feel you need to, you may opt to talk to that student one on one after the lesson to reflect on the situation (without the audience of the other students).
Plan Your Transitions
A transition in a classroom is when a student moves from one activity to another. It can be a significant change such as transitioning from gym or the cafeteria back into the classroom or a more minor change such as transitioning from time on the carpet back to their seats.
For little brains, transitions can be tricky as they need to go from an active state to a focused state ready for learning, and this is where inappropriate behavior may start to fester.
Planning for how you and your students should transition can help avoid this situation from escalating. A simple transition for the example of going from PE back to class, for example, could be to use a fun movement such as walking like a ballet dancer back to class.
Make sure to explicitly teach students what they should be doing during transitions, so they know the sort of behavior you expect!
Offer Choices
Providing a student with choice is extremely powerful! It makes them feel like they are in the power seat, when in fact, you've planned it out beautifully! When you notice inappropriate behavior, instead of issuing a demand, offer a student a choice of two options. The first choice would be the route you'd like them to take. The second is the consequence of not taking the first option.
For example, "Zane, would you like to remove yourself from the distracting spot you're sitting in, and complete your work? Or, would you like to stay with me at lunchtime to complete the work then?"
You'll find that most of the time, the student will take the better option in this scenario.
Attention Grabbing
This is similar to the "redirect'" option, but this is a strategy to use if a number of students are starting to get off task. Use some fun attention-grabbing techniques like call and response ( you can download our Attention Grabbing Phrase Cards and use those!).
You can then redirect the group's attention back to the work by providing some more information that may support them in finishing the task.
Use Positive Non-Verbal Reminders
You don't always have to use your voice for your behavior management to work. Non-verbal reminders can be equally powerful and limit the disruption to the class. Simple non-verbals like stopping what you're saying and smiling at the student who may be off task is sometimes all that is needed for some students. This lets them know you know they're off-task in a gentle way.
Another non-verbal reminder is to just lower your body down to the level of the child while you continue with the teaching, or do a simple tap on their desk as you walk past.
Set Up a Calm Corner
Little kids experience BIG emotions, and often when they are trying to deal with these big emotions, they struggle with self-regulation.
Another behavior management strategy that will work for some children is just some time away from the hustle and bustle of the classroom. If you have the space, set up a corner of the classroom for students to 'chill out.' You can fill the space with fidget toys, weighted blankets, wobble cushions, a tub of sensory toys and similar objects.
If you are noticing a student that isn't responding to the smaller behavior management strategies, 5 minutes in the chill-out corner/area may help this student.
Another idea — sending a student to another teacher with a note that says something simple such as "John needed some space." This gets the student out and about and gives them some purpose by having the very important job of delivering the note to the other teacher.
Get Them Moving
We know a student's attention span is short, and yet we expect them to sit and listen and use their brains for long periods of time ... often longer than their age allows. Ensuring you have had a lot of movement integrated into your day is a great way to limit the number of behavior situations you may encounter in a day.
It could be as simple as a "stop work and stretch at your desks" type situation, but you may be surprised by how planning these active brain breaks into your day can improve behavior in the classroom.
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Desk Reward Chart - Zig-Zag
Reward positive behavior or accomplishments with a fun behavior sticker chart.
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Football-Themed Digital Reward Chart for the Classroom – Touchdown!
Celebrate classroom successes with a football-themed classroom reward chart that has been designed in Google Slides to be used digitally.
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Behavior Think Sheet - Upper Grades
Invite your students to reflect on their behavior choices with this behavior think sheet.
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Good Choice or Bad Choice? Worksheet
Help your students differentiate between good and bad behavior choices with a cut-and-paste worksheet.
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Behavior Punch Card – Look at Me Go!
Motivate your students to travel to new heights with this punch card template.
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Behavior Sticker Charts - Stars
Reward positive behavior with printable sticker charts!
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Classroom Reward System - Table Points Tracker
Encourage teamwork and positive behavior at your table groups with a new classroom reward system.
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Printable Behavior Tracking Bookmarks
Track and reward student behavior with a bookmark-sized printable behavior chart.
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Class Behavior Tracker - Flower Template
Track and reward student behavior with a printable behavior chart.
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Behavior Punch Card – Eye on the Prize!
Upgrade your behavior management, and motivate your students to keep their eye on the prize with this punch card template. Discover classroom management ideas from expert teachers.
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Class Behavior Tracker - Ice Cream Template
Track your class' "sweet" behavior with a fun ice-cream behavior chart.
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My Cooperation Sticker Chart - Printable
Promote and reward cooperative behavior with a pack of printable cooperation sticker charts.
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Sticker Chart - Boho Theme
Reward positive behavior in style with this boho themed sticker chart.
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Sticker Chart – Rainbow Theme
Encourage positive behavior and track progress with this rainbow-themed sticker chart.
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Printable Three Before Me Classroom Poster
Print a "3 before me" classroom poster to encourage students to try 3 things before asking for help.
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Cooperation Station — SEL and Character Education Craft
Make your classroom a better “space” with cooperative learning and a fun Cooperation Station craft!
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G.R.O.U.P.S - Group Work Expectations Poster
Encourage cooperative behavior during group work activities with a printable group work mnemonic poster.
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Cooperation Certificate - Good Character Award
Celebrate your students’ cooperative behavior by awarding them with a personalized Cooperation Award.
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Making Mistakes – Sorting Activity
Help your students recognize different types of mistakes and discuss ways to learn from them with this SEL activity.
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Brag Bracelets - Behavior Incentives
Encourage positive behavior and reward your students for their achievements with a fun set of printable brag bracelets.
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Our Classroom Bee - Attitudes Rule Posters
Start the school year with a set of "Bee-utiful" Classroom Expectations Posters.
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Just Be - Classroom Expectations Posters
Set clear classroom expectations and provide daily behavior reminders to your students with a set of colorful "Be-havior" posters.
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P.R.I.D.E. Classroom Rules Poster Set
Set your expectations for classroom behavior at the beginning of a school year with a set of printable classroom rule posters.
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Token Board
Provide a visual reminder of what a student is working for with this visual reward chart and set of 36 reward cards.
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Tattling vs. Telling Worksheet
Explore the differences between “tattling” and “telling” with this simple worksheet.
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Tattling vs Telling Sorting Activity
Explore the differences between “tattling” and “telling” with this hands-on sorting activity.
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Tattling vs. Telling Teaching Presentation
Teach your students the difference between “tattling” and “telling” with this comprehensive teaching presentation.
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Tattling vs. Telling Poster
Teach your students the difference between “tattling” and “telling” with this classroom display poster.
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I Can Follow the Rules at School – Mini-Book
Use this mini-book to review or introduce school and classroom rules to your primary students.
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Rules Around Us Sorting Activity
Identify rules at home, in school, and around the community with a sorting activity.
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Classroom Expectations Posters
Display three of the most important classroom expectations with this set of posters.
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Student of the Week – Lower Grades
Celebrate the students in your classroom by having a Student of the Week program!