Classroom Management Key Components

Area #1: Procedures/Structures/Routines

● Beginning Routine/Start of Class
○ Example(s): Students will place their belongings in their lockers/cubbies. Students
will then take their assigned seats and take out their planners to write down that
day’s schedule and any potential homework. Once the student has finished filling
out their planner, they may work on a quiet activity such as reading a book.
● Quiet/Attention Signals
○ Example(s): When I need to get the class’ attention, I will use the “if you can hear
me clap once. If you can hear me clap twice” procedure. Or I will use a call and
response method such as “Ready to listen?” “Ready to learn”.
● Physical Transitions (groups, pairs, labs, activities, carpet)
○ Example(s): When transitioning to a new activity, I will first use an attention getter
and then give explicit instructions on how they will transition. Students may be split
up into smaller groups by using various methods: alphabetical, drawing popsicle
sticks, by rows, birthdays, student’s pick, etc.
● Dismissal or Lining Up
○ Example(s): When students are asked to line up, they will follow the visual
procedure that we have practiced multiple times at the beginning of the school year
(single file line, hands to yourself, eyes upfront, etc). The students will need to line
up in an orderly fashion to reduce the time being spent getting in line.
● Non-Verbal Cues (visuals, hand gestures, music)
○ Example(s): Non-verbal cues can be used for a variety of reasons. One of the ways
I like to use non-verbal cues is to show a student’s needs (this will be used with
hand gestures). For example, a student will raise their pointer finger to indicate that
they need to get a drink of water, two fingers to indicate they need to sharpen their
pencil, three to use the bathroom, etc. I will also use non-verbal cues as a form of
reinforcement, this could be a nod or a thumbs up when a student answers a
question correctly.
● Giving Directions
○ Example(s): When giving directions for an activity, lab, homework assignment, etc. I
will give them explicit instructions that vary in different forms. For example, I will give
the directions verbally first and then visually/through writing as reminders. This is to
ensure that students completely understand what they are supposed to do when
completing something.
● Checking for Understanding
○ Example(s): I will use a variety of different methods to check a student’s
understanding. For smaller lessons, I will have students raise their fingers (1-5) for
 understanding, have them complete an exit ticket discussing that lesson, or use
thumbs up/thumbs down. To check understanding for larger lessons/units, I will have
students complete a project, a test, or a group activity. For projects, students will
have an option to present their understanding (Powerpoint, essay, video, etc.)
● Holding Ground/No Arguing
○ Example(s): Some students may argue when asked to complete a task, if this
happens I would ask the student to find an alternative to their behavior. If this
continues, I can offer them a choice such as if they would like to work on the task in
a quieter area or if they would like assistance.
● Raising Hands to Speak
○ Example(s): I will call on students who are raising their hands and give them verbal
praise for using that procedure. If a student doesn’t raise their hand, I will either
ignore their answer or remind them to raise their hand so I can call on them.

Philosophy and Thinking: Procedures and routines are very important to implement when
creating an effective classroom management environment. Without these procedures/routines,
your classroom will be very unorganized and some tasks may take a lot longer since there isn’t a
procedure set in place. For example, if there wasn’t a procedure for lining up at the door, it will take
students a lot longer to complete this task because they won’t know to be single filed and keep
their hands to themselves. Routines are great to have for students since some of them may rely on
them heavily. Because of this, when something is out of routine, they may misbehave. To prevent
this, I will give that student a head’s up about what is to come so they know what to expect and
they can be prepared for it. I’m going to implement a lot of procedures and routines in my
classroom because it builds structure and keeps things moving in the classroom. With the
procedures, I’m going to have the students practice these at the beginning of the school year so
they will be able to do it correctly within a few weeks. To show the procedures, I may use a poster
(visual), a video demonstrating the procedure, or if it’s a small one, I will verbally tell them what to
do. Some of these procedures won’t take very long to learn, but others may take a few weeks in
order for students to use them correctly, so have patience with them!

Area #2: Engagement & Participation

● Variety (three or more activities per hour)
○ Example(s): In order to keep students on task, it’s important to switch up the
activities every once in a while. These activities can pertain to the same topic, but
you can switch it up by having a short lecture, then the students move on to a
hands-on activity, and then wrapping up the lesson by having some sort of
assessment. If you keep at the same activity for too long, some students may lose
interest and become distracted.
● Collaboration (Students Talking/Peer Discussions)
○ Example(s): It's important for students to collaborate with each other, whether it is in
small groups or large groups. One of the types of student collaboration I really like is
the Think, Pair, Share. With this, students are asked to come up with an answer (not
shouting it out), pair up with another student (or a few of them), discuss the answers
they came up with, and then share with the whole group what their answer was. This
allows students who may not like answering questions or are shy to still participate
in the discussion.
● Movement (two or more times per hour)
○ Example(s): Students need to move around in order to keep focused. One of the
ways to do this is by the use of kinesthetic learning or “brain breaks”. Kinesthetic
learning involves using bicycle/standing desks, hands-on activities, and general
movement. Brain breaks involve students getting up from their desks to play a quick
game on their feet, stretch, do a few jumping jacks, etc. Teachers may use brain
breaks if they notice their students aren’t participating as much or if they don’t seem
focused.
● Total Participation (all students think, write, share, or answer simultaneously)
○ Example(s): In large group discussions, it can be hard to hear from all students. One
of the ways to solve this is by having students use whiteboards to write down their
answers, when asked by the teacher they will all raise their boards at once. This is a
quick way for teachers to check students' understanding and increase participation.
Another thing I would like to use is “talking sticks” each student will receive 2 or 3
sticks that they can use to answer questions or offer input during the discussion.
Once their sticks are gone, they can no longer add input. This allows more
opportunities for students who may not raise their hands very often to have the
chance to participate, and for students to always seem to respond and allow others
to answer.
● Rigor (higher order thinking and tasks required)
○ Example(s): Instead of having assessments/assignments that have True or False or
multiple choice questions, I will use short answer/essay questions, have them put
together a PowerPoint presentation, build a model, etc. True/False and multiple
choice questions are too easy for students to guess at and don’t require a lot of
outside thinking since students use the process of elimination.
● Instruction (explain, model, guided practice, independent practice)
○ Example(s): I will be using explicit instruction and the I do, We do, You do method.
This involves me first explaining and modeling the objective, then the students are
going to become involved in the lesson by helping me with the objective (ex: for
English they can give me examples of an adjective that fits in the sentence), and
finally, the lesson will be wrapped up by the students showing their understanding of
the objective on their own. This could be presented by an assignment, a project, or
an assessment.
 ● Questioning/Probing
○ Example(s): It’s really effective to ask different types of questions, especially when it
comes to reading comprehension. I would use the CROWD method when asking
questions. They are Completion, Recall, Open-Ended, Wh-questions, and
Distancing. For some of these, the students will be able to pull their answers right
from the passage, while for others they would have to think beyond the story to
answer the questions.
● Group Work (roles and productivity)
○ Example(s): Having students work in groups or in pairs is really important, even if a
student might not like it. Working with others builds teamwork and accountability
skills, and it shows that you can break down a very large task into more simple,
equal parts. One of the things I have seen teachers use is a questionnaire about
group work. There, the student would be asked if they would want assigned roles,
how big of a group they would like to work with, and if there was anyone they didn’t
feel comfortable working with (this could be due to getting distracted easily by this
person or bullying). Most of the time I would have the groups be assigned or chosen
randomly since I have seen problems arise if the students pick the groups
themselves.
Philosophy and Thinking: Student participation and engagement are crucial for a student’s
academic success. A student can miss out on a lot of additional information if they are just sitting at
their desk, not participating, and not moving around. Until I started taking classes, I didn’t realize
how important movement was in the classroom. When I was in elementary, we mainly stayed at our
desks or occasionally grouped together on the floor. However, once I learned about Kinesthetic
learning, I quickly realized the benefits of that, and I’m definitely going to implement those
strategies in the classroom. However, some of those ways of learning (such as standing desks or
cycle desks) can be expensive and not in the school’s budget. There are ways around that though,
such as having activities in the gym, having class outside (weather permitting), or having the class
move around the room more. Being physically active has been shown to help students focus and
build their critical thinking skills. Besides Kinesthetic learning, I think one of the best ways to
encourage engagement/participation is using the I do, We do, You do method when teaching
lessons. This method of explicit instruction involves students in the lesson. Oftentimes, teachers
should teach a lesson and then immediately have the students complete a task based on the
lesson. However, this method adds an extra step that allows students to practice the task before
they complete it on their own. This can be used across all subjects, but I have seen it used the
most in English and reading comprehension lessons.
Area #3: Rapport/Connection
● Teacher Warmth/Friendliness/Approachability
○ Example(s): When interacting with students, it’s important to be friendly and
approachable since you are a trusted adult. For example, greet them every morning
at the door, and have conversations with them (ask them about their day, what they
did over the weekend, etc). This builds a strong connection between you and your
students.
● Teacher Enthusiasm/Energy/Excitement/Joy
○ Example(s): Teachers should try to go in each day with a positive attitude because
students can easily read if you aren’t in the mood to teach or if something is wrong.
This can have an effect on the students, causing them to act out more or participate
less. If there is a serious matter going on, then address it with your students.
● Teacher Humor/Laughter
○ Example(s): Teachers have to get through a lot of material throughout the school
year, but they should also leave room for fun. This makes learning more enjoyable
and puts students in a better mood. One of the ways to implement this is to have a
daily joke where the students take turns telling a joke (they have to be appropriate
though).
● Teacher Knowledge of individual students’ interests
○ Example(s): Knowing what your students are interested in
can give you a big boost when creating lessons. Teachers
can revolve what their students like around the lesson by
relating the content to it somehow. For example, if your
students really like Legos you can create a math lesson
plan by having them put Legos together to form an
equation. (see picture). When students see that you are
acknowledging their interests, they will feel cared for.
● Teacher Respect and Appreciation for students
○ Example(s): Students are expected to respect their teachers, but also teachers are
expected to respect their students. If a teacher doesn’t show respect/appreciation
for their students, they aren’t going to be respectful to you.
● Teacher Encouragement of students
○ Example(s): It’s important that teachers show encouragement for their students,
especially if they are struggling. If this is the case, students need your help in order
to stay motivated, otherwise, they are going to stop trying. Even if a student is doing
well in your class, still show them encouragement to keep that good work up. To
show encouragement, I would use verbal positive reinforcement and/or a sticker
chart. With the sticker chart, the student will work towards a goal whether it’s a prize,
extra free time, etc.
 ● Teacher sensitivity to student cultures and backgrounds
○ Example(s): Every teacher will have students from different cultures and
backgrounds and it’s important to become familiar with these. So, have
conversations with these students to get to know them and their culture/background
better. In that conversation bring up different customs they might have and make
sure that the student is comfortable in your classroom.

Philosophy and Thinking: Besides encouraging/participation, connecting with your students is

another key factor in academic success. If your students feel disconnected from you, they aren’t
going to as much effort into their work because they might not feel there isn’t a point to it. Students
need to feel supported, respected, and welcomed in the classroom.

Area #4: Behavior Intervention/Consequences

● Regular use of gentle redirects (proximity, warnings, the look)
○ Example(s): Instead of jumping to consequences, teachers should use redirects in
order to help the student get back on track. Some of the methods I would use are
going over to the student and tapping on their desk, using a verbal warning, and
looking over in the direction of the student(s).
● Consequences are reasonable and equitable
○ Example(s): When a student is given a consequence, they have to know exactly
why they are getting a consequence and what the consequence entails. This has to
be fair, offer some sort of choice, and related to what they did wrong.
● Consequences are given as choices (you have a choice right now...)
○ Example(s): Students should be given a choice when a consequence is handed to
them as it offers some sort of “control” of the situation. When students are given the
choice to make a decision about the consequence they are more likely to follow
through with it, whereas if there wasn’t a choice, they might protest against it.
● Teacher uses soft eyes, soft voice during conflicts
○ Example(s): Teachers should use a more calming voice during conflicts since raising
their voice can make the situation worse. This is because the student might get
frustrated because you seem mad at them, resulting in them not calming down.
● Teacher is firm, but also calm and compassionate (doesn’t yell or intimidate)
○ Example(s): This relates to the previous one. Yelling can make the situation worse
and doesn’t solve anything. It’s important to stay calm in these situations since your
actions are projected onto your students.
● Consistent follow through with consequences once they are earned (doesn’t make
the same request over and over)
○ Example(s): When you give a student a consequence, you must follow through with
it, otherwise the student may feel that they can get away with misbehaving in the
future. If the consequence is having the student stay in from recess an extra five
 minutes, make sure you follow through with that. If a student knows you’re serious
about a consequence, they won’t misbehave as often.
● Arguments/debates are delayed, done in private
○ Example(s): If you get into an argument with a student, or if there is one between a
couple of students, take them out into the hall so they don’t distract the other
classmates. If the argument continues, the teacher can take the students to the
office in order to settle the matter. If a student is trying to argue with you, again, pull
them out of the classroom and calm down that student to stop the arguing.
● Progression up hierarchy is swift but fair
○ Example(s): Teachers should use a tier of consequences. The first tier would consist
of redirects and gentle reminders. The second tier would be verbal warnings. The
third tier would be taking the student would of the classroom or moving them
somewhere else in the room. The final tier would be taking them to the office or
contacting their parents.

Philosophy and Thinking: Every teacher is going to have to give out some sort of consequence
to their student. Because of that, it’s important to come up with a game plan of how you will follow
through with consequences and what types of consequences you will use. With this, teachers also
need to remember that they need to stay calm in these situations and to not yell at the students as
this can lead to more problems. When a student is given a consequence, don’t jump to the final tier
right away. Ofter opportunities for the student to make up for their misbehavior and realize what
they are doing wrong. If you jump to that last tier too quickly, they won’t have that opportunity to
learn from their mistake.

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