Keep Things Fresh With These Classroom Management Strategies
Classroom Management Strategies
These strategies focus on designing the learning environment, not controlling students. They combine structure, relationships, and calm responses so you spend more time teaching.
1. Use structure as prevention
Clear, predictable routines remove uncertainty. When students know what to do when they enter, how to get help, and how to transition, behavior problems drop.
- Teach routines explicitly.
- Post the day’s goal and agenda.
- Practice transitions like any other skill.
2. Design engaging lessons
Many behavior issues are attention issues. Relevant tasks, appropriate pace, movement, and student voice prevent disruption better than warnings.
This is where you can link to your post on lesson and activity design.
3. Communicate with calm, specific language
Tone teaches. Calm, short, and specific directions help students correct without embarrassment.
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| “Stop talking.” | “I need voices off so we can start.” |
| “You’re being disruptive.” | “That’s making it hard for others to hear. Let’s fix it.” |
| Public correction | Private, brief correction |
4. Build credibility through relationships
Students follow teachers they believe respect them. Learn names quickly. Make your first contact with families positive. Show interest in students’ lives when reasonable.
This aligns with Jennings & Greenberg (2009) on the prosocial classroom.
5. Plan management by time: before, during, after
Thinking in time helps new teachers. Before class, set up and post expectations. During class, teach from the room and correct quietly. After class, reflect and repair.
- Before: agenda, materials, entry routine.
- During: proximity, nonverbal cues, calm reset.
- After: quick notes, private follow-up, adjust tomorrow.
6. Adjust by grade level
Elementary needs modeling and repetition. Middle school needs belonging and boundaries. High school needs respect and rationale. The strategy is the same, the delivery changes.
| Elementary | Middle | High |
|---|---|---|
| Practice routines often | Co-create norms | Explain the why |
| Positive narration | Structured choices | Private correction |
| Visual cues | Proximity + pacing | Peer accountability |
Reflect and apply
Which of these six strategies would reduce the most friction in your classroom this week.
Start with structure, then tone, then relationships.
Classroom management is as much about instructional design and relationships as it is rules and discipline. Though there are certainly exceptional situations, in general the more you’re having to hold them under your thumb, the more likely it is adjustments are necessary elsewhere.
Trauma-Informed Teaching: The Lens Behind Every Strategy
Trauma-informed teaching is a macro principle, not a single tactic. It assumes some students carry invisible histories of stress or instability and filters every decision through that awareness. The question shifts from “What is wrong with this student?” to “What happened to this student?” Teachers cannot remove trauma, but they can design environments that feel seen, safe, and capable.
Key ideas
- Universal lens: Act as if any student could be carrying trauma. Avoid public shaming and sarcasm.
- Predictability: Clear routines, consistent responses, and transparent expectations lower threat perception.
- Choice and voice: Offer small, structured options to rebuild agency (where to sit, how to submit, order of tasks).
- Regulate then correct: De-escalate first. Calm presence, neutral tone, brief directions, time to reset.
- Repair over punishment: Private follow-ups, opportunities to make amends, and re-entry plans protect belonging.
- Teacher care: Notice your own stress cues, build colleague support, and use simple recovery routines between classes.
Design cues: predictable openers and closers, posted norms written as positives, calm corners or cool-down options, non-verbal cues for redirection, and consistent language for choices and consequences.
References
- SAMHSA (2014). Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services.
- Souers, K., & Hall, P. (2016). Fostering Resilient Learners. ASCD.
- Perry, B., & Winfrey, O. (2021). What Happened to You? Flatiron Books.
Oh–and check out our two favorite sets of classroom rules while you’re at it. (The second set is especially good.)
27 Classroom Management Strategies To Keep Things Fresh