20 Classroom Management Strategies and Techniques

Keeping Your Classroom In Order

Paper airplanes fly across the room. Students race between desks. You can’t get a word in, as they yell over you.It doesn’t have to be this dramatic, like a movie scene you’d watch in a media literacy lesson, but poor classroom management will almost assuredly elevate your stress and burnout rates. Unfortunately, 2006 research indicates that teachers overwhelmingly report a lack of professional development support in improving classroom management. Despite this unideal situation, there are straightforward approaches you can implement by yourself. These classroom management strategies can enhance prosocial student behavior and academic engagement, establishing an orderly environment. Available as a downloadable list to keep at your desk, below are 20 research-backed classroom management strategies and techniques. Use the ones that best appeal to your situation and teaching style.

1. Model ideal behavior
2. Let students help establish guidelines
3. Document rules
4. Avoid punishing the class
5. Encourage initiative
6. Offer praise
7. Use non-verbal communication
8. Hold parties
9. Give tangible rewards
10. Make positive letters and phone calls
11. Build excitement for content
12. Offer different types of free study time
13. Write group contracts
14. Assign open-ended projects
15. Give only two marks for informal assessments
16. Use EdTech that adjusts to each student
17. Interview students
18. Address bad behavior quickly
19. Consider peer teaching
20. Gamify personal learning plans