Classroom Management Key Components

Area #1: Procedures/Structures/Routines

● Beginning Routine/Start of Class
● Quiet/Attention Signals
● Physical Transitions (groups, pairs, labs, activities, carpet)
● Dismissal or Lining Up
● Non-Verbal Cues (visuals, hand gestures, music)
● Giving Directions
● Checking for Understanding
● Holding Ground/No Arguing
● Raising Hands to Speak

Area #2: Engagement & Participation

● Variety (three or more activities per hour)
● Collaboration (Students Talking/Peer Discussions)
● Movement (two or more times per hour)
● Total Participation (all students think, write, share, or answer simultaneously)
● Rigor (higher order thinking and tasks required)
● Instruction (explain, model, guided practice, independent practice)
● Questioning/Probing
● Group Work (roles and productivity)

Area #3: Rapport/Connection

● Teacher Warmth/Friendliness/Approachability
● Teacher Enthusiasm/Energy/Excitement/Joy
● Teacher Humor/Laughter
● Teacher Knowledge of individual students’ interests
● Teacher Respect and Appreciation for students
● Teacher Encouragement of students
● Teacher sensitivity to student cultures and backgrounds
Area #4: Behavior Intervention/Consequences
● Regular use of gentle redirects (proximity, warnings, the look)
● Consequences are reasonable and equitable
● Consequences are given as choices (you have a choice right now...)
● Teacher uses soft eyes, soft voice during conflicts
● Teacher is firm, but also calm and compassionate (doesn’t yell or intimidate)
● Consistent follow through with consequences once they are earned (doesn’t make
the same request over and over)
● Arguments/debates are delayed, done in private
● Progression up hierarchy is swift but fair

● Procedures/Structures/Routines
○ At the beginning of the year, I communicate my rules and expectations clearly
and directly. I’d require students and their parents to sign a contract stating that
they have read and understand my behavioral and academic expectations and
consequences. These contracts help to create a safe, positive, work-oriented
environment where students are comfortable and time is not wasted on
unnecessary or preventable events; as a result, there is more time available for
quality instruction.
○ To minimize confusion, I find it helpful to tell students what is expected of them
and how to succeed in the class. For example, daily routines and procedures are
implemented and posted. By using these things consistently, students become
familiar with them and achieve a sense of security in my classroom. I will also
provide students with objectives and clear, concise directions visually and vocally.
These things help keep students focused, creating fewer behavioral issues and
allowing for more meaningful instruction time. I also will check for understanding
before having the students complete a task or move onto another activity.
○ I want to be consistent with my students in terms of classroom procedures. For
example, each day the students will come into the classroom and complete the
tasks on the board: wash hands, sharpen pencils, fill water bottles, and complete
unfinished work. If the students have completed these tasks, they will either do a
computer activity or read. Everyday the students will start the day with the
Pledge of Allegiance and then move into the morning meeting where there will
be a greeting, activity, and morning message. These consistent procedures make
the students comfortable with expectations.
 ○ To get students attention, I like quiet or even nonverbal redirection for students. I
do not need to add to the noise by yelling for attention. Instead, I pause and say
quietly,” if you can hear me touch your nose. If you can hear me touch your chin.
If you can hear me touch your belly.” I will do this quietly until all students are
following along. At this time, students are wearing masks and need mask breaks
and water breaks. These are great things to allow as the students transition from
one activity to another. I also have students line up by different groups. If
students race to the line or talk loudly, I will simply tell them to “try again.”
○ When there is a situation between different students or a student and myself. I
am in control of who gets to share so that the conversation can happen
efficiently. I will hear out the students because it is important to allow them to
explain their feelings but ultimately what I say goes. Students are expected to
follow rules. They are especially expected to raise their hand to speak unless they
are told otherwise. If a student blurts, I will kindly ask them to raise their hand. If
this is a continuing problem, the students will go to the “take a break” chair to
take a moment to collect themselves and think about how they can participate
better. Students want to know what is expected of them and will respect rules if
they are consistent. The most important key in classroom management is
consistency.

● Engagement and Participation

○ To prevent students from becoming distracted and bored, it is important to have
a continuous flow of activities. To ensure this, I plan all of my lessons with extra
activities for unexpected “free” time. All of my materials are organized in terms
of accessibility and availability so less time is spent accessing them. These efforts
help ensure that class time is used wisely for furthering education.
○ I am committed to making my classroom a safe and challenging environment and
engaging my students through the curriculum as well as getting to know them
and interacting with them one-on-one. I believe that meeting the needs of my
students is a very crucial part of my classroom. I want them to be comfortable
with the other students, as well as me, so that there can be meaningful
discussions and interactions. Talking will be commonplace in my classroom, along
with group work. I want to encourage all students to participate in class so that
they can learn from each other as well as me. I will model a new skill before the
students work with me and then ultimately are able to practice the skill
independently. I use the “I do, we do, you do” modeling strategy for most
lessons. I want to be as fair as I can be, so the students trust me.
 ○ An important activity that I will have daily would be morning meetings. This is a
time for students to greet each other, share about themselves, ask each other
questions, and go over daily plans and expectations. This gives the students time
to be up and moving before returning to their desks to begin other class work.
Students are given bathroom breaks to get them up and moving. Other breaks
are going to and from special classes they have (music, library, technology, etc.).
If the students are sluggish, I might have them do push-ups, jumping jacks, or
take the class on a quick walk through the hallways. I also believe in encouraging
my students in more ways than just verbal praise. I write notes to my students
saying what I appreciate about them or what I am proud of them for. This
encourages them to keep working hard.

● Rapport/Connection
○ In order to help all students feel welcome and comfortable, I get to know their
names and interests right away and have informal conversations with them. All
students’ interests, strengths, and cultural backgrounds are welcomed and
valued. I treat all students fairly and interact and communicate with them to
make them feel cared for, listened to, and respected. My efforts to respond to all
student questions and to remain patient and calm contribute to my comforting,
welcoming classroom environment.
○ Connection is key. Students are able to pick up on teachers who are there to
fulfill more than just the teaching and learning requirements. They can sense the
teachers who truly care about them. When planning lessons, we should consider
students' interests so that this encourages or helps the students learn more.
Building connections will help them learn. Getting to know the students will help
me know how to make different connections for each student. I also want to
recognize that children are happy and want to express that through laughter. I
will create activities that allow the students to show their appreciation and
happiness. The goal in my classroom is that students feel safe, happy, and
comfortable enough to take academic risks. This comfort comes from setting
expectations and showing the students I care.

● Behavior Intervention/Consequences
○ To get students attention, I like quiet or even nonverbal redirection for students. I
do not need to add to the noise by yelling for attention. Instead, I pause and say
quietly,” if you can hear me touch your nose. If you can hear me touch your chin.
If you can hear me touch your belly.” I will do this quietly until all students are
following along. At this time, students are wearing masks and need mask breaks
and water breaks. These are great things to allow as the students transition from
 one activity to another. I also have students line up by different groups. If
students race to the line or talk loudly, I will simply tell them to “try again.”I will
work with a child and not against them. They need to know that I love them. I
want them to be happy. I want them in the classroom and I want them learning. I
think that there is so much more to address about behavioral issues rather than
just a consequence. The antecedent needs to be identified and I need to try to
understand what causes the behavior. I will be proactive rather than just react to
undesired behaviors. I will implement preventative measures for students. Well
defined rules and procedures help avoid behavioral problems. Structure in the
classroom and procedures that students know how to follow will provide
stability. When students know what is expected of them there is natural flow to
the classroom. The stability in the classroom is necessary to meet basic needs of
students. I believe that if basic needs are not met then there's no hope for
curricular learning to take place. The student needs to be comfortable to learn.
The key is to discover the antecedent and change it, remove it, or take action to
create a new one. The best way to confront a problem is to deal with what is
actually causing a problem. I will provide positive reinforcement to reward the
desired Behavior. This is the best way to encourage change. I also believe that the
given punishment should reflect the crime committed. school work should never
be given as a punishment. For example, if a student writes with a marker on their
desk, their “punishment” will be to clean the desk. Punishment should never
embarrass the students. Any conversation or punishment should be had in
private as that continues to maintain a safe environment.

Smith, R., & Dearborn, G. (2016). Conscious classroom management: Unlocking the secrets
of great teaching. San Rafael, CA: Conscious Teaching Publications.