Classroom Management Teaching Resources
Bring your classroom management strategies to life with resources created for teachers, by teachers, with your classroom in mind!
This collection of digital and printable resources was designed to help elementary and middle school teachers create and implement classroom management plans that are both effective and supportive, building a place where students thrive.
Looking for new strategies to try or ideas to build your classroom routines and establish consistency? Read on for a primer from our teaching team!
What Is Classroom Management?
Maybe you know all this already. Then again, maybe you've got so much information swirling around your head that you could use a quick refresher! That's what we're here for.
Classroom management is the name for all those tools that teachers have in their toolkit that help a classroom run smoothly. It can include everything from your classroom behavior management systems to your instructional techniques, and it helps you hold students accountable for misbehavior. It's the very foundation of your classroom climate.
We like to think of classroom management a bit like we think of the framework for a house — it provides the basic structure for your learning environment and sets you up for success as a teacher while also setting your students up for success as learners.
How to Set Up Effective Classroom Management
Now that we've talked about the what, let's talk about the how!
When you haven't been teaching very long, it can be hard to figure out what's important and what's just loud noise.
There is no one-size-fits-all classroom management plan that will work for every teacher. The age of your students, the year level you're teaching, the needs of your students, and even your personality will all play a role in the way you run your classroom. With that in mind, your classroom management plan may change year after year as your teach new groups of kids.
All that said, you do not have to reinvent the wheel! The teachers at Teach Starter have more than a century of classroom management experience when you put us all together (hey, we're not that old!).
This toolkit draws on that wealth of experience to offer actionable steps and tips to create the classroom management strategies, behavior management plans and more that you'll need to build meaningful relationships with your students.
We've cut out the noise and focused on the most important classroom management tools for your new teacher toolkit. Consider this your favorite new pair of noise-cancelling headphones!
Focus on the Teacher-Student Relationship
A classroom management strategy is only as good as the relationship built between a teacher and their students. Connecting with your students — focusing on their strengths and their efforts — will have an impact on the overall climate of your classroom.
Those connections with your students will also help you tailor your teaching approaches to your students' individual needs, interests and learning styles.
Establish Classroom Rules and Behavior Expectations
Good classroom rules are key to preventing behavior issues and providing a framework for correction.
Your rules and expectations are also tied intrinsically to your teacher-student relationship! When students feel connected to their teacher, they are more likely to internalize the teacher's expectations and classroom rules.
Build Clear Routines and Procedures
Classroom procedures and routines are the core of classroom management in elementary and middle school, and they help keep the school day running smoothly.
The research tells us that kids crave structure, but they also test it — which is where your rules and expectations come into play.
Employ Positive Reinforcement
Being recognized for doing something right or "good" is a powerful motivator for all of us, including our students. Praising your students for their efforts and achievements, as well as their adherence to classroom expectations, reinforces positive behavior and encourages their classmates to follow suit.
Focus on Active Student Engagement
Active learning strategies, such as group work, hands-on activities and interactive discussions help kids learn, but they also play directly into behavior management. Active learning keeps students engaged and reduces the likelihood of disruptive behavior. It also promotes students with a sense of ownership and participation in the learning process.
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Brag Tags
Provide positive reinforcement for good behavior and achievements with printable Brag Tags!
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Growth Mindset Brag Tags
Celebrate students using a growth mindset with a set of printable growth mindset brag tags!
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50-Book Challenge Tracker & Printable Bookmark
Encourage your students to complete the 50 Book Reading Challenge with a printable bookmark to track their books.
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Emotional Self-Regulation – Student Emotion Mood Meter
Allow your students to communicate how they are feeling using a non-verbal, desk-sized mood meter.
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Classroom Routines for Independent Work Checklist
Give your students a checklist to remind them of classroom routines to follow when working independently.
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Back to School Student Survey - Primary Grades
Get to know your new students with an all about me survey.
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Kindness Word Search
Download a printable word search about kindness for elementary school to explore this important aspect of social awareness with your students.
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Positive Notes Home – Parent Communication Templates
Use this editable template to share information with parents and guardians about academic improvement, positive behavior and more!
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Team Building Games – Upper Grades
Encourage communication and cooperation with this set of 10 team-building games.
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Search and Find – Back to School
Start the school year with a fun Back to School math activity for first graders.
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End of Day Routines Checklists for Students — Printable Bookmarks
Make the end-of-the-day go smoothly with a routine checklist for students to use as a bookmark.
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Adding within 1,000 Mystery Image Reveal Worksheet
Practice using the strip diagram to add within 1,000 with this fun mystery picture reveal activity.
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Adding within 1,000 Expanded Form Worksheet
Practice using the break apart strategy by working through this addition worksheet.
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Positive Parent Notes - Doodles
Let your students and their parents know when they have done particularly well or shown good behavior with a Positive Parent Note.
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We Are Working For... Printable Class Reward Chart
Remind your class of their behaviour goals with a "We Are Working For'"display.
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Digital Reward Chart – Marble Jar
Celebrate classroom successes with a fully digital marble jar classroom reward chart.
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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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Weekly Newsletter Templates
Send out important information to your students’ parents and guardians using weekly newsletters made with our handy templates!
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We Are... – Classroom Expectation Posters
Set your new students up for success with this set of 11 classroom expectation posters.
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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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Parent Handbook Flip Book Template
Start the school year with informed parents by providing them with a parent handbook.
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2-Digit Number of the Day - Spiral Review
Review a variety of second-grade math concepts with a Number of the Day slide deck and recording sheet.
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Student Intervention - Weekly Form for Teachers
Update parents and guardians every week using this editable weekly student report template.
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My Cooperation Sticker Chart - Printable
Promote and reward cooperative behavior with a pack of printable cooperation sticker charts.