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.
- Plus Plan
Brain Break Activity Cards
Give your students a quick brain break with this set of 19 whole-class games.
- Free Plan
Snakes and Ladders Game Board Template
Create a fun activity for any subject area with this black-and-white board game template.
- Plus Plan
Read Across America - Project Task Cards
Celebrate Read Across America Week 2024 with a fun set of literature-inspired book project task cards.
- Plus Plan
Last Day of School Printable Bookmarks
Send your students off for the summer with one of our end-of-year bookmarks to color.
- Free Plan
Sharp and Dull Pencil Signs (Pencil Station)
Help keep your pencils organised in the classroom with these pencil station signs.
- Free Plan
Back-to-School Self-Assessment Template
Get to know your students on the first day and learn their thoughts on school with a printable self assessment.
- Plus Plan
Equivalent Fractions – Differentiated Math Mazes
Practice your understanding of equivalent fractions with this set of differentiated math mazes.
- Plus Plan
Voice Level Chart - Classroom Display
Give your students reminders to maintain appropriate voice levels around the classroom with a voice level chart.
- Plus Plan
13 Colonies Map Quiz
Locate and identify the 13 original colonies of the United States with a map labeling assessment.
- Plus Plan
Fall Color by Part of Speech - Nouns and Verbs Worksheet
Use this fall color by part of speech worksheet to review nouns and verbs.
- Free Plan
Editable Parent Reminder Notes
Keep your parents informed with this set of 27 editable reminder notes.
- Plus Plan
End of Year STEM Challenge
Use critical thinking and problem-solving skills with this set of STEM challenge cards.
- Plus Plan
Grammar Grid Mystery Picture Worksheet-Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives
Follow the color-coded parts of speech guide to fill in the word grid and reveal a mystery image.
- Plus Plan
Mini-Mystery – Who Drank the Teacher's Coffee?
A fun, logic-based activity where students read clues to solve the mystery.
- Free Plan
Color Me Carefully – Geometric Animals
Hone in on your students' speaking and listening skills with this barrier activity.
- Free Plan
Order of Operations Dice Game
Practice order of operations with this set of 6 dice activity mats.
- Plus Plan
Easy Origami Animals Worksheet and Step-By-Step Instructions for Kids
Make origami animals with your students with printable step-by-step instructions plus a 2D shapes worksheet for your math lesson planning.
- Free Plan
Adverb Crossword – Worksheet
A crossword for students to review different adverbs.
- Plus Plan
Would You Rather...? Question Cards
Would You Rather use this set of 31 question cards or eat a can of worms?
- Plus Plan
Chill Out – Classroom Break Passes
Give your students a work break to stop behavior problems before they start with our printable Chill Out Passes.
- Free Plan
Emoji Themed Self-Assessment Desk Cards
Print these emoji themed self-assessment cards for students to reflect on their learning and display on their desk to indicate the level of teacher support they need.
- Free Plan
2D and 3D Shapes Crossword with Solution
A crossword with clues for both 2D and 3D shapes.
- Plus Plan
Interactive Multiple Choice PowerPoint Template - Mathematics
Create an interactive math warm-up, review or assessment activity with this 11-slide PowerPoint template.
- Plus Plan
4th Grade Reading Fluency Passages
Assess student fluency with a printable pack of reading fluency passages for 4th grade.
- Plus Plan
Assessment Rubric - Historical Recounts
An assessment rubric designed to help teachers to assess students' historical recounts.
- Plus Plan
I Need a Break - Choice Boards
Help upset students regulate their emotions in the classroom with our printable ‘I Need a Break!’ choice boards.
- Plus Plan
Class Party Signup Letter Templates
Prepare for class parties ahead of time with printable Class Party Signup templates for holidays throughout the year.
- Plus Plan
3rd Grade Reading Fluency Passages
Assess student fluency with a printable pack of reading fluency passages for 3rd grade.
- Plus Plan
Hall Pass Templates
Send your students down the hall in style with fun printable hall passes using our customizable hall pass templates.
- Plus Plan
Dragon Coloring Pages
Create colorful Chinese dragon art to celebrate the Lunar New Year in the classroom with a pack of printable dragon coloring sheets.
- Plus Plan
Testing Gift Tags
Give a confidence boost to your students before heading into a test or exam with these testing gift tags.
- Free Plan
Color by Number – Repeated Addition and Multiplication
Guide your students to connect repeated addition with multiplication by completing this color-by-code multiplication worksheet.