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.
- Free Plan
Happy Note Home
Communicate positive messages to parents and guardians with a Happy Note Home letter template.
- Plus Plan
Coordinate Grid Mystery Pictures
Practice graphing ordered pairs with this set of differentiated coordinate grid mystery pictures.
- Plus Plan
Converting Units of Length - Math Mazes
Strengthen measurement conversion skills while converting units of length with this set of math mazes.
- Plus Plan
Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources Crossword Puzzle
Reinforce science vocabulary with a renewable and nonrenewable resources crossword puzzle.
- Plus Plan
3-2-1 Exit Ticket Template
Test your students' knowledge at the end of class with this 3-2-1 exit ticket template.
- Free Plan
Math Mazes (Equivalent Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages)
Determine equivalent fractions, decimals, and percentages with this puzzling math maze.
- Plus Plan
Color by Sight Words - 4 Words - Cat
A fun coloring activity to use when working with sight words.
- Free Plan
Sample Behavior Goals
Use this list of 20 behavior goals to help when creating your students' behavior trackers.
- Plus Plan
Area of a Parallelogram – Differentiated Math Mazes
Determine the area of different parallelograms with a set of differentiated math mazes.
- Plus Plan
Growth Mindset Coloring Pages
Inspire creativity and encourage your students to think positively with a set of growth mindset coloring pages.
- Free Plan
Would You Rather? International Women's Day Active Game
Engage your students in thought-provoking discussions with this set of International Women’s Day-themed "Would You Rather" questions.
- Plus Plan
5th Grade Math Review – Test Prep Packet
Encourage your students to work through 8 pages of 5th-grade math problems while charting their progress to measure their success.
- Plus Plan
Sloth Mindfulness Coloring Pages
Use these sloth-themed coloring pages to bring a bit of creative calm into the classroom.
- Plus Plan
Riddle Me! Converting Units of Length – Worksheet
Use ratio reasoning and measurement conversion skills to complete a set of 3 riddle worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Morning Meeting Questions - 180-Day Slide Deck
Download 180 days of morning meeting questions to foster communication and positivity while building relationships in your classroom.
- Free Plan
Fall Color By Part of Speech Worksheet - Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs
Use this color by part of speech worksheet as a fun fall activity with your students.
- Free Plan
Our Class Got a Compliment! - Class Reward Chart
Motivate your students to keep up the good work with this classroom reward chart.
- Free Plan
How to Walk Like a... Instruction Cards
Help your students transition quietly through the hallways with this set of 4 instruction cards.
- Plus Plan
Color by Parts of Speech - Nouns, Verbs, and Adjectives - Octopus
A fun activity to use when learning about nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
- Free Plan
3-2-1 Text Reflection Template
Quickly assess your students' comprehension after reading a fictional text with this 3-2-1 reflection activity.
- Free Plan
Order of Operations Dice Game
Practice order of operations with this set of 6 dice activity mats.
- Plus Plan
Color by Sight Words - 4 Words - Butterfly
A fun coloring activity to use when working with sight words.
- Free Plan
Battleship Coordinate Grid Game
Practice using ordered pairs with this fun battleship game.
- Free Plan
Drama Game Task Cards
A set of 17 activity cards with instructions for drama games.
- Plus Plan
Testing Gift Tags
Give a confidence boost to your students before heading into a test or exam with these testing gift tags.
- Plus Plan
How to Draw a Cake Slice - Directed Drawing Worksheet
Learn to draw a cake slice with a fun directed drawing activity sheet.
- Plus Plan
Movie Day Activity Menu
Turn a movie day into a learning experience with our printable Movie Day Comprehension menu.
- Plus Plan
Emoji Equation Riddles - Determine the Unknown
Build problem-solving and critical thinking skills with printable Emoji Math Riddle task cards.
- Free Plan
Classroom Rules and Expectations – Cut and Paste Worksheets
Start your year off right by reviewing classroom rules with a cut-and-paste, writing and drawing activity.
- Free Plan
Callback Phrases List
Catch your students’ attention with a set of fun attention-grabbing callback phrases.
- Plus Plan
Main Idea Exit Tickets
Check for understanding of the main idea and supporting detail with these exit tickets.
- Plus Plan
Basketball I Spy Worksheet
Have a bit of counting and coloring fun with a basketball worksheet for Kindergarten.