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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5th Grade Decimal Operations Assessment
Assess student understanding of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing decimals with this math assessment.
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American Revolution Crossword Puzzle
Review Revolutionary War vocabulary with a crossword puzzle.
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Interactive Classroom Layout Maker
Save your time (and your back) by pre-planning your classroom layout and furniture placement with a Google Slides interactive design template.
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Mixed Operations Minute Math Booklet (Higher-Level Version)
Incorporate this mental math drills booklet into your math lesson warm-up (or assessment) routine.
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Count the Nickels Worksheet
Use skip counting and addition skills to determine the number of nickels needed for a given amount.
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Multi-Step Problem Solving Worksheet
Solve a multi-step problem and explain the mathematical reasoning behind the process with this simple assessment worksheet.
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Mini-Mystery – Who Killed the Class Plant?
A fun, logic-based activity where students read clues to solve the mystery.
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Quick Phonics Screener- Single Letter Phoneme
Test your students' knowledge of single letter phonemes with this student assessment kit.
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Color by Sight Words - 4 Words - Cat
A fun coloring activity to use when working with sight words.
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Grade 5 Daily Warm-Up – PowerPoint 1
A 75-slide PowerPoint presentation containing a variety of quick warm-up activities.
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Color Me Carefully – Geometric Animals
Hone in on your students' speaking and listening skills with this barrier activity.
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Multiplication Grid – Worksheet
Test your students' multiplication fluency with this half-page multiplication grid.
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Free Hidden Picture Puzzle and Activity Worksheet
Print a free hidden picture puzzle and activity worksheet that makes a perfect brain break for first or second grade.
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Classroom Morning Routine and Agenda Slides
Use these editable classroom morning routine slides to display important information for the day.
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Fluency Reading Passage - A Day at the Zoo (Grade 1)
A fiction text to use when assessing students' fluency.
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Classroom Helpers Bulletin Board Design Set
Help your classroom helpers keep track of their classroom responsibilities with printable bulletin board set.
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Identifying the Parts an Earthworm Worksheet
Read, learn and label the parts of a worm with a set of printable animal features worksheets.
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End of Day Checklist & Poster
Help your students remember end-of-day classroom procedures with a printable poster and packing-up checklist.
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Would You Rather? Parent Teacher Meeting Game
Engage students and parents in a fun game of Would You Rather? to spice up your open house for school.
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10 Reasons Why - End of Year Letter to Students
Strengthen connections and send your students off on summer vacation with an encouraging end-of-year letter to students.
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Christmas Trivia Advent Calendar Interactive
Host a Christmas trivia game show with an interactive advent calendar trivia game.
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Would You Rather? - End of Year Summer Fun Game
Kick off your summer vacation with a fun end of year “Would You Rather?” Brain Break activity.
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Veterans Day Worksheets - ABC Order
Support your students in reviewing the vocabulary and concepts surrounding the Veteran’s Day holiday with an ABC Order Worksheet.
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Emoji Equation Riddles - Determine the Unknown
Build problem-solving and critical thinking skills with printable Emoji Math Riddle task cards.
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Sight Word Lists – Teacher Resource Binder
Use this collection of checklists, student pages and quick-check assessments when reviewing Dolch sight words spanning from pre-primer to 3rd grade.
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Desk Pet Habitat Templates
Encourage positive behavior with printable Desk Pet Habitats for your students to spend their Desk Pet Dollars on!
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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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Adding within 1,000 Expanded Form Worksheet
Practice using the break apart strategy by working through this addition worksheet.
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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.
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Behavior Punch Card – Right on Target!
Motivate your students to be on target with this punch card template.
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Tattle Monster - Tattle Telling Tissue Box Template
Create a tattle monster out of a tissue box for your classroom using this cute template.