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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Sloth-Themed Classroom - Daily Agenda Template
Organize your day with these teacher-friendly Google Slide templates.
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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.
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Spring Riddles Bingo
Bring spring into your classroom with a fun game of Spring Riddle Bingo!
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Energy and Electricity Crossword Puzzle
Reinforce science vocabulary with an energy and electricity crossword puzzle.
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Equivalent Ratios – Math Mazes
Practice how to find equivalent ratios with this set of math mazes.
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Natural Resources – Exit Tickets
Assess student understanding of natural resources with this set of exit tickets.
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5th Grade Algebraic Relationships Assessment
Assess student understanding of prime and composite numbers, numerical expressions, graphing numerical patterns, and more with this math assessment.
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100th Day of School - Would You Rather? Game
Engage your students in thought-provoking discussions on the 100th day of school with a fun game of Would You Rather?
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Converting Units of Length - Math Mazes
Strengthen measurement conversion skills while converting units of length with this set of math mazes.
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30 Mindful Drawing Tasks — Meditation Drawing for Kids
30 mindfulness drawing tasks to promote calm in your classroom.
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P.R.I.D.E. Classroom Rules Poster Set
Set your expectations for classroom behavior at the beginning of a school year with a set of printable classroom rule posters.
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Christmas Gingerbread House Craft Template
Introduce your students to one of Germany’s most popular Christmas traditions with a printable gingerbread house craft template.
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Christmas Activity Mats
Use these Christmas activity mats during morning arrival on the last day before Christmas break.
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Dividing Whole Numbers – Color by Number Worksheet
Solve long division problems and color the grid according to the key to reveal a mystery picture.
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Adding and Subtracting Decimals – Differentiated Mystery Image Worksheets
Have students practice adding and subtracting decimals with this mystery image worksheet.
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Curious Creature – Whole-Class Art Activity
A collaborative whole-class art activity to create a curious creature.
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Editable Parent Reminder Notes
Keep your parents informed with this set of 27 editable reminder notes.
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Editable Back-to-School Pamphlet
Share important information with parents and guardians with this back to school printable pamphlet.
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Questions Only - Theatre Improvisation Game
An engaging theatre-style warm-up game to help your students stretch their brains by asking questions.
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Comparing Three-Digit Numbers – Worksheet
Practice comparing 3-digit numbers with this hands-on worksheet.
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Math Mazes (Place Value)
Determine the correct paths through each maze using knowledge of place value.
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Roll and Cover – Telling Time to the Minute
Practice telling to the minute with this roll and cover game
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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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Pangolin Mindful Coloring Sheet
A pangolin mindful coloring sheet.
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Cockatoo Mindful Coloring Sheet
A cockatoo mindful coloring sheet.
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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 - 6 Words - Toucan
A fun coloring activity to use when working with sight words.
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Color by Number - Multiplication Facts of 12
An engaging activity to consolidate your students' understanding of multiplication facts.
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Color by Number - Multiplication Facts of 9
Practicing multiplication facts of 9 doesn't have to be boring when you use this color-by-number worksheet.
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Color by Sight Words - 5 Words - Dog
A fun coloring activity to use when working with sight words.
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Color by Number - Multiplication Facts of 8
Throw out your boring fact practice and replace it with this color by number worksheet!
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Color by Number - Multiplication Facts of 7
Your students will love coloring while they practice their multiplication facts of 7 with this color by number worksheet.