Classroom Management Tips

Ideas for elementary classroom management.

Effective classroom management tips. Avoid having to use student behavior contracts with these elementary classroom management ideas.


Every teacher needs an arsenal of special tricks to help run a particular class.

Primary teachers know that having excellent strategies can really help to gently redirect a group of playful children.

Children need to talk and move in order to learn best.

But sometimes a classroom can get too loud while "working together" or there are special times when the entire class seems a bit more squirmy than usual (full moon, holidays, birthday parties...).

There are also mild disruptive student behaviors that can result in needing student behavior contracts.

These are usually disruptive students who simply will not follow the management and discipline plans or have undiagnosed ADD or ADHD.

At these times, a behavior intervention plan may be necessary.

We want to avoid using student behavior contracts if possible, simply because they are time consuming and can create ill feelings with parents.

Often trying some simple elementary classroom management tips can redirect and refocus students.

Whole Class Elementary Classroom Management Tips

Here are some whole class elementary classroom management strategies you may find helpful:

1. 3 X's on the Board
Put 3 large X's on the board. Tell the children that as they get too loud (even if they are on task), you will simply erase an X. When all three X's are gone, the classwork becomes homework and you move on to the next lesson. Works like a charm!

2. Classroom Team Building Activities
Taking a thoughtful approach to building classroom communities through activities is key in managing a classroom. Doing on-going classroom team-building activities throughout the year is an excellent strategy for all teachers.

3. Divide the Room
Students who wish to talk while they work go to one side. Students who want to not talk go to the other, or may stay at their seats. Set a specific amount of time to complete the task, and if students who were on the talking side do not have it finished, it becomes homework with a parent note explaining that the child chose to talk during work time. Of course, if you have a student who needs this peer interaction to be successful, you will modify it.

I did this recently, and I was amazed that my "worst offenders" chose to go to the non-talking side of the room. They monitored their own behaviors and chose to work instead of play. Simple classroom management tips often work the best.

4. Spell the Word
Choose a specific holiday-themed word to spell, such as "candy" for Halloween. Students earn a letter each time another staff member compliments you on their behavior in specials, the lunchroom, hallways - wherever it may be! Their reward should be a class-decided one, such as a read-in, extra recess or maybe a board game afternoon. My class cannot wait to tell me when they have gotten a compliment, and always beg the other teachers to let me know!

5. Fun Friday
For the students who never have to flip a card and do everything they should, this is their reward. Each Friday, make an extra 15-20 minutes at the end of the day to do something fun as a reward. This can be an extra recess, a small craft, a game, a quick science activity - anything you know your students will love. I do believe in giving all children a chance (and lots of them!) but those kids who really are well-behaved all the time do deserve something special.

6. Give Responsibility
Some children do not respond to elementary classroom management tips and classroom discipline, for a variety of reasons. You can possibly turn this around by offering an "important" job to the child. Often a child's behaviors will clue you in as to what responsibility you should give him or her.

Set up an opportunity for the child to read to a younger student, be a helper around the school grounds, or check the classrooms after announcements to see if any teachers need papers taken to the office. Many times these students are simply looking for attention and self-worth, and will get it through negative behaviors unless you help them turn it around.

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