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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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.
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50-Book Challenge Tracker & Printable Bookmark
Encourage your students to complete the 50 Book Reading Challenge with a printable bookmark to track their books.
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We Are... – Classroom Expectation Posters
Set your new students up for success with this set of 11 classroom expectation posters.
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Synonym and Antonym Crossword Puzzle
Review vocabulary skills and boost your students’ knowledge of synonyms and antonyms with a crossword puzzle worksheet.
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STEM Challenge Cards for 2nd, 3rd & 4th Grades
A set of 20 STEM challenge cards for students, suitable for kids in second through fourth grades.
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Student Behavior Discussion Cards for the Classroom
Print free student behavior discussion cards to encourage your class to think about what a positive learning environment looks like, sounds like, and feels like.
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3rd Grade Reading Fluency Passages
Assess student fluency with a printable pack of reading fluency passages for 3rd grade.
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Hall Pass Templates
Send your students down the hall in style with fun printable hall passes using our customizable hall pass templates.
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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.
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Sharp and Dull Pencil Signs (Pencil Station)
Help keep your pencils organised in the classroom with these pencil station signs.
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Printable Bookmark - Morning Routine Checklist
Ensure your students start off on the right foot with this morning routine checklist bookmark!
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Subtraction Strategies – Worksheet
Assess your students’ knowledge of subtraction strategies with a subtraction assessment.
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Space Word Search
Review science vocabulary terms with an engaging space word search.
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Mindfulness Activity Mats
A set of 10 mindfulness activity mats.
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Mixed Operations Minute Math Booklet (Lower-Level Version)
Jump into your math lessons with this ten-page mental math booklet covering the four operations and number patterns.
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Helpful Homework Tips for Parents
Helpful tips to support students as they complete homework.
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Multiplication and Division Minute Math Booklet
Warm-up (or assess) with this 10-page booklet of multiplication and division drills.
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Morning Greetings Display
Greet each student at the door in style with this set of 4 greetings posters.
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Leadership Qualities - Poster Pack
Explore the qualities embodied by a good leader with this set of 9 posters.
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Interactive Multiple Choice PowerPoint Template - Mathematics
Create an interactive math warm-up, review or assessment activity with this 11-slide PowerPoint template.
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Drama Game Task Cards
A set of 17 activity cards with instructions for drama games.
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Snakes and Ladders Game Board Template
Create a fun activity for any subject area with this black-and-white board game template.
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Parent Teacher Conference Sign In Sheet Templates
Be prepared for conferences with a printable pack of parent teacher conference sign-in sheet templates.
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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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Behavior Punch Card – Right on Target!
Motivate your students to be on target with this punch card template.
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Equivalent Fractions – Differentiated Math Mazes
Practice your understanding of equivalent fractions with this set of differentiated math mazes.
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Printable Bookmarks - Mindful Coloring
Bring calm to the classroom with these mindfulness coloring bookmarks.
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Playdough STEM Challenge – Task Cards
Use this set of STEM challenge cards to foster critical thinking and problem-solving by building various items with playdough.
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End of Year STEM Challenge
Use critical thinking and problem-solving skills with this set of STEM challenge cards.
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Color by Number - Numbers 10–20
A color by number activity for students to practice recognizing teen numbers.
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Book Hunt Image and Task Cards
Take your students on a book hunt with this poster and set of task cards.
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Antonyms Polygon Puzzle
Match antonym pairs with an engaging opposite words tarsia puzzle.