How to Manage the Elementary Classroom
To run a successful elementary school classroom, teachers must have a management plan laid out before the school year starts. Disciplinary actions are included in classroom management, and having a plan for discipline laid out before a problem occurs will ease the mind of any teacher. Once teachers learn how to manage their classroom, they must keep up with their initial plan to maintain control. Leading a classroom that runs as smoothly as possible means that each day is filled with learning instead of problem-management and distractions.
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Instructions
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Organize your classroom so that you know where all items are when you need to find them. Keep materials that you use the most closest to your desk -- you can put materials that you don't use as often farther away in a filing cabinet or other area. Students should know where materials are as well so that they can be counted on to clean up when they're finished with a project. Your classroom may look bare at the beginning of the year, but don't try to fill it up yet -- through the year, you'll acquire more materials and you'll have plenty of things to hang on the wall.
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Establish a set of classroom rules. Write them down on a large piece of construction paper so that your students know the rules are serious. Even if they can't read yet, just knowing that rules are written down and posted is enough to let them know they're to be taken seriously. Don't create too many rules -- stick with five to 10. Examples of rules are, "Use inside voices" and "Walk in the classroom, don't run."
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Create a class motto that your students will memorize and repeat. For example, if your students tend to get upset when a snack is handed out because they don't always love the food they're receiving, you can develop a motto such as, "You get what you get and you're glad."
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Maintain control by being consistent. You must set a daily schedule and routine for your students -- this is extremely important for elementary school students. Also, be consistent when disciplining students. If you're not, they won't know day-to-day if they'll be punished for something or not, and this will promote misbehavior.
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Tell parents about your classroom management plan, disciplinary actions, rules and curriculum so that they're well-informed. This will make them comfortable with sending their child into your care every day.
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References
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