Classroom management is one of the most important components to a successful classroom. It is necessary in order to be able to teach your students. In my first 8 years of teaching, I have tried many different strategies. Some have failed and some have worked well. Now, I have a pretty solid set of ideas that work for me in my kindergarten classsroom.
Building Relationships
As teachers, we often hear about the importance of building relationships with our students. If we build positive relationships with them, they will learn to trust us, and will therefore behave for us. Although this is true a lot of the time, this can’t be the only thing that keeps a classroom running smoothly.
Predictable Schedule
Young children thrive off of routine and predictability. One of the biggest things I do to ensure a successful day is to follow the same schedule each day and have it posted for students to see.
I use pictures on my schedule to help my kindergarteners know what each item is. By having the schedule posted, students know exactly what will be expected throughout the day and what will come next in the routine. When that routine is consistent every day, it will allow for much smoother transitions because students will be familiar with what to do and be much more confident in their abilities. They also have an opportunity to mentally prepare themselves for what is coming up, rather than being caught off guard, which could lead to more behavior problems.
Smooth Transitions
Having a predictable schedule will eventually lead to smooth transitions. However, another tool that I use to help with transitions is a wireless doorbell. I keep the button attached to my lanyard so that it is always handy. Whenever I need my class to clean up and transition to the next activity, I push the button. When students hear the chime, they know it’s time to stop, clean up, and move to the next thing. Of course this takes practice at the beginning of the year, but once it is mastered, it is amazing to be able to get them to transition without even using my voice. The doorbell can even be programmed to have different sounds mean different things.
Partner Work
Another tool I love to use, are partner sticks. There are several times where I need students to have a partner. With kindergarteners, I can’t just say “Find a partner.” There would be fighting or people left out, and it would turn to chaos.
So, I started using these partner sticks to pair up students. I just give everyone a stick, and they find the person with the food that goes with theirs. For example, spaghetti goes with meatball and waffle goes with syrup. There is even a group of 3 option for when there is an odd number of students.
My favorite thing about these, is that I can discretely pair them up a certain way. I put one food from each pair on a green stick and one on a yellow stick. Then, I can easily pass them out a certain way. I might give my higher students a green stick and my lower ones a yellow stick, so that they end up in pairs of a high and low student. But the students never know this.
Whole Group Management
During whole group instruction, it can be a challenge to keep all students engaged. One strategy I use all year long is playing “Teacher vs. Class”.
On our whiteboard, we have two 10-frames. I use these Magnetic 10 Frames. Whenever I see the entire class following expectations, I give them a point on their 10-frame. If some students are not following expectations, then I get a point on my 10-frame. At the end of the day, we count up the points and see who has more. If I had more points, we discuss what the class can do the next day to improve their behavior. If the class has more points, we move to the behavior Bingo board.
When the class wins, they get to pick a piece to stick on the Bingo board. Once they get five pieces in a row, they earn a class reward. This can include things like extra recess, movie day, a special treat, etc. They generally earn a Bingo about once a month. Then, we start the Bingo game over. I change out the theme to keep it exciting throughout the year.
This strategy works well because students have something to work towards and they can hold each other accountable.
Student Involvement
Students are more likely to behave when they are involved in the process. One way I do this, is by using “Scouts”. During whole group instruction or independent work time, I will choose one or two students to be a scout. Their job is to watch for students that are working hard and following expectations. At the end of the time, they will choose a student that they saw doing well. They will tell the class specifically what they saw that student doing well. For example, they might say “This person was being a good listener by watching with their eyes and having a quiet voice.” Then, that student earns something like a sticker or classroom dollars.
This strategy works well because it involves the students and they want to do well for their peers. It also points out specific positive behavior so students know exactly what is expected of them.
Individual Rewards
Although I find a lot of success in my whole group management strategies, I like to reward students on an individual basis too. For this, I use a classroom economy system.
When I notice certain students that stand out for their excellent choices, I give them one of our class dollars. They can save them up to buy things. Some examples of things I let students buy are being the line leader for a week, sitting in the teacher’s chair for the day, bringing a stuffed animal from home, etc. These can include anything you want, and there are tons of things that are free to you!
The best thing you can do for classroom management is to find what works for you and stick with it. Don’t constantly change things up. Make sure students know the expectations and be consistent.
Of course, the more engaging your instruction is, the less likely you are to have behavior problems. Learn more about how I use play in my kindergarten classroom to engage students HERE.
