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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We Are... – Classroom Expectation Posters
Set your new students up for success with this set of 11 classroom expectation posters.
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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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Dividing Decimals Math Mazes
Review how to divide a decimal by a decimal and a whole number with this set of math mazes.
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Math Mazes (Equivalent Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages)
Determine equivalent fractions, decimals, and percentages with this puzzling math maze.
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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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Morning Greetings Display
Greet each student at the door in style with this set of 4 greetings posters.
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Sample Behavior Goals
Use this list of 20 behavior goals to help when creating your students' behavior trackers.
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Alphabet Coloring Pages - A to Z
Print a set of alphabet coloring pages to boost letter recognition skills.
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Callback Phrases List
Catch your students’ attention with a set of fun attention-grabbing callback phrases.
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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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Math Mazes (Multiplication and Division)
Solve these mazes by manipulating numbers using multiplication and division skills.
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Quiz and Swap - 2nd Grade End-of-Year Review
Prepare your students for their end of grade assessments with an End-of-Year Quiz and Swap Review Game.
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Count and Color the Coins - Differentiated Worksheets
Use skip counting and addition skills to determine which coins are needed for a given amount.
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Color by Sight Words - 4 Words - Cat
A fun coloring activity to use when working with sight words.
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Mini-Mystery – Which Key Opens the Door?
Use knowledge of 2-D shapes and right angles to solve the mystery in this fun, logic-based activity.
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Make Your Own Paper Fortune Teller Template
Make paper fortune tellers with this multi-use template for teachers and students.
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3-2-1 Text Reflection Template
Quickly assess your students' comprehension after reading a fictional text with this 3-2-1 reflection activity.
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Order of Operations Dice Game
Practice order of operations with this set of 6 dice activity mats.
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I Put My Hand Up to Speak Poster
A poster to scaffold appropriate behavior for the students when speaking in class.
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Visual First-Then Schedule
Communicate a sequence of events with this visual first-then board and set of 48 reward picture cards.
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Fluency Reading Passage Pack - Grade 1
Assess student fluency with a printable pack of reading fluency passages for 1st grade.
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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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Student Progress Report Parent Letter Templates
Track academic and behavioral data with this set of progress report templates.
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Tiered Behavior Plan – Editable Template
Establish clear expectations, rewards and tiered consequences with this free behavior plan template.
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Mini Classroom Mailbox Template
Use this mini classroom mailbox template in a variety of ways.
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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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Subtraction Strategies – Worksheet
Assess your students’ knowledge of subtraction strategies with a subtraction assessment.
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Spring Riddles Bingo
Bring spring into your classroom with a fun game of Spring Riddle Bingo!
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Rhyming Word Memory Game - Apple Edition
Bring a bit of fall into the classroom with an apple-themed rhyming word game for Preschool and Kindergarten.
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Morning Meeting Questions - 180-Day Slide Deck
Download 180 days of morning meeting questions to foster communication and positivity while building relationships in your classroom.
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Mixed Operations Minute Math Booklet (Higher-Level Version)
Incorporate this mental math drills booklet into your math lesson warm-up (or assessment) routine.
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Color by Number - Numbers 0–9
A color by number activity for students to practice number recognition.