Every teacher and their group of students are unique. So, while there are plenty of strategies that you can implement in the classroom, you must find your own style of teaching, made up of a conglomeration of classroom management ideas you’ve learned along the way.
Teachers often find classroom management difficult when they do not assert themselves properly in the beginning. They find themselves back tracking. Instead, be assertive and then slowly allow things you want to let happen in the classroom. Think of this as a reward system. As the students prove themselves, introducing a rewards system is a great way to handle classroom management ideas.
Perhaps you can have the students build points towards a new field trip or class party. As the students achieve certain goals, they can build up these points. Be certain that you’re setting realistic goals and making the rewards worth it for the children. Also, when they make mistakes, do not just move on. Teach them to learn from their mistakes, and have penalties for them. Grow them towards their rewards in the right ways, and don’t slack when it comes to either adding a point or taking one away.
Also, when it comes to classroom management, keeping the students engaged is key. This definitely does not mean talking at them the whole time. Ask your students questions, put them in groups, take them to a different setting like the library or computer lab once in awhile and much more. You can also have them play class review games and other types of games to help teach the material.
Also recognize that part of keeping your students engaged is incorporating different styles of learning. You of course will be using an auditory style of learning as well as a visual style of learning. But, mix these up frequently and also incorporate tactile learning, which is hands-on experience. This can be done with any subject. You will find that if you have students acting up or getting restless it’s because these are often your tactile learners. Find a way to keep everyone engaged in the learning process, and this helps you manage your classroom.
Classroom management ideas come in a wide variety of disciplines. While you do have to be stern, you also want to be sure that you remain positive. You also need to remain calm. If you do all of these things and consistently reinvent your classroom strategies, you are going to be just fine.
