After 23 years of teaching in elementary school, I have figured out a few classroom management tips for back to school to help your first few days be much more manageable. After 23 years of Back to School, I have figured out a few classroom management tips for back to school to help your first few days be much more manageable.
Back to School always brings so much excitement and maybe a little ( or a lot) of chaos. We have NEW students, NEW supplies (so many supplies), NEW personalities, and NEW routines. But, Back to School season does not have to be hard.
Classroom Management Tip #1
Assign each student a classroom number.
Numbers are easy for students to remember and make YOUR life much easier. Classroom numbers help you quickly organize papers and supplies, line students up quickly and efficiently, manage student groups and partnerships and so much more! Assign these numbers 1st day and write them on the desk nameplate so that students can easily view them. You will be SO glad you did this!
Classroom Management Tip #2
Print out name tag labels for each child.
I use Avery address labels 5160. Having a pre-printed name label will make organizing supplies and materials so much easier on the 1st few days of school. You won’t have to worry about sharpies in the kid’s hands or unreadable handwriting. Students can easily just stick and go! My 2nd graders were able to handle labeling their supplies completely. I didn’t have to do a thing but manage the location placement (which is totally optional). After the 1st few days of school, you can collect the name stickers for any future use which may arise. This is a HUGE time-saver.
Classroom Management Tip #3
Divide your class into 2 TEAMS.
My students love this and can remember their team easily. Based on their student numbers, we have an A team and a B team in my classroom. You can name it whatever you and your class decide. I place a printed list of teams in prominent locations so students and (myself) can refer to them on the regular. My primary purpose in doing this was to socially distance our classroom during the Covid Pandemic. The entire class couldn’t come to the rug at once, so we took turns. Teams have also helped us to fairly and equally divide the class for independent reading spots, restroom breaks, teams for games, and so much more.
Classroom Management Tip #4
Praise, Praise, and Praise.
Find a way to praise students for their great behavior and/or choices they make in the classroom. In my classroom, I use simple tickets. Students earn “golden” tickets for being outstanding role models throughout the day. Small and simple, yet such a huge motivator to be the best they can be in the classroom each day. Students keep their tickets in pencil pouches and then cash them in each Friday for either a prize or a reward coupon.
The reward coupons shown on the right enable them to have special privileges that they don’t normally get and they are SO excited! PLUS this set of coupons are EDITABLE, you can add your own creative rewards!
Classroom Management Tip #5
Class and Table Points
In our classroom, we love a little friendly competition and we especially love treats! As a whole class, whenever they do an outstanding job walking in the hallway, staying quiet at lunch and in the restroom, or following directions the 1st time, they earn a CLASS POINT. This encourages them to work together to be awesome! Once they get 10 points, they get to decide as a class what reward they get. Some ideas are usually PJ Day, Fuzzy Friend Day, Free Play, etc.
We also use Table Tallies as a way of encouraging table groups to be on their best behavior. Anytime we see a table group sitting quietly, working independently, cleaning their area, etc., their table earns a tally mark. The 1st table to 10 tallies, wins a treat. This is SO motivating to students to try to be the best and most responsible students they can be.
I hope that some or even ALL of these classroom management tips help you start the school year off in an amazing way! Back to School should be exciting, not daunting. You’ve got this!
Here is a quote I want you to remember when you go back to school and you are overwhelmed and tired.
“Stay positive, work hard, make it happen!”
