Through my years of experience as a pedagogical consultant, first working with publishers and now on my own, I have realized that there is one workshop topic that never gets old: Classroom Management.

Almost every school I visit reports the same complaints and issues regarding misbehavior in the classroom. A good classroom manager can minimize these issues and make learning more enjoyable and, above all, possible.

Classroom management has become my favorite workshop theme, and throughout the years, I have gained more and more experience in this area. Now it is time to share what I have learned with all of you.

To me, the buzzword when it comes to creating a healthy learning environment is consistency. Teachers must stay focused on what they need to do to build this environment and must not give up or give in to student pressure.

One of the biggest problems teachers face when trying to implement what they know is necessary is the lack of support from school administration. Schools have increasingly become lucrative businesses, and students and parents are often seen as clients or customers. For that reason, schools usually bend over backwards to avoid losing students and end up hindering or not supporting what teachers do in the classroom to improve management. That, however, is a topic for another article.

Now, let us look at some definitions of classroom management:

1. Emmer and Evertson (2016)
   "Classroom management refers to the actions teachers take to create an environment that supports and facilitates both academic and social-emotional learning."

2. Fred Jones (2007)
   "Classroom management is the art of arranging the classroom as a learning environment, planning and teaching procedures, monitoring student behavior, and intervening to redirect off-task behavior."

3. Jacob Kounin (1970)
   "Effective classroom management stems not from how a teacher handles misbehavior, but from how they prevent it through with-it-ness, overlapping, momentum, smoothness, and group focus."

4. Carol Weinstein (2003)
   "Classroom management involves the actions and strategies teachers use to maintain order, engage students, and promote learning."

5. Marzano and Marzano (2003)
   "Effective teachers manage their classrooms through strong teacher-student relationships, a well-structured environment, and consistent discipline policies."

In short, classroom management is everything we do to make learning possible and to create a healthy environment for it to flourish.

You may be asking, "OK, but how do I do that?" One thing I can tell you is that there is no magic formula. However, there are things we can try with our students to minimize misbehavior and disruptions. Once again, the most important element is consistency and not giving up.

Now let us look at four core strategies we can use. Remember that all strategies should be adapted to your group of students, taking into consideration their ages and levels.

Strategy #1: Class Rules

One important strategy is to create rules democratically with students. Teachers should sit down and talk with students about what is expected from them and what kind of behavior is appropriate. From this discussion, create a poster with the class rules. Make sure the poster is not too long, and use positive language instead of negative.
For example:
✔️ Walk instead of  ❌ Don’t run

Strategy #2: Greeting

It is important to greet students, and if possible, greet them individually. Looking students in the eyes and welcoming them goes a long way. Teachers can strengthen their bond with students simply by greeting them and showing genuine care. This stronger bond often leads to better relationships and, therefore, better behavior in class.

Strategy #3: Routines

Routines are essential because they create a sense of organization and predictability, which helps prevent chaos. Young children, in particular, enjoy routines and benefit greatly from them. Routines provide repetition, reinforce learning, and show students that there is structure in the way things happen in the classroom.

By sticking to routines, classroom behavior becomes more predictable. Teachers can model and rehearse these routines with students, such as how to transition from one activity to another, how to form a line, how to sit in a circle during circle time, or even how to go to the bathroom or drink water. These practices minimize anxiety and contribute to a calmer and more positive classroom environment.

Strategy #4: Be Proactive

As teachers, we should be proactive instead of reactive. What does that mean? We must anticipate problems in the classroom and deal with them before they happen. The idea is to put strategies in place so that problems do not arise. For example, if you know that two students are very talkative and disruptive during class, you can anticipate this and seat them separately, which will help minimize disruptions. Always think ahead about the issues you may face and be proactive in putting strategies in place to prevent them.

These are some of the core strategies I have seen teachers use and the ones I strongly recommend when I provide pedagogical support to schools. Of course, there are many others, and I encourage you to explore further.

Classroom management is crucial for creating focused lessons and building an environment where students feel safe and confident to participate. Although there is no magic formula, there are steps we can take to foster this atmosphere of learning. And remember: consistency is key.

May you all have wonderful, productive classes! 🙂