Classroom Management Strategies for Teachers to Use in 2020

A new generation of teachers, tech-incorporated learning, and changing student behaviors have all led to a drastic change in the way classrooms function. As a result, teachers have needed to adjust how they manage the classroom. If your management techniques are no longer effective in this new generation, it may be a struggle to keep your students attentive and interested. As a teacher, here are some excellent classroom management strategies you can use to ensure your students are getting the most out of your lessons.

Prepare Yourself

The better you prepare yourself for your class, the more effective you will be. You can prepare a plan for disruptions to your lesson, create contingencies, and plan homework assignments. Being prepared also helps students become more focused and engaged as you confidently teach.

Fill the Space and Get Interactive

It’s very dull for students to watch a teacher talk for half an hour at the front of the classroom. Break up the disconnect by filling the space and interacting with your students. As you talk, move around the classroom, walk past disruptive or distracted students’ desks, place a hand on a student’s shoulder when you ask them a question, make eye contact, and ask them questions. By interacting with them, you can hold their attention better.

Let Students Lead

Encourage your students to take a leadership role by letting them explain to you and their classmates what they have learned after the lesson. By allowing them to re-teach what everyone learned, they are prepared to pay attention and process the information. This helps them learn better, build presentation skills, and challenge themselves.

Let Students Participate

Participation helps students learn better as they’re encouraged to think for themselves and apply the lessons they learned. For example, if you want to prepare behavior guidelines for the semester, spend time discussing potential rules with the students. They will be more inclined to follow guidelines they helped create. You can also take a classroom vote to find out which rules are mutually fair and practical.

Encourage Group Projects

Every classroom strategy needs to have room for students to build teamwork and leadership skills. Students love working in groups, playing games together, and learning as a team. They look to their peers to share ideas and collaborate on projects. Students who work in groups will develop a higher level of respect for others and build leadership skills as they learn to be more responsible about doing their part and contributing to the assignment.

Make Parents Partners, Not Enforcers

When students misbehave in class, it’s only natural to want to call the parents and have them discipline their children. Instead of making their parents enforcers of classroom rules, partner with them to deal with issues. Connect with parents for more than complaining about problems; call them when you want to say something positive about their children. Positive messages help build a healthy relationship with a student’s family, and lets students feel appreciated, and feel validated by their teacher.

Get Classroom Management Tools from TIMESAVERS for TEACHERS

If you found these tips helpful, let us help you take control of your classroom with our classroom time management tools and timesaving tools for teachers. TIMESAVERS for TEACHERS provides quality tools for teachers to help them be more effective with their time. Visit our web site to learn more about our tools that help with time management for teachers like our Quick Lesson Ideas or Interactive Classroom Forms and download effective templates for your specific needs!