Classroom Management
Managing a class full of students is one of the biggest challenges facing teachers. If you don't have an effective plan in place, there won't be much opportunity for students to engage in meaningful learning experiences – you'll find yourself refereeing instead of teaching. The articles below offer suggestions for effective classroom management, including tips for creating classroom systems, suggestions for room arrangements, and lists of things students can do once they've finished their seatwork.
This section contains 19 articles.
Display: | Summaries | Titles only |
How do you create a classroom library that is both organized and enticing to young readers? Here a teacher illustrates how she set up a classroom library. She provides tips on acquiring books and materials, organizing the shelves, creating labels, and making it cozy.
Organizing for Effective Reading Instruction
To address the wide range of individual student variances and needs, reading instruction within one classroom must be data-informed and call on small group instruction and flexible grouping practices. This article delineates routines and procedures to help teachers organize their classroom environment and reading instruction to positively affect student achievement and meet the needs of diverse learners.
Using Peer Tutoring to Facilitate Access
Peer tutoring links high achieving students with lower achieving students or those with comparable achievement for structured learning. It's an effective educational strategy for classrooms of diverse learners, including students with disabilities, because it promotes academic gains as well as social enhancement. This brief discusses three research-supported peer tutoring strategies: Cross-Age Tutoring; Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS); and Reciprocal Peer Tutoring (RPT).
Key Lessons: What Research Says About the Value of Homework
How much homework is too much? Not enough? Who should get it? These are just a few of the questions that have been debated over the years. While the research produces mixed results, there are some findings that can help inform decisions about homework.
The literacy-rich environment emphasizes the importance of speaking, reading, and writing in the learning of all students. This involves the selection of materials that will facilitate language and literacy opportunities; reflection and thought regarding classroom design; and intentional instruction and facilitation by teachers and staff.
Key Lessons: What Research Says About Reorganizing School Schedules
Like class size reduction, increasing instructional time has lots of common-sense appeal as mechanism for raising student achievement. But more time in school can be costly. These key lessons summarize the current research on different approaches to organizing school time and schedules, beginning with the obvious question: Does more time make a difference?
These tips on how to keep your classroom running smoothly have been gathered from teachers around the world.
An Example of the 90 Minute Reading Block
Research shows that students need at least 90 minutes of uninterrupted reading instruction per day in order for sufficient student reading development, and that this instruction must be dense: systematically delivering explicit teacher directions; scaffolded over time; and differentiated across the classroom. Here is a chart from Just Read, Florida! that provides an example of how to set up a good 90-minute reading block.
Key Lessons: Class Size and Student Achievement
After more than 20 years of research, class size continues to be at the forefront of the educational and political agenda for schools, school districts, and school boards. Here is a snapshot of what research tells us about class size and student achievement.
Audiobooks: Ideas for Teachers
Encourage students to become better listeners and readers through audiobooks.
"I'm Done, Now What?": A List of Things Students Can Do After Seat Work
Children work at different paces. Here are some suggestions for how to keep your speedy workers occupied while their classmates finish their assignments.
Good rewards provide the incentive for a successful classroom management system. Here are some ideas to get you started.
How your classroom is arranged can have a big effect on your ability to effectively manage your class. This article discusses some ideas you should keep in mind as you set up your classroom.
Consequences, Privileges, and Positive Discipline
Managing a classroom effectively keeps unwanted behavior at a minimum and encourages learning for all students. The following provides suggestions for doing so through the use of consequences, privileges, and positive discipline.
Though the goal of classroom management is to head off conflict before it can start, occasionally students will get into fights. These tips from the Southeastern Connecticut Gang Activities Group will help you break up a fight.
These systems of rewards and consequences emphasize the techniques needed for sucessful classroom management.