One of the most crucial roles a teacher must play for the success of their students is classroom management. The goal is to come up with a set of rules, systems, and guidelines that ensure good behavior and maximum participation from the student without creating a stressful environment. If you are a teacher or someone looking to understand classroom management, this article will guide you on how to use a classroom management plan template to enforce it.
What Is a Classroom Management Plan?
A classroom management plan is a series of steps and guidelines designed by a teacher to keep their students attentive, focused, organized, academically productive, and well-behaved during a class, semester, or school year. It is usually created by identifying all possible disruptions and misbehaviors that could occur in the classroom then designing a set of rules and consequences to mitigate them.
What Is a Classroom Management Plan Template?
A classroom management plan template is a fillable form that a teacher can use to analyze possible areas of friction in their class and devise rules to curb them. You can download it online and customize it to fit the situation in your classroom.
Classroom Management Plan Examples & Templates
Essential Elements of a Classroom Management Plan
While each teacher’s management style is different, a food management plan is consistent in its content. The document must contain the following elements:
- Classroom Design: This refers to the deliberate arrangement of displays, desks, equipment, and storage to create a conducive learning environment.
- Timeframes: The teacher must create a timeframe that allows their students enough time to complete their assignments and settle down before every next class.
- Rules: The rules set out in a class management plan must be derived from actual misbehaviors identified by the teacher and their students that could occur in the class. They must foster respect and harmony in the classroom.
- Consequences: When assigning consequences, use official reprimands like warnings, detention, and demerits. Avoid actions that could be counterproductive, such as hitting, cursing, or yelling.
- Plan Organization: This involves organizing administrative paperwork, class assignments, and student files properly, so you have ample instructional time
High School Classroom Management Plan
How to Set up an Effective Classroom Management Plan
An effective classroom management plan template should define how you will demand good behavior from your students while still maintaining a positive learning environment. Here is how to set it up:
Step 1: Set Expectations
In the first week of the semester, ask your students to suggest and write down the rules they think you will enforce, then let them sign a contract. They are more likely to cooperate if you involve them.
Step 2: Follow School Policies
As you set your own rules, read the school management policies and make sure the two align. For example, if your school doesn’t have detention, don’t include it as a consequence.
Step 3: Define Your Boundaries
Set boundaries from the word go about what is acceptable or not acceptable in your classroom. Doing this will ensure you don’t burn out or get stressed.
Step 4: Use Reinforcements
Every time a student displays a good behavior, encourage them through verbal and non-verbal reinforcement. Vary this input so that your students remain motivated to behave well.
Step 5: Prepare a Planned Syllabus
Create a planned syllabus of the course you will cover that semester. Make sure it is well-organized, easy to understand, and comprehensive.
Step 6: Interact with Your Students
Take time to understand each of your students so that you can anticipate and prevent or manage behavior problems. Do this by creating fun and positive ice breakers.
Step 7: Create Engaging Content
Make your content engaging and include several project-based classes and lessons that involve a lot of student engagement. This will keep your students focused and well-behaved.
Step 8: Define the Consequences
Lastly, list down a set of consequences for when a student breaks the rules. Be consistent and fair in applying the consequences.
Elementary Classroom Management Plan
Things to Consider when Preparing a Classroom Management Plan
Your priority as a teacher is to ensure all your students are comfortable, safe, and academically productive. To achieve this, consider the following when preparing your management plan:
- Review some samples online to understand what a good classroom management plan should look like, then customize one of your own.
- If your students are older, engage them in a discussion of the humanistic, cognitive, and behavioral aspects of the rules in the management plan.
- Take notes about possible hindrances to the success of your students and address them in your classroom management policies.
- Make sure your rules are in line with school policies.
- Apply the consequences equally to all disruptions in the classroom.
- Adjust the plan accordingly if it will benefit the students.
- Share your plan with the students and their parents at the beginning of the school year.
FAQs
What are the 5 P’s classroom rules?
A well-managed classroom is designed to follow the 5 Ps, which are Prepared, Prompt, Productive, Polite, and Position.
Is classroom management a skill?
Yes, classroom management is a crucial teaching skill that, when employed well, can mitigate student behavior and class disruptions.
What are the best classroom rules?
Some of the best rules to enforce in your classroom include:
- Always be on time
- Complete your homework and carry enough supplies
- Don’t hit or bully your classmates.
- Be courteous and polite to others.
- Respect other people’s property.
What is positive classroom management?
Positive classroom management is a system that uses support and positive reinforcement to foster learning and avoid disruptions in the classroom.
What should you not do in the classroom?
As a teacher, you should never impose counterproductive consequences for your rules, such as hitting, yelling, or cursing at the students, or shaming them.
What are the duties of a teacher in classroom management?
Your duties include monitoring the progress of your students, maximizing efficiency, and anticipating and avoiding or dealing with potential problems.
Final Thoughts
To complete a classroom management plan template, list down all the conceivable actions from your students that could cause a disruption in the learning and use them to set rules. Be very clear about the rules and consequences so that there is no room for fault-finding, arguing, or complaining later.
