Ideas About Classroom Management (Grade 5)

1. Classroom Guidelines and Expectations: Have students help brainstorm a list of rules that they will follow throughout the year. As the instructor, help guide them towards rules that you also want. Because they helped create the rules, the students may take more ownership of their behavior.

2. Dealing with Disruptions: Implement a "3 strike" system. Strike 1= Warning (name mentioned and eye contact made) Strike 2= Second Warning (Name, eye contact and verbal warning of consequences) Strike 3= You're Out (removal from class to the hallway to wait for further instructions). Strikes are reset at the end of the day, if there is more than one "out" in a day, there will be either a call home or a talk to the principal. "Outs" would be followed up with a conversation about what is causing the behavior and what can be done to change or improve it.

3. Group Reward System: Arrange desks in groups of 4-6 and let them choose a team name. Every time a group completes a task well or first they receive a tally. At the end of the month the points are added up and students get a small prize (like a chocolate bar or pencil) This would help encourage them to work in teams and support each other.

4. Preventing Disruptions: Have a list of activities that the students can do after they have completed their assigned work. This will help cut down on "I am bored and so now I am going to entertain myself" shenanigans. See example image here: https://goo.gl/c0566D

5. Individual Consequences: There may be a student who is unable to follow regular classroom rules (due to a disability, mental heath concern, etc.) Those students will be expected to follow rule to the best of their ability. there may have to be adaptation and that will need to be explained to the rest of the class. For example, if we implement a "If you use an inappropriate word, you do push-ups" consequence. If a student is in a wheel chair the rest of the class will have to understand that they cannot do push ups and will have an adapted consequence instead.

6. Appropriate Disruptions: set boundaries for what is an appropriate disruption versus what is not appropriate. For example if a student is having an emergency, then it is okay to interrupt.

7. Negative Consequences: if students do not follow rules there will be consequences appropriate to the action. For example if a student is a repeat offender of forgetting or losing their assignments, they may lose a recess in order to work on the lost or forgotten assignment. If a student harms another student verbally or physically they will be immediately sent to the office.

8. Positive Consequences: If individual students follow the classroom guidelines they will be rewarded through verbal recognition and positive reinforcement of their behaviors. Perhaps implement a "caught you doing something positive" board where students as well as the teacher could nominate or write down students they saw doing something beyond expectations.

9. Jobs Chart: assign each group a job (sweepers, handout distributors, desk wipers etc). Those students are responsible for their job. Change monthly. This way each student has a responsibility and it is not always being passed off to others. If the group completes their job and do it well they receive a tally toward the end of the month prize.

10. Adapt Classroom Management strategies to each class: each class will have different needs, strengths and weaknesses. It is important to adapt the rules and consequences to each new class.

11. Reinforcing Appropriate Behavior: As the instructor it will be my job to keep the classroom safe and conducive to learning. If a student does something inappropriate I need to be able to react appropriately and do my best to not involve emotions. I need to be calm and react in ways that are appropriate to the situation. If at some point I do over-react I need to be able to apologize to that student and correct my own behavior.