99 Ways to Improve Classroom Management

1. Arrive on time to your lesson2. Avoid being late – manage your time carefully3. If you’re late apologise sincerely, and get on with the lesson straight away4. Plan thoroughly, your lesson, the sequence of lessons, the term and the year5. Be creative; eg. top trumps nutrition, make a universe, kinaesthetic circulation lesson6. Have a set seating plan for every lesson with students minimum expected grades on – this

helps when splitting up groups7. Learn student names and use them8. Do not use nick names, this can be dangerous and can back fire9. Never say sssshhhhh10. Give clear concise instructions11. Be consistent – don’t let your moods, your car crash, being burgled, being tired affect how

you treat students and staff12. Do not talk over students talking, if it’s worth saying make sure they are silent13. Pause at appropriate times14. Make lessons exciting, engaging and challenging, try something new lessons regularly15. Use TES resources, or other staff ideas, don’t waste loads of time preparing resources that

somebody has already done, thus leaving you tired and stressed prior to the start of your lesson.

16. Have a starter activity for students to get on with straight away17. Value every piece of work18. Mark everything - all of the work you ask students to complete19. In September spend twice as long on marking – it sets the tone and demonstrates your

commitment to them.20. Set high standards for work 21. Set really challenging work 22. Set extension work that is optional23. Use modern technology in lessons24. Know your students academic ability and stretch them, make sure you know what A* work

looks like, and if you don’t – find out.25. Make sure your students know their ability with a sheet in the front of everyone’s book26. Differentiate in lessons, bored students mess around27. Mark regularly, and get students to repeat work and improve it if necessary – keep accurate

records28. Give students time in lessons to act on your comments29. If you hand out sheets give students glue to stick them in30. Have regularly contact with home, through a planner, phone calls, or invite parents in31. Phone home when work is excellent – these conversations always go well

32. Send a postcard home for excellent work33. Send a departmental letter for excellent work34. Make sure students who work hard receive more attention than those who don’t35. Use the 2222 procedure.36. Don’t wait for everyone to arrive before you start the lesson – there’s no point in students

arriving early, or on time if they have to wait for the last person anyway37. Greet students as they enter the room ‘Good morning Michael, how are you? Did you

manage to get to the Biggin Hill airshow at the weekend, how was it?’38. Quietly correct uniform that is incorrect39. Make a note of students who are late or incorrect uniform and monitor it using your paper

register. 40. Praise students five times as much as you tell them off – focus on the positive “well done

you three for being the first to be ready for the lesson, works far better than hurry up you three you’re always last!’

41. Praise students arriving on time42. Praise students for correct uniform43. Praise students for starting the starter as you walk around the room44. Make sure praise is genuine and not just ticking a box45. Stay calm46. Have a no questions rule for the first 5 minutes (unless it is an emergency)47. Have a no question and silent time – stretch the length of this each lesson48. Give yourself breathing time when the students are working49. Stand back and assess the work 50. Reduce teacher talking – if you are talking for more than 20% of the time, students are likely

to get bored51. Recognise good work – hand out merits, house points and progress checks (use SIMS)52. Ask students who have received merits to leave their books open with your comments and

get the class to wander round and have a look (when giving back homework)53. Make sure the room is free from litter54. Make sure your classroom is neat and tidy without any clutter55. Update your displays regularly56. Make sure no display is more than a year old (maximum)57. Put up students work58. Make sure the room is not too hot or too cold59. Be enthusiastic and passionate about your subject60. Start the lesson with big sound and big visuals – make sure the blinds and curtains work, and

the ICT facilities support teaching.61. Attend regular training – get out of school and revitalize your ideas62. Visit other schools and steal/borrow good ideas – set up email communication with

someone from another school and swop resources and ideas.63. Don’t be a mood hoover – come to work with energy. Help students and staff when you can.

64. Get a print out of students birthdays (and staff) and say ‘happy birthday - what did you get, are you doing anything nice?’

65. Have ICT ready to go – check it works.66. Have a number of back up plans.67. Use fun games as a starter.68. Get students to prepare work for you – set as part of homework for students to email you a

link to a video clip that highlights what you have been teaching and then use the best one in your next lesson

69. Use ICT, you tube, videos, film clips to set the scene and grab attention.70. Embrace all technology that will aid with learning, get the students to lead by example and

copy them.71. Give students the Ofsted criteria for behaviour and get them to grade themselves.72. Give students the Ofsted criteria for lessons and get them to grade you – ask them how it

could be better.73. Use all the tools available to you, confidence, professional clothing, body language, facial

expressions.74. Have sayings ready ‘that’s not an appropriate comment thank you, please can you keep that

sort of language to yourself, and I don’t want to hear that thank you’.75. Get in their first ‘Michael, I’d really like to write a positive comment on your report at the

end of the lesson, so please can you focus on the things we discussed last lesson’.76. Talk at conversation volume, and demand that students listen. Are they talking? Are you

boring?77. Use your voice as your best tool, a whole range of expressions, volumes and tones78. Do not shout, the power in your voice is the vocabulary not the volume.79. Shout as a last resort – there’s nowhere else you can go if students laugh at you, shouting

rarely works.80. Stack up the odds, 1:1 conversations with students work better. Develop your language and

communication skills – visualize the conversation before you make it.81. Avoid public battles with students; students won’t want to back down in front of their

mates/peers.82. Walk around during the lesson – and make sure the students act on your comments 83. Intervene if you see inappropriate behaviour. Do not ignore things.84. Follow everything through, if you make a point of something follow it up.85. However, select which battles to fight.86. Be sharp, alert and on the ball, e.g. students checking their texts are very distinct in their

whole body language87. Vary the content (and pace) of your lesson, if you use all the same things all the time

students will switch off.88. Vary your teaching style – remember teaching practice, exciting ideas and try different

things. Get students to lead lessons, give them clear criteria.89. Regularly look at your watch and get a feel for the behaviour in your lesson – is it time to

move on?

90. Pack away with at least 5 mins to go – avoid students talking in transition time, see how seamless you can make these?

91. Allow 3 mins for plenary and to check the room for litter/graffiti.92. Make sure students leave on time. Focus on time management and active learning time in

your lessons.93. Never keep a whole class back - pick out the worst three and speak to them one at a time if

you are not happy with their behaviour.94. Use short punishments – speak to students for 30 secs after lessons and ask for an

improvement for next time.95. Use the time of the lesson in the day to your advantage – 1 mins at break, at lunch or after

school works extremely well.96. Avoid asking students to come back and see you if it isn’t necessary – when they don’t you

have to then follow that up as well.97. Use students to help you set up laptops, carry books to the lesson, hand out equipment and

count it back in. Give specific students a regular responsibility to make things easier for you.98. Treat all students in a similar way.99. Be consistent in praise, marking, conversations and punishments.