Classroom Management

Establishing a consistent morning routine is essential from the very beginning of the school year. My students know that upon entering the classroom, they must first hang up their backpacks and coats, then place their water bottles at the designated water station—keeping them accessible while preventing spills at their desks. Afterward, they take their seats and begin their morning work, which always serves as a review of the week’s lessons in math or language arts. 

While some students eat breakfast or complete their morning work, they watch the morning news. After the news, we clean up and place our morning work in the designated tray. The students then gather on the carpet for our morning meeting, which includes sharing time, calendar time, and discussing the week’s learning targets.

I use several call-and-response techniques in my classroom. My current school also implements a monthly call-and-response that everyone follows. However, what works best for my students is when I clap twice and raise both hands—students then mimic the clap and hand-raising, staying silent until I speak. Another effective method is using a chime; as soon as they hear it, everyone quiets down and raises their hands.

My instructional assistant assigns weekly classroom jobs to students, ensuring that everyone gets a chance to experience different responsibilities throughout the school year. The jobs rotate each week and include roles such as line leader, door holder, messenger, librarian, table cleaners, and weather reporter.

During the first week of class, we discuss the rules and create our own set of class guidelines. I write them on an anchor chart and display it on the wall, allowing us to review them regularly and giving students a visual reminder.

Everything in my classroom is color-coded for organization. I have a designated storage area for student materials, including workbooks like Benchmark Unit books, headphones, and other essentials. All items are neatly arranged based on seating arrangements—students at the yellow table keep their materials in the yellow bin, while those at the blue table store their supplies in the blue bin. This system helps maintain order and ensures easy access to their belongings.

I always display the learning target on the whiteboard where it is visible to everyone. I frequently decorate the board based on the season or to reflect our current lessons. During our morning meeting, I review the learning targets with the students, ensuring they understand what we are focusing on each week. This way, if someone asks them about their learning goals, they can confidently explain them.