99 Ways to Improve Classroom Management

1.
2.
3.
4.

Arrive on time to your lesson

Avoid being late manage your time carefully
If youre late apologise sincerely, and get on with the lesson straight away
Plan thoroughly, your lesson, the sequence of lessons, the term and the
year
5. Be creative; eg. top trumps nutrition, make a universe, kinaesthetic
circulation lesson
6. Have a set seating plan for every lesson with students minimum expected
grades on this helps when splitting up groups
7. Learn student names and use them
8. Do not use nick names, this can be dangerous and can back fire
9. Never say sssshhhhh
10.Give clear concise instructions
11.Be consistent dont let your moods, your car crash, being burgled, being
tired affect how you treat students and staff
12.Do not talk over students talking, if its worth saying make sure they are
silent
13.Pause at appropriate times
14.Make lessons exciting, engaging and challenging, try something new
lessons regularly
15.Use TES resources, or other staff ideas, dont 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 away
17.Value every piece of work
18.Mark everything - all of the work you ask students to complete
19.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 optional
23.Use modern technology in lessons
24.Know your students academic ability and stretch them, make sure you
know what A* work looks like, and if you dont find out.
25.Make sure your students know their ability with a sheet in the front of
everyones book
26.Differentiate in lessons, bored students mess around
27.Mark regularly, and get students to repeat work and improve it if
necessary keep accurate records
28.Give students time in lessons to act on your comments
29.If you hand out sheets give students glue to stick them in
30.Have regularly contact with home, through a planner, phone calls, or
invite parents in
31.Phone home when work is excellent these conversations always go well

32.Send a postcard home for excellent work

33.Send a departmental letter for excellent work
34.Make sure students who work hard receive more attention than those who
dont
35.Use the 2222 procedure.
36.Dont wait for everyone to arrive before you start the lesson theres no
point in students arriving early, or on time if they have to wait for the last
person anyway
37.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 incorrect
39.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 youre always last!
41.Praise students arriving on time
42.Praise students for correct uniform
43.Praise students for starting the starter as you walk around the room
44.Make sure praise is genuine and not just ticking a box
45.Stay calm
46.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 lesson
48.Give yourself breathing time when the students are working
49.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 bored
51.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 litter
54.Make sure your classroom is neat and tidy without any clutter
55.Update your displays regularly
56.Make sure no display is more than a year old (maximum)
57.Put up students work
58.Make sure the room is not too hot or too cold
59.Be enthusiastic and passionate about your subject
60.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 ideas
62.Visit other schools and steal/borrow good ideas set up email
communication with someone from another school and swop resources
and ideas.

63.Dont 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 thats not an appropriate comment thank you, please
can you keep that sort of language to yourself, and I dont want to hear
that thank you.
75.Get in their first Michael, Id 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 tones
78.Do not shout, the power in your voice is the vocabulary not the volume.
79.Shout as a last resort theres 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 wont 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 language
87.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 isnt necessary
when they dont 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.