17 BEST Classroom Management Tips for New Teachers (2024)

Are you a new grad looking for classroom management tips for new teachers? You’re in the right place.

If you’ve spent any time in a classroom recently, you know that teacher education tends to not adequately prepare us for what the classroom (especially the classroom of today) is really like.

While I felt equipped to handle small everyday occurrences after teacher’s college, I felt that larger issues were something that I had to learn from first-hand experience.

Managing a class of 25 to upwards of 40 kids can be challenging, but I’m going to break down some really useful tips that are bound to help you have success.

If you’re looking for classroom management tips for substitute teachers, click here. Otherwise, I’m going to walk you through classroom management tips to help you survive for first few years of teaching – that will have your principal impressed.

Let’s jump in!

15 Classroom Management Tips for New Teachers

Classroom management is a long process that doesn’t happen overnight, but these tips are insider insights that are sure to get you started on the right foot

1. Learn their names quickly

One of the most effective things you can do starting from day one is learn their names (and use them.)

If you’re good at names, you may be able to learn them in a day. But otherwise, assume it will take a 2-3 days to really have it down pact.

If you’re someone who considers yourself bad with names, then here’s a tip: focus on the names that you think you’ll need to learn most often.

When you know (and use) kids’ names, it creates accountability and prevents them from feeling like they can slip under the radar with bad behaviour choices.

2. Only one student at a time goes to the bathroom

Trust me on this – the kids will use the washroom as a way to escape class, and talk or hang out (or even make tik-toks, according to my middle school daughter.)

Only allow one student at a time (or one student of each gender if you prefer) to have a background break to ensure they’re using it for what its intended for. I recommend having a sign-out sheet, where they write the time they left and came back.

Pro Tip: Don’t tell them why you’re being strict on this. Just say its to help you keep track of the class better, and because its school policy.

3. Make a seating plan and STICK to it

Flexible seating is a popular choice that many teachers prefer. It’s best, however, for experienced teachers who already know and feel comfortable with their students.

Until you know the kids well, I highly recommend making your own seating plans.

You can either start the first day with a seating plan (kids come in, see where their names are and sit down. OR, you let them sit where they want for the first few days to get a feel for who works well together and who doesn’t- and then use this information to make your first seating plan.)

Once you make a seating plan, DON’T honour kids’ requests or begging to be moved or switched unless there is a very valid reason (such as a diagnosis for needing to sit near the front of the class.)

Otherwise, be ok with your seating plan not being popular and continue on to see how you think its working.

Pro Tip: Once you have a seating plan that is working for you management-wise, change it up about once a month. I find that eventually, seating plans go stale and need a change-up.

4. Engagement is classroom management

Have lots of activities (and backup activities) planned for the first few days.

One thing you will find in teaching, is that some kids will finish work right away, and others will take forever. Don’t be surprised if you have 1/3 of the class done something that several kids have barely started.

It’s a lot of work, but this is especially important for those early days: keep them busy. The busier you keep them, the less room there is for kids acting out or issues arising.

Here are some tips for keeping them engaged (even if they’re done everything)

• Get a bunch of used donated books to start building your classroom library, and ask parents if they have books to donate. Books can be used for kids to read when they’re done all their work
• Have boardgames and educational activities like scrabble, bananagrams, or even lego (just make sure they always agree to clean it up when they’re done)
• Have several early finisher activities for those to move on to once they’re done. (This link will bring you to Teachers Pay Teachers early finisher packages, some paid and some free.)

5. Don’t allow screen time for kids who are “done everything”

Students will likely ask for some sort of screen time (their phones, or chromebooks) for when they’re done all their work. I would highly recommend not allowing it – and instead referring them to early finisher activities.

I took over a classroom when I came back from maternity leave, where students were in the habit of going on the Chromebooks to play ‘educational games’ after they were supposedly “done” all the work.

What did I find this meant? I found that too many of them rushed through work, because they knew they could have screen time after. It killed their intrinsic motivation in anything we were learning.

And sometimes they weren’t even doing the educational stuff on them that they said they were doing; they were instead going on sites that they shouldn’t be. This created another management issue for me altogether.

As a new teacher, screen time and your rules and limitations around it will be half the battle. I recommend being careful about how you use screen time in the classroom, because of how addictive and distracting it can be but also because its hard to monitor.

6. Manage your emotions

Unless you are very lucky to teach a unicorn class, its helpful to accept that there will be some behavioural challenges and that you are going to feel angry sometimes.

Depending on what grade you teach, the kids’ behaviour will really push your buttons. The worst thing you can do as a new teacher is show that it makes you lose your cool.

Don’t let them see you crack or explode. The trick here isn’t to act like you don’t care -on the contrary – you’re going to show that you do care, and are going to be ‘on’ it. Just don’t lose your temper.

Take a deep breath if something really atrocious happens, and act (don’t react) accordingly.

Having a good teacher survival kit at school, can help you de-stress in between periods.

7. Hold off on rewards systems

Some teachers have a rewards system that they like to use, and they like to start it right away. Some will even recommend that “candy” be the superpower that you use to get your class to behave.

Personally, I would recommend holding off on a rewards program, at least in the very beginning. The students are still getting to know you and your expectations. Prizes and rewards systems early on can backfire by being an intrinsic motivation killer.

Intrinsic motivation is hard to build, but if you crush the possibility right away, then rewards will be their only motivator all year long.

If it’s clear that you have a really difficult class and you need something to motivate them, then a whole class rewards might be best, for these reasons:

• They encourage team-work
• When the reward is earned, it allows you a chance to get to know and bond with the class during whatever activity was earned as a reward
• It tends to be easier on your wallet too

8. Establish expectations

Co-creating a list of classroom rules or classroom agreements is a great way to get the kids to chime into the rules, and understand your behavioural and academic expectations.

However, I wouldn’t do this on day 1. While it may seem like the obvious thing to do on your first day, I think that you need at least a day or two to get a feel for the class first, to see what kinds of things you need to focus on when making the classroom rules.

If you make a rules list on the first day, you haven’t gotten a chance to personalize it for that class or find out what kinds of expectations they need review on, or to understand clearly that you won’t accept.

9. Have routines

Routines are very important for classroom management. For example:

• routines for entering the classroom at the beginning of the day
• end-of-day dismissal, lunch dismissal
• transitioning to different subjects
• leaving the classroom to travel to other parts of the school (such as gym)
• math and literacy blocks
• tidying up after certain subjects or activities, like art or science that tend to be messier and hands-on

All of these routines will take weeks to completely solidify and you will make tweaks as you go. The tough thing is that there’s no ‘right’ way to do routines – its often a matter of personal preference.

From a management perspective, I recommend having clear instructions for routines, and then (as mentioned earlier) allocate some time to just practicing them until they are more or less go smoothly.

10. Build trust

A big key to keep in mind about the students is that they need to trust you. Yes, they are testing you and are going to try to get away with what they can.

But they are also still just kids, and want to be able to trust that their teacher wants the best for them.

Many of the tips I share here will contribute to building trust with students as a new teacher. To reiterate, these are some things to do to build that trust:

• Be warm, friendly and welcoming to them. Stand at the door to greet them when they come in, use their names, and tell them that you’re there to help
• Use their names a lot, early on. Saying, “can you pass me that, Jacob?” is a lot more effective than saying “hey, can you pass me that?”
• Have routines, a seating plan and practice those transitions so students know what to expect. They thrive on structure, limitations and familiarity; even if it doesn’t seem like it. Routines and limitations make them feel safe and cared for deep down
• Speak one-on-one to each of them throughout the days, and show that you are listening attentively
• Foster a growth mindset when it comes to both behaviour and academics

Remember, building these relationships to bring the best out of your students is largely what makes this career worth it

11. Be firm with agreed-upon rules

The first few weeks will be tough, because those kids will be watching you, and testing you. They want to find out what kind of teacher you are – a strict teacher? A nice teacher? Will you play favourites?

The best thing to do is practice the 3 Fs – Be Firm, Fun and Fair. Being the perfect combination of these “three F’s” will make you a well-liked, but also respected teacher.

Here are some guidelines on being the firm, fun and fair teacher that the students both like and respect:

• Using their names, especially in situations where you’re making a request of them, takes away their ability to ‘fly under the radar’ and shows that you’re paying attention
• Do not budge on the rules you’ve made unless they’ve given you a life-or-death reason. If you make too many exceptions, then you’re signing yourself up to make constant judgment calls all year

12. Practice, practice, practice

One of the best classroom management books I ever read highlighted to me the idea of ‘practicing’ routines and procedures with classes.

Classroom management and good behaviour are like muscles that need practice and exercise if you want to sustain.

For example, if you want them to be able to walk down the halls single-file without talking, then you need to practice that with them a few times until they get it right.

Practicing works really well for:

• transition times: have them practice putting their science books away and taking out their math without bursting into a room full of chatter
• recess, lunch and end of day dismissal: have them practice calmly clearing away their things away and preparing for dismissal
• travelling around the school as a class. This was a big one for me. Getting the kids to walk in a somewhat decent line without it turning into chaos was not easy (some classes are easier than others.) This is another thing to practice them

13. Talk to previous teachers

In teaching, it saves you time (and improves your work-life balance) to re-invent the wheel as little as possible.

Previous teachers can tell you things like:

• Any classroom management strategies that worked for them with this group of students
• Some methods or tactics that certain students respond really well too
• Which students may appear very trustworthy, but are actually ones whose sneaky behaviour you need to watch out for (there have been many times where I was surprised, and was so glad to be given the heads up because it would have taken me months to learn on my own!)
• Any parents of students in the class who are known to be challenging

While some of these things may be things you prefer to learn about first-hand (it can be argued that asking previous teachers leads to not giving the kids or the parents a fresh start) I found it always saved me some hassle and learning curve, and provided me with strategies that I could put into practice right away. Plus, staff helping and supporting each other is good for morale.

14. Start calling home early on for repeat offenders

Calling home may seem like a lot of initial work at first, especially when you’re just getting started.

]But if you are having any challenges with some of the students (especially if they’re serious problems) then you’re going to want to connect with the parents early on.

Calling home can often nip small problems in the butt early on, before they turn into bigger problems.

In the case of kids with a track record of serious behaviour problems, then these are parents that you may be talking to for the rest of the year, so you want to establish a decent rapport with them.

Solidifying a rapport with the parents can also improve the kids’ behaviour. When they see that bridge between school and home, it holds them accountable for how they behave at school.

Pro Tip: Always make sure you’ve had a few one-on-ones with the student first, before calling their parents. Every kid has a story and sometimes their home life is a contributor to their behaviour in class. You may find after talking with them, that you don’t need to call home. Plus, you’ve established trust with the student who now knows that you care

Sadly, we are not living in a time or place where teachers are highly respected, and some parents can be very difficult.

One of the biggest cons to being a teacher nowadays is the lack of support (which will vary heavily from school to neighbourhood, to admin.)

The best thing you can do is the best on your end.

I recommend doing the following:

• Invite parents of students struggling with behaviour in for a face-to-face chat early on, rather than discussing any initial problems on the phone or email. I know it sounds daunting and like a lot of work, but I find that seeing them in person really helps solidify a good rapport with them
• If possible, ask the student’s previous teachers what their relationship with that parent was like and if they have any tips
• Make sure to use the sandwich method when talking about their child, if they seem defensive (or if you’ve heard that they are a defensive and difficult parent)

15. Get to know the kids

This sounds like an easy and obvious one, but building a rapport and relationship with the kids early on sets you up for an easier time classroom management-wise.

Kids, regardless of how old they are, love to be able to share about themselves to someone who cares and who will listen. Deep down, they want you to know and care about them.

Here are some ways to spend some unstructured time simply getting to know them:

• Have them fill out a questionnaire on their interests. This can be done digitally, you could make a paper one, or there are even downloadable ones
• Send a questionnaire home for their parents to fill out. This shows the parents and the kids that you’re interested in learning about the children, and it can provide you with some valuable information
• Do some icebreaker activities during the first couple days. This allows you to get to know the kids as they express themselves

16. Don’t yell

Try as much as possible not to raise your voice, especially in the early days. Maybe there will be incidents that require you to down the road (often a safety issue) but you certainly don’t want to get into the habit of yelling at the kids.

Yelling at them will reduce trust, and teach them nothing other than that you’re a yeller. It also loses its shock effect very quickly, and kids will eventually tune it out.

Instead of yelling:

• Wait at the front of the classroom for them to be quiet (if its a case of chattiness or talking over you.) It may waste time, but this is the only way to get them to listen without raising your voice.
• Depending on the age group (this is slightly better for younger students) make comments about things you do like; ie: “I like how Lucie is sitting quietly and listening,” or “I like how Johnny already has his books out.”
• Make a note of which students you’ll need to pull aside to talk one-on-one to improve their overall behaviour

17. Read at least one book or resource on classroom management

After a few weeks in the classroom and identifying what the main classroom management struggles will be, I recommend picking up a book to help you in ways you may not have thought possible.

I was pretty skeptical about classroom management books until I finally decided to bite the bullet and pick one up.

The book or resource you choose to read should be targeted at the general age group you teach, and with what your goals are. Here are some suggestions:

• With All Due Respect (Best for all elementary grades, from K to Grade 8) is an older book, but one of the best-rated of all classroom management books. It definitely changed my outlook and improved my management and I wish I read it sooner. It focuses on whole-class management, rather than dealing with extreme behaviour of a few specific individuals
• The Behaviour Code Companion (Best for K – Grade 6) is for improving the behaviour of a few specific students who struggle with defiance
• Smart Classroom Management is a website made by a teacher expert with many years of experience. He has some great, no-nonsense advice

I’ll be honest – if you’re teaching in North America or the UK, there is not a ton of support for teachers with regards to classroom management. My hope is that these tips above in addition to these book recommendations give you the best success without having to go to your admin. However, you should never hesitate to seek support from your admin if you encounter very serious behaviours.

New Teachers Classroom Management FAQ

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about classroom management for new and even experienced teachers

How to handle disruptive behavior in the classroom?

You almost definitely will encounter disruptive behaviour in the classroom as a teacher. Be sure to maintain your composure, comment on the things that you DO want to see, and make sure speak to repeat offenders one on one. If your efforts aren’t working, then call their parents.

How to start a class as a teacher?

Starting up a classroom as a new teacher is challenging. Be sure to have routines that you practice to help the kinds get them down pact. Learn their names quickly, and do getting-to-know you activities. Be the three Fs – fun, firm and fair.

Final Thoughts on Classroom Management Tips for New Teachers

Learning classroom management in teacher’s college is like learning how to snowboard in a classroom setting – it’s something you really need to practice in order to get good at.

I hope- and believe- that these classroom management tips for new teachers will make a difference in your early career. Many of them are tips that I picked up over the years.

There is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to how you run and manage your class – you may find that some of these tips aren’t fitting for you and your class, and that’s ok. Part of being a strong teacher with good management is knowing your students and what works.

Remember to take care of yourself in the process too – this isn’t an easy job. Some love it, and others burn out. Ensure that you are destressing as a teacher so you can continue to give your class the energy and attention it deserves.