| Has your classroom environment turned from serene | | | | students organized and you'll be on your way towards |
| and peaceful to jungle fever? Are you out of control | | | | a classroom that you're in control of. |
| and at the end of your rope? All teachers find | | | | Establishing Policies and Rules |
| themselves out of control and unsure what to do next | | | | What is a world without rules? Every "society", |
| from time to time, even those who have been | | | | including your classroom, must have an established set |
| teaching for dozens of years. This can happen at any | | | | of policies and rules to go by. Absent all rules, chaos |
| grade level, including the elementary classroom | | | | and disorder will ensue. Make sure that you establish |
| environment. Managing the elementary classroom can | | | | your classroom rules and policies from the beginning of |
| be daunting, and requires tons of energy and mounds | | | | the academic year and follow through with them. Don't |
| of patience - not to mention better-than-average | | | | get too complex, especially for younger kids, but have |
| organizational skills. The classroom that is organized | | | | a few (less than five for grades three and lower) and |
| and filled with students who listen to and respect their | | | | as many as ten (for grades four and up) rules that are |
| teacher is a classroom that can almost run itself. | | | | easy to understand and remember. Just because you |
| Getting there (to this well-managed utopia) is an uphill | | | | have understandable rules, however, does not mean |
| journey that definitely has its rewards. Let's look at the | | | | that all students will actually understand them. Begin |
| fundamentals of elementary classroom management. | | | | your school year with an orientation session for the |
| Getting Organized | | | | rules, and make sure that everyone does in fact know |
| Organization is the number one key to a classroom | | | | what you mean. You might even consider a short |
| that runs like a well-oiled machine. Files, forms and | | | | "quiz" to confirm that they know the rules. But more |
| supplies are easier to find when labeled, and you | | | | important than having rules in place is showing your |
| definitely want a system that allows you to identify | | | | students that you mean business. For example, explain |
| and locate records for your students, forms and more. | | | | to them that you expect them to respect you and |
| By day one's end, you should have a chart for seating | | | | each other, that they must complete their homework |
| that will allow you to identify your students easily. | | | | assignments, bring their library books back to school, |
| Having your lesson plans done up well in advance will | | | | etc., and when they do not, make sure that a fitting |
| allow you to plan each day more effectively. Keeping | | | | punishment is administered immediately and |
| a calendar on your desk (the big kind with lots of room | | | | consistently. Also be sure to praise and reward |
| for writing) will keep you on task. Invest in some | | | | students when they follow the rules consistently. |
| hanging files for your drawers, and keep a folder for | | | | The chore of managing the elementary classroom can |
| everything. Some teachers have a plastic storage tote | | | | certainly be stressful, but with organization of yourself, |
| for each "unit" that they work on, and everything goes | | | | your "stuff" and your students, and by abiding by |
| back into the labeled tote at the unit's end, ready for | | | | set-in-stone classroom rules, it can be done much |
| next year. Find ways to get your "stuff" and your | | | | easier! |