Your classroom management plan is a small part of effective classroom management.
It’s critical and absolutely mandatory, but by itself won’t get you very far. It’s the rest of it, primarily what SCM is about, that makes the plan go.
A common refrain here at SCM is that there is no magic in any classroom management plan—including the tried and true high school and elementary plans we recommend.
The magic is in making your plan matter to students. The magic is in flipping your classroom from one that is extrinsically focused to one that fires your students’ intrinsic motivational engines.
I can’t stress this enough.
The SCM approach works because it gives you powerful, irresistible leverage. It works because by following it students appreciate being in your classroom so much that they’re disinclined to misbehave.
There are 739 articles on this website that explain in detail exactly how to do this, no matter who you are or where you work. We also have books available so you can have everything at your fingertips.
However, as a reference, listed below are 27 things—or SCM hallmarks—that when implemented a certain way cause students that want to listen, learn, and behave.
The list isn’t exhaustive, but it does cover the core drivers of an SCM classroom.
Off we go . . .
1. Extreme focus on independence.
2. Removal of all external rewards.
3. Strong reluctance to reteach and over-help.
4. Thorough teaching of rules and consequences.
5. Elimination of all gray areas.
6. Consistent, 100% follow through.
7. Calm, referee-like enforcement of rules.
8. Pin-neat, spartan-like classroom.
9. Zero friction between teacher and students.
10. Consistent teacher pleasantness.
11. Engaging, compelling lessons.
12. Detailed modeling.
13. Generous kindness and humor.
14. Complete shift in responsibility to students.
15. Explicit, comprehensive routines.
16. Emphasis on academics above all.
17. Teaching one objective at a time.
18. Close observation and supervision.
19. Constant push for excellence.
20. Economical teacher talk.
21. Worthy praise only.
22. Moving from success to success all day long.
23. Teacher content knowledge expertise.
24. Insistence on politeness, neatness, and respect.
25. Freedom to love school within non-negotiable boundaries.
26. Effortless, trusting rapport-building.
27. Continual purpose and state of flow.
I didn’t include links to the topics above because there are multiple articles written about each and all have been covered extensively in our books.
I encourage you to dig deep into those you’re most interested or deficient in. The SCM archive and all of our books can be found at right. You can also type any topic into the search bar at top.
Some readers occasionally criticize one or more of our methods without knowing what they mean or how we define them. They make assumptions based on a simple phrase but don’t understand the why and how.
In his 1709 poem An Essay on Criticism, Alexander Pope wrote that “A little learning is a dangerous thing.” This aptly describes much of public education. Don’t be like the simpletons who buy in to the common sneaky methods that appease, label, and manipulate students while removing real and healthy accountability.
And then deny that that’s exactly what they’re doing.
If you’re new to Smart Classroom Management (SCM), I encourage you to learn what we’re about and why we believe the way we do. You won’t be sorry.
It will change your work-life and the lives of your students in an incredibly, and intrinsically, rewarding way.
PS – A great place to start is with The Total Classroom Management Makeover.
Also, if you haven’t done so already, please join us. It’s free! Click here and begin receiving classroom management articles like this one in your email box every week.
Mr. Linsin, I just wanted to say thank you for your work. I am student teaching in a first grade classroom and I would likely have lost my mind and my will to teach without your website. Student teaching is hard because I had to develop a plan (I use laps at recess as a consequence since the school uses it) and teach students my expectations, such as raising their hands and being really, truly quiet. I am still struggling, especially with being consistent and not taking behavior personally. However, I am very grateful to be able to practice these strategies and I hope to use the full SCM approach in my future classroom.
P.S. Do you have any strategies/ideas for how I can polish up my lining up routine? I definitely need to model and practice because most students are lining up quickly, but a few take SO LONG and make the rest of the class lose focus. What can/should I do to make this routine more engaging and smooth?
Meant to say that I had to implement my plan and expectations after a semester of students not having a set plan and having different expectations. It’s a bit like subbing in that way except that thankfully I have built relationships and rapport.
This is an excellent article by him on the very topic of teaching how to line up: https://smartclassroommanagement.com/2011/08/20/simple-classroom-procedures/
I think he’s also written more on the topic, you might be able to find it by using the links in the article!
Thank you so much! I will follow these steps this Monday. Can’t wait to see a beautiful little line!
This is my 26th and final year teaching. I have been receiving and following your guidelines for over 15 years. I knew I couldn’t “control” my students, and I knew there was a better way. Following your philosophies have helped me have the rapport and discipline that my students needed.
The times we are living in are crazy with so many students having no guidance and balance in their lives. They need teachers they can trust to model this love and discipline in their lives.
Thank you for your support all these years! I really needed it.
Congrats on your long teaching career! These guidelines have been so helpful over the years, even for a veteran like me. I am retiring this year as well…at least from the state I am currently in.
My struggle with classroom management started when I switched to a title I school that required PBIS (all schools in my state are required to do PBIS but I’d previously worked in a private school). I was told my struggles were because I needed to reward kids more, needed to build relationships, needed to praise more. Finally I found Smart Classroom Management through The Cult of Pedagogy podcast and I’m so glad I did! After years of trying my admin’s advice with no success, my admin said I “did a 180!” in classroom management (no thanks to them). My classroom is calm, I have less stress, I’m in control. You helped me pinpoint what I was actually doing wrong (gray area, consistency, and following admin advice by rewarding/praising for the bare minimum). I love teaching again! Thank you!
Completely agree. I’m in the same situation with my school. I learned a long time ago to take classroom management into my own hands because the PBIS rewards and sending kids to the office weren’t working. In fact, it was making the behaviors worse. I haven’t handed out a PBIS reward ticket for 10 years or more. When I get recognized by colleagues and admin, they state I have high expectations of the kids and strive for excellence. (And to think it can be done without a ticket…) Thank you for sharing your experience.
Thanks so much SCM! I kinda got connected by a colleague to this resource and I am so happy to be on it. Reading your articles gives me hope to continue teaching for a while. This particular one touches the wrong things my school teaches like merits for the obvious/expected student behavior. Luckily I don’t believe in mediocrity and I don’t do so. My students are beginning to appreciate independence and proactive learning. Thanks a lot SCM 😃👍