It’s a common question here at SCM.
Should you teach your classroom management plan immediately on the first day of school or wait and ease into it? Intuitively, it makes sense to wait.
Perhaps a bonding activity or getting-to-know-you game is a better choice. Maybe a few days of introductory lessons and routines before getting into the alarm of rules is the way to go.
After all, being at a new grade level can be overwhelming. Your students will be understandably nervous, self-conscious about how they’re being perceived, and wondering how they fit in.
Which is why you should teach your plan right away.
You see, when students are unsteady and uncertain and wanting to turn over a new leaf, they’re most adaptable to a new culture. They also long to be part of something different, special, and bigger than themselves.
We all do. Therefore, it pays to strike when the iron is hot.
The truth is, your classroom management plan is the perfect avenue through which to begin creating your culture because it communicates what a happy and well-behaved class looks like more than anything you can say.
Furthermore, taught in a certain way, it proves that your rules and consequences are for them and their benefit. This radical mind-shift—compared to how students view classroom management in 99 percent of classes—orients them toward what you want and away from what you don’t.
It’s fine if you prefer to have an introductory activity the first few minutes of the first day of school. But right after it’s best to go full throttle into your classroom management plan.
Here’s how:
1. Explain why.
Explain to your students that the purpose of your classroom management plan is to protect their right to learn and enjoy being in your classroom without being bothered, bullied, or made fun of.
2. Read it.
While referring to the large poster of your rules and consequences high on your classroom wall—within view of every student in—simply but boldly read aloud.
3. Make a promise.
Promise your class that you will follow the plan exactly as its written and every single time a rule is broken no matter who the student is or when or how it happens. No exceptions.
4. Model your rules.
Model one example of each rule being broken. Choose the four most common misbehaviors you witnessed the year before. Have fun with it, but model the heck out of them.
5. Model your consequences.
Show your students exactly what you will do and say if they break a rule and what they are to do in response. Model going to time-out, for example, and how and when to return to class. Be precise.
6. Take questions.
Allow for questions. Be sure you know exactly what does and doesn’t constitute breaking your rules. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to teach it or explain it to your students. Clarity is king.
7. Make a second promise.
Promise to follow your plan as consistent as an AI robot and as drama free as an NFL referee. Meaning, you will never lecture, scold, berate, glare, raise your voice, or use any form of intimidation.
Details Win
These seven steps, if committed to, will be transformational for you and your students. However, they’re a basic set of guidelines. For details, and the exact plans I recommend, please see the classroom management plan e-guides in the sidebar at right.
Also, although the seven steps above may initially take 40 minutes to an hour depending on your grade level, you’ll want to continue to teach and review for the next few weeks.
PS – I was a guest on this podcast to discuss my article The Big Lie Of Childhood Trauma.
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.
I love your weekly articles. This is stated in this article, “please see the classroom management plan e-guides in the sidebar at right”, I would love this. I teach 7th gd. Please send me this information. Thank you for your support.
Hi Heidi,
Just click on the image The Smart Classroom Management Plan for Elementary Teachers in the sidebar and it will take you to a page with more information and how to purchase.
Some schools want teachers and students to create the rules together to help with community building. What are your thoughts on this?
Here’s an article he wrote about it: https://smartclassroommanagement.com/2014/08/02/why-you-shouldnt-let-your-students-decide-the-class-rules/
Short answer: He’s against it.
He might be against it, but our district requires it.
Michael, So good to hear your thoughts to provoking questions in the podcast. Even though I left my education career last year after 9 years, yours is the only education blog I have ever subscribed to, and STILL read faithfully! Thank you for advocating for kindness in the world while elevating young people to become better individuals through high, but attainable standards that are clearly communicated. We need more of your reasoning in schools these days!
How do you get the class to settle and be quiet enough to teach the rules.
Hi, Mr Linsin, I feel so incredibly fortunate and blessed to have come upon your website and invaluable information. It truly feels like a miracle. I have intuitively been drawn to all the things you promote (like an extremely highly ordered and uncluttered classroom) but, as a new teacher, wasn’t sure if that was “acceptable”, so just ended up following the posters on the wall ad nauseum crowd.
Anyway, thanks for all the great blog info, too. I bought your Complete Classroom Makeover book and read and reread it continuously. It’s very well-written. It will be my first year implementing your ideas, wish me luck! I’m nervous but excited!
You’ll do great, Marcus! I have no doubt.
What about the consequences on the first day? (after teaching CMP)
Full spectrum of consequences, or consequences lite?
I teach 7th grade and 8th grade. Which plan do these grades fall in? Elementary or High School? Would like to know prior to buying. Thank you.
Read the FAQs for both plans and then make your decision.
Hi Michael
This past two terms I have implemented the plan in my y5 class, but had to tweak it to fit with the plans set out by management. This involved the child, on having broken a third rule, being sent to ‘provision’ – the child was sent to be in a different room with a member of SLT for the remainder of the morning/ afternoon – is not going to be implemented in the next years y5. Therefore I will go back to your original plan and inform parents that their child broke a third rule. Can I ask though, if this happens, do they stay in ‘reflection time’ ( my name for Time out) for 12–15 mins again?
Yes
Michael,
Thank you for a smart and enjoyable-to-read article.
Would you say to teach classroom management plan on the first day in high school as well? (Each lesson is only 40 minutes)
Yes, for sure.
Hi Michael,
I am a principal in a 6-8 middle school. We are implementing the elementary plan in our building school wide this year. I read your high school plan. Our district does not allow us to incorporate behavior into their grades. This is why I landed on elementary. I wondered if you had any additional thoughts on this. Thanks!
Hi Lysh,
I think the elementary plan will work fine. As for not incorporating behavior into grades, done right – as explained in the guide – the plan assigns points based on what is written – even using the same language – as your own district/state approved standards and curriculum.
My concern here is the consequences. I find it so hard to find proper one’s after a misbehavior. For some student, it can help with a time-out, but in other classes it cause problems in the hallway, or just more disruption… I can’t seem to get the hang of it.
Hello, I have a question about classroom management. I teach high school science. I want students to come into my classroom and take out their binders, computers, and other needed material on their desks and then they will put their cell phones and airpods in their backpacks and put their backpacks against the wall or on hooks (not sure what will be available in my new classroom yet). When the bell rings should I give them a specific time limit like two minutes to get all of that done? How best to do this? Or, all of it done before the bell? I know I will have students rushing in right at the bell. Any insight would be helpful. thanks!
I have been following your rules for years and this will be my first year as offering marks for students “participation”. In our high school curriculum it is called scientific skills and attitude. I am a firm believer if students are engaged on a daily basis, their marks will follow. For a lot of the students, this mark has worked amazingly well and classroom management is very easy. However, two weeks into the school year I have run into problem: I have a large number of students that are very weak academically, but are 100% invested in learning. When I enter their marks for scientific attitude, weighted at 30%, it drastically increases their mark to a point that I don’t feel I could defend to administration. Without this mark, they would be sitting at 30% with this mark they are at 51%. With most teachers focusing on knowledge/academics, I feel I am inflating their marks so that they pass, but are unprepared for the next class. Any suggestions?
Fabulous