At the end of every school year we post a report card for teachers.
The purpose is to assess the extent you were able to follow the principles of Smart Classroom Management. The exercise takes just a few minutes, but the experience is invaluable.
Because it provides a clear picture of where you need to improve.
The way it works is that you’ll rate yourself on a scale of one to five—five being best—for each of 15 core SCM principles.
2024-25 SCM Report Card
1. I consistently followed my classroom management plan ____
2. I enforced consequences calmly and objectively (like a referee) ____
3. I refrained from all forms of intimidation, including yelling, scolding, glaring, and lecturing ____
4. I built strong rapport with my class through my consistent kindness and pleasant personality ____
5. I praised my students only for work, effort, and performance that was truly worthy of it ____
6. I eschewed external rewards in favor of intrinsic motivation ____
7. I taught routines thoroughly and held my class accountable for performing them with excellence ____
8. I had a positive, influential relationship with my most challenging students ____
9. I was dependably able to get my class to listen attentively and follow my directions ____
10. I taught compelling lessons and then shifted responsibility over to my students ____
11. I allowed my class to work independently with the least amount of interference from me ____
12. I prepared efficiently and had ample time to spend with my family and the hobbies I enjoy ____
13. I experienced a minimal amount of stress throughout the school year ____
14. I had fun and enjoyed my students every day ____
15. I created a peaceful, happy classroom my students loved being part of ____
What is Your Rank?
If you wish, you can add up your final numbers to earn an SCM belt rank.
15-30 – white belt
30-45 – blue belt
45-60 – brown belt
60-70 – black belt
70-75 – red belt
Black belt is excellent and a wonderful goal.
However, I added the rank of red belt because it represents a jump in performance to a level of control and virtuosity that can feel as if you’re conducting the New York Philharmonic.
In other words, whatever classroom management excellence you can imagine, you’re able to make happen right in front of you. The good news is that it’s doable for anyone.
The key is to start strong from the very first day of school.
PS – Leave a comment below and let us know your SCM belt rank.
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I’m a brown belt.
Honestly, brown belt, my second year teaching inner city. Previously taught in private schools, to adults, or subbed. I never want to raise my voice but I sometimes did because it seems to work temporarily, but there must be a better way, and one grade often talked over me despite saying “lets be good for her today”. They know I care about them and want my classroom to consistently be a great place to be, to calm fighting kids and encourage the hurting or insecure, those who label themselves as slow, and redirect/ engage the distracted or those who think they can’t do math. Kids all gave me positive reviews, but I know I can do better and be more consistent, in control, kind and pleasant. Believing for better next year.
Brown belt! I’m feeling motivated for starting strong right at the beginning next year.
I’m a black belt (68 pts).
Thank you, Jesus.
My teaching has definitely improved.
Brown Belt
Brown.
It’s the work life balance/minimal time planning and the use of extrinsic motivators and rewards for those who work hard and complete work…I consider it payment for doing their job… I need to rethink my philosophy there and make some decisions. They do work so hard to complete things in order to shop at my “store” though! What are your thoughts on this Michael?
If it’s a fun extra type of thing, and not presented at all as the reason the students o the work, I believe it’s not so bad.
Getting better- black belt, 60. Your weekly emails are a great motivator and help me reset when needed.
Brown belt, at 55 pts.
Goal for next year: black belt.
I’ma black belt. I do really well in most of the categories; however, I need to work more on the intrinsic motivation instead of external.
Blue belt. I was so focused on course work for myself and teaching a brand new subject I hadn’t before, I was not my best. Planning to go into next year with structure and a plan I stick with.
I achieved black belt this year and I know that I can do better at shifting responsibility over to my students and then not interfere. I am improving but still have work to do on myself in this area in particular.
Brown belt in my first year with my own classroom of middle school LA kids. Planning on improving next year in as many of these areas as possible!
Red belt, teaching for 35 years. Keep at it everyone! It gets better each year and there’s nothing as rewarding as knowing you are making a real difference in kids’ lives and in our future.
Aside for a well thought out classroom management plan, the other key to success is showing the kids you are passionate abt learning and them. A master educator and human being told me when I started teaching “if you give them your heart, they’ll give you their minds”.It’s my mantra.
I lost pts on #6 and #12. I run one unit where they earn prizes and work more at home than I should but am good with that.
Congratulations from a fellow red belt! I completely agree with you – keep at it! The more you apply these principals, the better you will get at your craft each year. I finally felt this year that I was on a smooth roll. And then it was time to retire. It’s kind of a sweet irony, and I suppose that’s what’s known as “going out when you’re on top”.
Master your curriculum/subject area, be prepared, use this system, and always treat your students with love and respect – your efforts will be rewarded and you will truly enjoy your time teaching!
Another brown belt. I stepped off the path for a bit, but I’m bound and determined to follow with fidelity this upcoming year!
A silent reader here. I’ll be teaching in the US soon. This is one of the guides that’s helping me prepare as I jumpstart SY 2025–2026. Thanks for this, Michael!
I’m black belt. I enjoyed my class with my student, I think they are more independent in their activities, they are very energetic and it is important to work on directing and controlling their energy towards their studies. Additionally, we must always work on motivating them; it is a task in which we cannot rest.
I made it to brown. I think I’m more blue, though.
I’m in black belt.
I think my students are more independent in their activities, they are very energetic and it is important to work on directing and controlling their energy towards their studies. Additionally, we must always work on motivating them; it is a task in which we cannot rest.
I can honestly say that I think I hit Black Belt/almost Red-
But that is because I am retiring this year. I just want to tell you all that you can improve every year, and it gets better the more all of it becomes ingrained and second nature. Michael’s program is amazing, and this is the most helpful advice you can ever get because this is just not taught in teacher preparation courses, or in Professional Development. Most teachers are burnt out and stressed out because they just don’t know what to do. But read all the columns, emails, and books you can get from Michael Linsin. Once you understand and incorporate his ideas it gets much easier. In fact, I am a Mentor to new teachers in our building and I give them all a copy and his links on the first day. Hang in there friends, you will be glad you did in the end. I am going to retire with my husband, who is also a teacher and we will have a good pension and insurance, and many of our friends will only get 1/4 of what we get in retirement because they only get Social Security.
Totally agree! Congratulations on your black/red belt, and on your retirement. It’s a great feeling knowing you are retiring on a high note.
I am a brown belt holder and I’m glad to be improving massively.
Black Belt (64). I definitely have some areas I need to elevate from 3 to 5 and that was mostly with my 6th grade classroom it was a challenging class, so considering I was the only one in middle school that was able to manage the class, I’m proud of myself for not giving up on them but more importantly I’m proud of my 6th graders because it dispelled the notion that they were unmanageable, unreachable, and/or unteachable. They just needed consistency, structure, preparedness, someone who cared for them in and out of my science class, and clear expectations. As for my 7th/8th grade science classes, I would say it was Black Belt close Red Belt. Granted these students knew my classroom policy, procedures and expectations; we already had a rapport which was easy to reintroduce without a hitch. So I’m looking forward to the 2025-26 new 6th grade class and see how well my 7th graders transition.
I could’ve written this myself! I taught Art this past year and was bound and determined to be the one to manage this 6th gr class! And I knew I could with my SCM. I made progress at first but wasn’t pleased with our improvement by 3rd quarter. After reading the specials book, I made a few changes to my system and instead of giving up for the last quarter I pushed hard and we came out on top!
Brown Belt (45)
I have work to do and definitely have it come from day one to continue through the next year.
Brown Belt-Had great preparation, but my relationship with my spouse suffered…I put in a ton at at home hours and was stressed over grading and planning at times. This was my second year of following the SCM management plan to a tee. My biggest challenge was the large class sizes of 36 students, I found it harder to connect with students than last year when my biggest class size was 31. My stress level was medium all year,,,,maybe 5 out of 10 or 4 out of 10. Main problem was trying to find quality time with my spouse and trying to do some stuff for myself. Must do better and find a better balance. The SCM management REALLY transformed my classroom, I felt more in control and the student misbehaviors were very minimal.
Brown belt. I think that’s where I landed last year too. I need to work on consistency.
Brown belt here too. I will have to say consistency is my biggest struggle as well.
Brown belt – this has taken many years. Goal for next year is Black belt, and Red belt by the time I retire! Thank you for all you share, Michael.
Well, not super proud to admit that I am a blue belt. This is a downgrade for me. I think I was a high brown belt last year.
This class wore me out and wore me down. I need to find better ways to take the emotion out of poor behavi0r consequences. But dealing with the same issues day after day, just wears you out.
I had a lot of good kids that countered the challenging ones. At the end of the year, I could tell they were tired of the nonsense, too. Basically, I stopped having fun teaching, so my class stopped having fun. 🙁
I asked my principal to switch rooms next year so I can have a fresh start. I can do so much better. Black Belt in 25-26!
Black belt. A strong sense of mission did it.
Michael, I am a Brown Belt. I’ve been using your methods for 5 years. When I started, I was almost fired because I was so bad at managing my class. I’ve read most of your books, classroom management secret, P.E Teachers book, Happy teacher habits etc. I feel like I should be further along than I am. I also watch your videos you post to Facebook. This is the end of year 7 in teaching for me. I’m not totally sure where I should start with how to really jump to red at the start of next year. Maybe just start with the Report Card category I have the lowest score in?
Hi Terrell,
Shoring up your weaker areas is a smart idea. I have a video on this topic coming out this week. However, often it’s a matter of finally deciding that you’re not going to accept less for yourself than excellence – which may take reviewing your report card each day and committing to it.
I’ve just completed five years of subbing (K-8) five days/week in a high-performing suburban district.
As an idealist, I aim not only to have great management, but also that they learn something.
If I had anything to add to Michael’s amazing list, it would be that I try hard to never use sarcasm (even for MS) or threats (e.g, telling the class, if you don’t improve your behavior I’m going to write a note to your teacher).
If I had to sum up my management goal, it’s to be *intentional* at implementing Michael’s list. Intentional at virtually everything I do or say in the classroom.
Some days I fall short of 100% intentionality. That’s when I leave the building unhappy with myself.