7 Classroom Management Strategies To Get Your Class Back On Track

Maybe it’s the weather.

Or a full moon.

Or maybe a holiday is around the corner.

Whatever it is, there are times when your class just can’t seem to get it together. They’re unfocused, squirrelly, prone to misbehavior. And no matter what you do, you can’t get them back on track.

So you raise your voice, lecture, and become more stressed and agitated as the day plods on.

Just hang in there… right?

Wrong.

Don’t waste another minute being frustrated and waiting on students. Get the train back on track in a hurry with these seven proven strategies.

Seven Back-On-Track Classroom Management Strategies

Use the following strategies whenever you feel like pressing a restart button on your class. They’ll shake things up, calm things down, and focus students back on you.

1. Sprint

Take your students outside or to the school gym, line them up on the end line of the basketball court, and run. Have them sprint down to the other end line, rest for 10-15 seconds, and then sprint back. Continue for five or ten minutes.

This isn’t a punishment, and you shouldn’t run them ragged. They should feel energized when finished. They may even ask if they can do it again on another day. Intense exercise has a way of calming nervous energy and focusing the mind. Often, it’s just what the doctor ordered.

2. Redo

Have your students grab their backpacks, jackets, and lunches, walk them outside the classroom, and start your day over again. The farther you can retrace their steps—outside the entrance to the school is best—the more effective the exercise will be.

Once you have them lined up and waiting to come inside, tell them exactly what you expect. Not a lecture, mind you, but simple, direct reminders of the way things are done in your classroom.

3. Fun

You should always have a fun game or activity in your back pocket for moments when your students need an energy, motivation, or focus boost. Go outside and play capture the flag, act out scenes from a read aloud, or organize a learning game.

4. Yoga

Occasional five-minute exercise breaks throughout the day stave off restlessness, daydreaming, and sleepy brain syndrome. Light stretches, standing yoga poses, and calisthenics like jumping jacks, push-ups, and burpees are a great way to get in some extra PE and wakeup your class.

5. Breathe

Use the one-minute of silence strategy followed by belly breathing. This sends oxygen to the brain, lowers blood pressure, and calms the mind. A few deep breaths helps students turn their attention away from distractions and onto their responsibilities.

6. Model

Detailed modeling is a remarkably effective teaching strategy and is perfect for when you feel like you’re losing your class. Students need refreshers; reminders of how you expect things to be done in your classroom.

Have your students follow you as you model, for example, how to enter the classroom, how to work independently, how to participate in small groups, or how to listen to directions.

7. Gab

The say-hello strategy is as easy as it gets. Allow students to stand up, walk around the room, and say hello to their friends. Give them a full five minutes to chat away.

You, however, should take a step back, recede into the background, and let your students be kids for a few minutes. Your class will love doing it, and they’ll be refreshed and ready to learn when they’re finished.

Just Do It

Don’t give your students an explanation of why you’re using any of these back-on-track classroom management strategies. Don’t lecture them or tell them how awful they are. Just do it. Get their attention, wait until they’re quiet and looking at you, and then announce, “Let’s go outside and have some fun!”

You’ll have to decide which of the seven is best given the situation. There are times when it’s best to start the day over from the beginning and other times when you just need a minute of silence.

With experience, you’ll get a feel for what your students need and when, and you’ll be able to dial it up in a hurry—saving your students from malaise and misbehavior and you from another stressful day.

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.