Before starting my first year of teaching, I read Harry Wong’s The First Days of School. I am very glad that I did because it helped me to be ready for my first first day as a teacher. I made a handout with all of my rules, policies and procedures, and I also turned it into a PowerPoint to share with my students on the first day. I rehearsed the routines we would use most with my students in the first few weeks of school, and I had them demonstrate examples of following the procedures and not following the procedures. We even had conversations about why these rules and procedures were necessary. Having this plan in place made a huge difference as I started my teaching career.
Occasionally during each year since my first, I have faced unexpected challenges in managing my classroom. My first go-to resource for these challenges is my colleagues. They often have great advice from their own classrooms that I can borrow. My other main resource is Successful Classroom Management by Richard Eyster and Christine Martin. I use these resources regularly to update my plan as I continue to learn and grow as an educator.
My current Classroom Management plan is below.