2 Often-Overlooked Classroom Management Strategies

Charles Alexander
Jun 8
4 min read

"...'cause love's such an old-fashioned word and love dares you

to care for the people on the edge of the night

and love dares you to change our way of caring about ourselves..."

--from the song "Under Pressure"

by Queen & David Bowie

It's the final week of the regular school year in my district...!

Every day, however, seems to bring fresh news of the of our colleagues' struggles in nearby districts who may be working to rule or struggling with a negotiated agreement that's not being funded, etc. We all know that a teacher's day-to-day is a 24-hour affair...never limited to the time we spend in our buildings (you're reading this article, for example). This, of course, can mean that at least one of our other non-work-related responsibilities may often take a back seat. This can bring guilt, resentment, and/or outright anger. We don't need to be teachers to see that these can often undermine our best intentions in the classroom. So, what can we do?

#1-What are your classroom's non-negotiables?

This seems like an easy one, but, in order for it to stick and stay through the whole school year, we may need to rethink and possibly unlearn at least a few of the things we've learned were absolute necessities. A common example: line up in silence, and move silently through the corridor. This may stick for awhile, but what tends to happen once we get a whiff of warm air and sunshine telling us that Summer Break is around the corner? We can then meet the failure of 100% compliance and our frustration can lead to a complicated and exhausting dance of punishments and rewards. I'm not saying to not make this a priority, and I'm certainly not suggesting that we allow our classes to become unsafe, but I've been reflecting on what I expect and what I allow for much of the school year. I keep coming back to...flexibility. Case in point...

I sometimes have substitute hall duty near the cafeteria at breakfast time. I stand by a blind corner where students who are car riders and walkers converge with bus riders coming from the opposite direction to buy breakfast. The hallway is pretty narrow, and most students aren't paying attention to their schoolmates coming the other way. Anyway, when I sub, I try to get them to use car traffic rules and stay to their right with limited success. That was my bad, though, because the kids weren't used t doing it that way. So, last week when I subbed, I just stood and greeted. There were no collisions. Just an ordinary Tuesday on breakfast duty. It was, actually, a pretty good example of me 80/20ing my practice (subscribe for free to read more about the 80-20 rule-recent subscribers will receive it today!)

#2-What do you need to be your best every day?

If we are struggling to maintain our own level of brain regulation we will face significant challenges even if we are trying to accept and allow behaviors for one main reason. When we're stressed, we will often default to our inner dialogue about what the classroom is supposed to be like. And we are likely to lose our cool if it goes on for too long. If the song referenced above is to be believed, then love has thrown down the gauntlet to change how we care for ourselves. Sure, it would be great to flip a switch that would magically reduce our personal and job-related responsiblities by half, get more sleep, etc. Unfortunately, that's not the world we live in. I do have two relatively easy suggestions that I've had success with in my classroom this year. First, lead with deep breathing. Before you click away...hear me out. 4-7-8 breathing is one I use myself with my classes (middle schoolers). It's super easy. If you have a Hoberman sphere, use it as a visual to guide the breaths. Deep breath in for 4 counts. Hold for 7 counts, exhale for 8 (PRO TIP-tap or snap to keep a beat so it doesn't become a race to finish first). I try to repeat for a total of 4 cycles. I also use it alone if I find myself becoming stressed during the day or feel stressed at bedtime. Second, stretch. You don't need to be a yoga instructor. Simply reaching up high, touching toes, then twisting side to side a couple of times will do. The effects of each are gradual, but as you start to tune in to how you're feeling, it will become progressively easier to notice the change in your mood/level of ability to become and remain calm. BONUS: flip your internal script by silently saying "STOP!" every time your brain goes to a negative place (examples:"I can't believe that child said that to me!" "My class is out of control!"). If we think we're having a bad day, our brains will keep looking for evidence to support that belief. The opposite is also true. In the end, it's what we're thinking about a situation matters the most.

Whether you're almost to the end of this year or still have a ways to go, it's never too late for us to practice relaxation and change what we say to ourselves. With practice, it will become easier for us to write a classroom narrative that centers mutual respect and peace.