Effective Classroom Management

Effective classroom management takes some planning, but is well worth the effort involved. With a well thought out classroom design, schedule, list of rules, and predictable consequences there will be more time for teaching since you will spend less time dealing with challenging behaviors.
Have a plan before the children even step into the classroom. The arrangement of furniture and materials can go a long way to reduce challenging behavior. If the materials you provide are interesting, displayed in an inviting way and are easy to find the children can easily become engaged with them. The placement of furniture is equally important. Clearly defined areas or centers allow children to be more selective, focused and thoughtful about their play and will reduce the chance that children will simply “float” from activity to activity.
Each center should have an appropriate variety of materials, but not so many as to be overwhelming. Materials can easily and frequently be rotated to provide something new for the children to explore. All of the materials and their place on the shelves should be labeled both in writing and with a picture. This will allow the children to easily put the materials away when they are finished. For more ideas on how to arrange each center and what materials to provide, please check out the article about centers.
Furniture placement can go a long way toward minimizing conflicts and challenging behaviors. Use shelves, cubbies, tables and other furniture to clearly define centers. When considering furniture placement, think about traffic patterns, flooring, lighting, outlets, and the amount of space needed for each center. Be open to rearranging the furniture once the children have been in the classroom and you have seen the way they behave in the environment. Be aware of possible “fast lanes” where the children may be inclined to run through the room. Designing the traffic pattern so that children must maneuver around furniture will force them to slow down.
It is important for the children to know what is expected of them. Clearly defined rules guide the children into making the right choices. Predictable consequences for unacceptable behavior create consistency all of the children in your class. They will be able to predict what the outcome of their behavior will be. Being consistent with consequences is the key to minimizing unacceptable behaviors. As often as possible, ignore irritating or frustrating behaviors. Limit reacting only to behaviors that are dangerous or cannot otherwise be ignored. Many children will repeat behaviors simply to get attention, even if that attention is negative, so it’s vital to limit the negative attention to behaviors that simply cannot be ignored.
The best way to create an environment of cooperation is by “catching children being good”. Constantly and consistently recognizing appropriate behaviors encourages children to repeat the behaviors you would like to see more of. Concentrate on two or three behaviors that you would really like to see more of (cleaning up a center when they’re done and walking safely through the classroom, for example) and make a show of rewarding children doing those things with praise and possibly even a tangible incentive such as a sticker.
When encountering challenging behaviors another thing to take a look at is the schedule. Take some time to ask yourself these questions: Is there too much structured time? Is there too much time where the children must decide on their own what to do? Is there a balance of active and quiet activities? Are the children expected to wait for long periods of time?
Many of us overlook transitions when we are planning our schedules and activities. Transitions are often a time when challenging behaviors erupt because children may not be ready to change activities, they may not know what they should do, or they may simply be bored because they are waiting for the rest of the class. Use a fun song to alert the children that it's time to transition, instead of yelling to them. Try "The More We Get Together" or another familiar song. It will take several days for the children to recognize this as the signal for a transition, but eventually, once the children hear the first few words, they will join you in alerting the rest of the class that it's time to move on.
Try to limit the amount of time the children need to wait, but in a large group waiting is inevitable, so make fun of it! Have something easily accessible for the children to do while waiting. For example, use permanent marker to write letters on unifix cubes to spell each child's name. Have these names stored in a bucket near the large group area so that when the children are waiting for everyone to arrive they can practice building their names. When waiting in line, play simon says, sing a silly song or create a clapping pattern that you repeat each time you're waiting. Here is one example of a song that can be sung while waiting:

I'm so bored that I could cry,
Why am I waiting?
Why, why, why?
I need something fun to do,
Kiss the dog or eat a shoe!
Something better happen fast!
I'm so bored I may not last!

Use transition times to create patience, but it is appropriate to admit that waiting can be boring and frustrating, especially when you're waiting for children who are being uncooperative. If the children have something silly they can do to express this, you will be less likely to encounter challenging behaviors.
Consider these questions when you are planning for tranistions: Are you allowing adequate time for transitions? Are you planning activities for transition times? Are you giving sufficient warning that a transition is about to take place and telling them what will be expected of them? Are there too many transitions in your day? Which transitions could you eliminate?
By thoughtfully planning out your schedule, room design, rules and consequence/reward system, you will be significantly cutting back on the amount of challenging behaviors you must deal with each day. You must remain flexible. When something is not working the way you'd like, look at the reasons behind it and consider making a change. Making changes during the school year typically presents some obstacles, but it is well worth the effort to have a smoothly functioning classroom full of engaged learners.