Consistency is the undersung, undervalued hero of classroom management.
Classroom management is so multifaceted. Teachers need classroom management plans that are safe, sustainable, and age-appropriate. A classroom management plan must also build on student and teacher strengths and build up struggles and weaknesses. Classroom management facilitates academic behaviors while relying on non-academic behaviors.
If you start to make a list of all the elements of a successful classroom management plan, you might pull your hair out. (I certainly know that my hair is thinning and graying after 13 years of teaching. lol but no, really.)
However, if you focus classroom management on one element, it becomes a lot more…manageable.
That one element? Consistency.
However you conceptualize or conceive of classroom management, its success (and your success and your students’ success) comes down to how consistently you implemented that plan.
If you implement the classroom management plan with consistency, it will mostly work. (Despite what my students believe, I’m not a witch. I can’t promise 100% classroom management success all the time. Little learners of all ages do weird things, and teachers are humans.)
However, if you poke and prod at and arbitrarily use your classroom management plan, it will mostly flop.
With that in mind, I wanted to share 5 easy ways to put consistency at the heart of your classroom management plan.
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Start with the Basics
When it comes to building classroom consistency, start small. Building a consistent classroom takes time because students are learning habits but so are you. Especially as a new teacher, it can take some time to determine how you want to be consistent.
I always start building a classroom management plan with bell work. Regardless of what class I’m teaching, I begin with bell work.
For one, I function better with bell work: students come in and get to work because they know what is expected of them, and that gives me a chance to take attendance and catch up with students who were absent the previous day. Bell work is also a great place to start building retrieval practice and interleaving new and old material.
What you choose for bell work can evolve throughout the year, but knowing that you will have bell work every day is key.
Here are some of my bell work favorites:
Beyond Bell Work
Once I have bell work in place, I can begin developing the next element of my classroom management plan: procedures. This is where consistency becomes so important: procedures and routines only work if you employ them, reinforce them, and practice them every day.
A classroom without procedures is chaos, but, as I’ve said before: entropy is not destiny.
Consistent procedures and routines are the bedrock of a good classroom management plan. Here’s where to start:
- Entering and exiting the classroom
- Submitting work on paper and online
- Borrowing or finding supplies
- Visiting the classroom library
- Finishing work early and late
- Seating charts
If you’re looking for more specific guidance about any of these elements, check out this post.
Grading Procedures
Some parts of the classroom management plan focus on students (like those procedures above), but some parts focus on the teacher. For me, these are grading procedures. As with managing student behavior, consistency in grading procedures will make your life easier. Students are more likely to take academic risks when they have the psychological safety of working with someone who consistently provides feedback, celebrates success, and offers support for struggles.
To my mind, consistently using rubrics is an important part of this practice. Using rubrics helps teachers communicate expectations to students and parents, streamlines grading, and protects your time and mental space. Grab my favorite rubric!
Similarly, a strong revision procedure is an ideal way to support students when they struggle. Developing a revision policy and then employing it consistently supports students while helping you maintain high expectations. A revision policy also puts some of the onus for growth on students. Check out the free revision framework I use with students.
Consistency Should Work For You
A classroom management plan helps students regulate, manage non-academic behaviors, and build self-efficacy. The best classroom management plan will do all the same things for teachers.
If the classroom management plan is too complicated, then it’s not working for you. It has taken me a dozen years to find an absent work system that is sustainable!
If the classroom management plan does not provide you with time to breathe, then it’s too teacher-dependent. You need a moment to breathe and self-regulate when things feel overwhelming. A good classroom management plan provides that space (bell work, anyone?).
I don’t think we talk about this enough, but a good classroom management plan is part of protecting your mental health and building boundaries for yourself. A good classroom management plan is the ultimate form of teacher self-care.
Finally, a good classroom management plan is good, not perfect. Seeking perfection is the enemy of progress. Consistency is not constancy, and confusing those is never helpful.
