Tips for getting the most out of your students through classroom management.

1. Failing to plan is planning to fail.
2. Plan your classroom management systems inside the building and district plan.
3. Organize your classroom to meet the information needs and learning characteristics of the learners.
4. Organize your room so you can see the learners and the door from your workstation.
5. Develop a system for encouraging cooperation and on-task behavior.
6. Have a short list of rules that include the #1 rule, "Listen to me when I am talking."
7. Organize first day activities to encourage success and motivation.
8. Have a schedule of the day on the board at all times.
9. Clear expectations will guide learner behavior and your selection of consequences for misbehavior.
10. Plan your day as a series of activities. Minimize down time during transitions.
11. Quality instruction will minimize deviancy.
12. Once you start an activity, do "Brooks Spin". Circle around the room twice. Once to insure on-task behavior (materials) and once more to insure in-task behavior (understanding).
13. Establish influence inside out (getting to know individuals) and outside in (competence during large group activities).
14. Remember that the learners use classroom noise during different activities as a measure of your competence. Quiet during tests. Busy noise during seatwork. Quiet during instruction. Moving noise during transitions.
15. When you do intervene, do it as quickly and quietly as possible.
16. Most learners want to know what is expected. Be clear about expectations.
17. Get learner work up in the room as quickly as possible. Make the room theirs too!
18. No gum. No candy that can choke. Know the way out of the building.
19. Absolutely hammer the learners who pick on others or laugh at them when they ask or answer questions! A quick verbal reprimand usually works here.
20. Start the day and activities with the same routine. The routines help learners get settled.
21. Build readiness audiotapes for parents and critical skill videotapes for learners.
22. Remember you have listeners and lookers, you have solo and group learners. Build your instruction to take into account this matrix and you will have 95% of the learners in your room anticipated by learning style.
23. Access dominant intelligence and cognitive styles as soon as possible in the year.
24. Put inspirational quotes and positive attitude readings up in the room.
25. Respect is something you earn by being competent and compassionate.
26. Successful classrooms are not successful by accident.
27. If you need to change something, change it. But always do it in the direction of improving learner engagement and cooperation. Gain influence so you have it.