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Designate a peaceful corner in the classroom with soft seating, stress balls, and calming activities. Create visual cards showing calm-down strategies (deep breathing, counting to 10, etc.). Teach students how and when to use this space appropriately.

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Morning Greetings – Start each day with a personal greeting (e.g., high-five, handshake, or hug) to make students feel seen and valued.

Classroom Rituals – Implement daily routines like morning meetings or circle time to encourage sharing and connection.

Interest-Based Learning – Incorporate students' interests into lessons to show you value their passions.

One-on-One Time – Spend a few minutes each day with individual students to check in and build trust.

Positive Reinforcement – Use affirmations, sticker charts, or "kindness jars" to highlight good behavior and encourage a positive atmosphere.

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Implement a consistent quiet signal using both a visual and auditory cue. For example, raise your hand and say 'Give me 5': 5 = eyes on teacher, 4 = hands empty, 3 = listening ears on, 2 = lips closed, 1 = sit still. Create a poster displaying these expectations and practice regularly with students. You could also allow children to help choose the signal as the year progresses to provide opportunities to feel included in classroom.

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Create a job board with various classroom responsibilities (line leader, clean-up crew, calendar helper, etc.). Rotate jobs weekly or daily to give everyone leadership opportunities. Use picture cards for each job to help non-readers understand their responsibilities. This promotes responsibility and classroom community. Additional idea: elect a "Star Student" each day to be the teacher's helper. This gives children a chance to feel special while allowing teachers to delegate small tasks (like turning lights on and off or handling other minor duties).

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Establish a consistent morning meeting routine using a designated carpet area. Include elements like greeting each other, sharing time, calendar activities, and reviewing daily schedule using picture cards. This sets a positive tone for the day and establishes clear expectations. Consider having a "Question of the Day" to give students an opportunity to share and learn more about their classmates. For younger children, you may want to start with yes or no questions, then move to open ended questions if you think it's appropriate. For example, you could ask: "Would you rather...?" "What did you do over the weekend?" or "Tell me about a time you...".

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Implement the 'bucket filling' concept where students earn pom-poms or tokens in a class jar for positive behaviors. When the jar is full, the class earns a celebration. Create a display showing ways to be a bucket filler (helping others, using kind words, following directions).

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Use a consistent clean-up song to signal transition times. When the song starts, students know it's time to clean up and should finish by the time the song ends. Create picture labels for supply bins and areas to help students return items to their proper places.

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Create a visual system for lining up using numbered spots on the floor. Assign line order based on various criteria (birthday month, alphabetical order, star student etc.) and rotate weekly. Use fun attention-getters like 'marshmallow toes' to encourage quiet walking.

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Display a poster showing 'whole body listening' expectations: eyes watching, ears listening, mouth quiet, hands still, feet still, brain thinking. Use this visual reminder during instruction and story time to reinforce good listening behaviors.

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Create a center rotation board using pictures and student names. Use a timer system and clear signal for transitions. Display visual rules for each center and maximum number of students allowed. This helps maintain organization and fair participation in learning centers.

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Design a poster displaying various noise levels and periodically review what each level sounds like, along with examples of when to use them. Ensure students have opportunities to practice each level. Continuously reinforce the noise levels and clearly communicate the appropriate noise level for different times of the day or activities.

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Classroom Rules: Introduce and review classroom rules early on, using simple language and visual cues. For example, “We use kind words,” “We listen to our friends,” and “We keep our hands to ourselves.”

Model Expected Behavior: Demonstrate what is expected by modeling it. For instance, if you want children to share toys, show how to take turns. “I’m going to let my friend play with the toy, and then I’ll have a turn.”

Consistent Language: Use clear, consistent language when reminding children of expectations. For example, “Remember, we use our walking feet inside,” or “We ask for a turn before grabbing the toy.”

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Praise Desired Behavior: Reinforce good behavior with specific praise. For example, “I love how you waited your turn patiently while your friend played with the blocks!” This helps children understand what behavior is valued.

Use Visual or Verbal Cues: Have a “star chart” or “good behavior board” where children receive stickers or stars when they follow the rules or display positive behavior. Celebrate milestones like, “Look, you earned five stars for listening so well today!”

Celebrate Efforts, Not Just Results: Praise children for trying their best, even if the task isn’t completed perfectly. “I see you tried really hard to build that tower. Great effort!”

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Maintaining a Calm and Consistent Tone:

Stay Calm During Difficult Moments: When managing a disruptive or challenging behavior, maintain a calm, even tone. For instance, if a child is upset or throwing a tantrum, gently approach them and say, “I can see you’re upset. Let’s take a deep breath together.”

Use Calm-Down Techniques: When children are feeling overwhelmed, teach and encourage self-regulation strategies such as deep breathing or counting to ten. You might say, “Let’s take five deep breaths to help calm our bodies.”

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Redirecting Behavior: If a child is engaging in disruptive behavior, gently redirect them to a more appropriate activity. For instance, if a child is throwing toys, you can say, “We don’t throw toys, but you can throw the soft ball over there in the play area.”

Offer Choices: Give children options that help them feel in control while maintaining structure. For example, if a child is upset about having to clean up, say, “You can either clean up the blocks or help put the books back on the shelf. What would you like to do?”

Provide Positive Alternatives: When you see a child struggling, suggest an appropriate alternative behavior. For example, “Instead of yelling, let’s use our quiet voices and ask for help.”

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Choice Time: Allow children to choose activities during free play time, which gives them a sense of autonomy while maintaining structure. For example, “You can choose to play with blocks or go to the art station, but first, let’s finish cleaning up.”

Choice of Materials: Let children pick from a variety of materials or toys during structured play. “Would you like to play with the puzzles or the building blocks today?”

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Maintaining Clear and Consistent Consequences

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Maintaining Clear and Consistent Consequences

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Natural Consequences: If a child makes a poor choice, give a consequence that is directly related to their behavior. For example, “If we don’t share, we need to take a break from the toy and let someone else have a turn.”

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I’ve studied over 200 kids—these 7 ‘magic phrases’ can calm any tantrum instantly

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Calming down your kid during a tantrum can feel impossible. Reem Raouda, a child psychologist who has studied over 200 kids, shares the “magic phrases” that will instantly stop a meltdown.