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Social and Emotional Learning / SEL Programs & Curriculum | AVID

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Developing social emotional skills is crucial for students. AVID implements social emotional learning programs for teachers and students. Learn more.

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Professional training is vital to helping staff organize their thinking about problematic behaviors, and to developing proactive skills that focus on prevention and respect.

The behavior management strategies presented in our Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® program center on preventing behaviors from occurring and on equipping staff with skills to empower individuals to manage their own behavior. Staff learn how to address disruptive behaviorsafely and effectively, increasing the likelihood that individuals will choose more positive behaviors.

Behavior Management Techniques

Here are six safe and effective behavior management strategies for remaining calm and professional during challenging situations.

1. Be Mindful of Your Own Reaction.
A vital component of managing difficult behavior is knowing that your behavior affects the behavior of others. What you say or do in response to an individual's behavior affects whether the behavior escalates or stops. When you're aware of this factor, and when you're equipped and empowered with other effective and respectful behavior management strategies, you're better able to de-escalate difficult behavior and help individuals regain control and make positive choices.

2. Maintain Rational Detachment.
When you're rationally detached, you maintain control by not taking negative comments or actions personally. Without this key ability, team members may react instinctively or defensively, which will only escalate a situation. Equipped with this skill, you're better able to defuse challenging behavior and encourage positive behavior.

3. Be Attentive.
When people feel ignored, marginalized, or not cared for, they often act out. An effective way to counter a person's anxiety is to validate her feelings. Pay attention to what she says. Give her plenty of personal space. Show her through your facial expressions and body language that you're listening, and you can take away her reasons for being upset-and give her a reason to regain control.

4. Use Positive Self-Talk.
Remind yourself that when you're the target of an outburst or a negative situation, you're rarely the cause of the behavior.And just as thinking, "I can't deal with this" might cause you to react one way, telling yourself, "I know what to do" will cause a more productive response.

5. Recognize Your Limits.
Being a professional doesn't mean that you can handle everything. Knowing that you have support and backup is crucial to staying in control of your own behavior and responding appropriately. Accept your limits and keep in mind that sometimes the best decision is to let someone else take over.

6. Debrief.
Be sure to debrief after any incident. Talking about it can help relieve the stress. It's also important to consider what was done well and how to respond better the next time a situation occurs.

Equipped with proper training and behavior management techniques that focus on Care, Welfare, Safety, and Security SM for each person involved in a crisis, you and your staff can manage difficult behavior with confidence and competence.

Schedule a Consultation

We are here to answer your questions and provide more information about our programs.

Schedule a Consultation

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Behavior Management Strategies | Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI)

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Professional training is vital to helping staff organize their thinking about problematic behaviors, and to developing proactive skills that focus on prevention and respect. The behavior management strategies presented in our Nonviolent Crisis Intervention ® program center on preventing behaviors from occurring and on equipping staff with skills to empower individuals to manage their own behavior.

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6th Grade

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Find resources to help students manage their emotions, resolve conflicts, and make responsible decisions—creating the healthiest school culture possible.

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Teachers concerned with classroom management typically need help with two issues: preventing discipline problems and dealing with current discipline problems. Researchers have established two systems to help promote an orderly learning environment: positive behavior support, and social and emotional learning.

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stephanie.walter@wpcnvadmin.com

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[Name]

Classroom Management

[Date]

Classroom Management Plan

I believe Classroom Management is the key component in any educational setting. I believe that if students are in a safe environment, then learning can take place. This doesn't necessarily mean punishing behavior problems but rather a combination of setting the tone in a class, preventing behavior problems with interesting and engaging curriculums and effectively including all students in the classroom so that their needs are met. Having the right environment for all students to learn is my major goal of implementing good classroom management--without it the students would not be able to learn.

Philosophical Statement

I am committed to making my classroom a safe and challenging environment and engaging my students through the curriculum as well as getting to know them and interacting with them one-on-one. I believe that meeting the needs of my students is a very crucial part of my classroom. I want them to be comfortable with the other students, as well as me, so that there can be meaningful discussions and interactions. Talking will be common place in my classroom, along with group work. I want to encourage all students to participate in class so that they can learn from each other as well as me. I want to have a democratic and equitable classroom so that students can learn. I want to be a fair as I can be, so the students trust me.

I feel that I have a very patient and calm attitude with my class. I ask students about their life outside of class and feel that they respond in class even more, knowing that someone is paying attention to them. I want them to feel comfortable asking questions of me. I think my attitude towards the students is not overbearing or authoritative. I do not believe in forcing the students to do anything. I want to work with them in all circumstances so that we can achieve together and they don't feel like I am spoon-feeding them information. I want students to be a part of their learning. I want to motivate students to learn and keep their interest by using engaging curriculum. I want to involve students in rules about the classroom as well as what curriculum they would like to study. I believe if students feel they are involved in the workings of the classroom, they will be more motivated to engage in the class and in turn, learn.

Room Arrangement

Walking through the door, students are hit with vibrant colors on the walls, natural lighting from the windows and an inviting sensation as they glide along the carpeting. They feel safe and welcome wandering to their seats in a big circle of tables. They can see their classmates as they face each other and glance from wall to wall looking at maps, art, famous people, different cultures and student work all depicted in colorful posters around the room. There is not a drop of white paint to be seen. The carpet on the floor is comforting to the student and yields a form of tranquility amidst the invigorating walls. As I start the lesson from my desk, which is also included in the circle, the students get out their journals and colorful pens to record today's lesson and their personal thoughts, questions or even art. I believe the set up of a classroom has a big effect on student learning and I hope that my classroom will be an environment that will engage my students in critical thinking, discussions and reflection.

Having the tables in a circle will create an environment rich in discussions. I think it is very important to engage students in discussion to try to draw out and challenge ideas and let the class learn from each other. No one is sitting behind the circle or on the sides of the room; the class enjoys the eye contact and facial expressions of everyone as they share ideas. Students can "create knowledge, not simply absorb it from higher authorities," (p. 439, Bigelow) in the classroom where personal experiences are shared and learned. I believe the circle of tables encourages discussion and in turn, students learn from each other.

I believe that students should be constantly challenged and provoked to think critically. I put an array of posters on the walls to show an outline of the year ahead. The posters cover the walls from floor to ceiling–there is not a speck of blank white wall--just as I don't want my students to engage their minds on blank white walls for fear that their minds might become the same--blank. I will use all the posters throughout the year and hope that they will engage the student's minds while sitting in class. Even if the students are not paying full attention and their mind is wandering, I hope to catch a few of them thinking about the posters inquisitively. I want to have thought-provoking pictures to invoke interest in the students whether it be artwork of different times, or pictures of people (men, women and all races and ethnicities) or landmarks throughout the world or just a black and white photo of the dust bowl.

I want supplemental materials for students to have access to for studying, writing or researching. I will have bookshelves in the corner where students can research and use resources supplemental to the textbooks. There will be a few computers for projects, reports and research, as well as use of applications to present reports to the class (i.e. PowerPoint). Students will also have access to the computer lab in the school where they can learn social studies as well as technology by integrating the lessons. This will foster a holistic-learning approach that I will strive to teach to my students. We will not be solely learning the facts of history, but will be integrating art, math, geography, science and psychology to deepen our understanding of our units.

As you can see by my drawings (see Attachments 1 and 2), I want to create an environment in my classroom that is conducive to discussions and groupwork. By arranging the students where they are facing each other, I believe this leads to a more intimate environment as well as a space where I can get to every student easily. I like to walk around the room while teaching, rather than staying in one stationary place in the front. If the tables are arranged as so, I can walk around, engage more students, and hopefully create an environment where students can talk and share ideas freely and comfortably. I am also a big advocate of groupwork and I show in my second map how the desks will "magically" change to accommodate groupwork. I would have all students sitting together with all the desks facing into the group. This will lead to discussions and will not let anyone feel left out of the group physically. I intend to use groupwork as a different instructional technique to include as many learners as I can–using multiple-ability tasks so that every level of learner can be an active participant and they can learn from each other.

My desk will be in the corner of the room, but used mostly for my administrative tasks. I will have a computer in which to keep grades and will have lesson plans, attendance sheets and miscellaneous paperwork organized there. I will take a seat in the "circle" to conduct lessons as well as moving around the room. I would like to have resources available for the students such as dictionaries, atlases, and books pertaining to the unit. These resources could be additional materials that students can look through out of curiosity or of obtaining extra information on a subject. Of course, I would love to have a few computers in the classroom so that we could use them to enhance the curriculum–whether looking on my homepage for assignments to using them for new research or using them to type essays into Word. I also will have butcher paper and plenty of markers, colored pencils and crafts items in which the students can create presentations. I intend to involve the students in drawing, making, singing, rapping or making mobiles of the lessons and I want to be equipped in having materials for them to use and be creative. I would love to have maps around my room as well as posters of different cultures and peoples as well as different places. I will frequently put student work on the wall so students feel a "part" of the room.

Classroom Rules

The best rule that I have heard and I would believe to be my attitude towards classroom rules is that I need a classroom where learning takes place, and if we can respect each other then we don't need any other "rules." I absolutely believe in keeping a safe environment where put-downs and name calling is not allowed–this also falls under respect. If I can have respect for my students as well as having them respecting each other, I believe this leads to a safe environment where learning can take place. I am not a stickler for gum chewing or eating and drinking as long as it does not interfere with learning and doesn't make a mess. I would like to give my kids the freedom to eat or drink as long as they are responsible for their trash and mess. If it gets out of control, I will let them know that the privilege will be taken away, right from the beginning. I also do not mind if students wear hats in class. To me this is an ancient rule and as long as the hat does not interfere with learning, then I will let them wear them.

I may try to create a class constitution if behaviors in the class are inconsistently out of control. I really like the idea of having the students involved in making their own rules and negotiating with each other which ones to put in the constitution. If the students are involved in making the rules, I believe they will be more inclined to obey them and the consequences that will be implemented will not be fought against. I would have the students write the final constitution on a poster board and hang it in the room. I would also send the constitution home to have the parents sign it and return it to me so that I can include them in what we are trying to accomplish in the classroom.

In terms of creating a safe environment for all to learn, I want to create an environment with positive and numerous student-teacher relationships. Especially in diverse classrooms where many students are from different backgrounds, I want to create an environment where students are not and do not feel that they are being treated unfairly. I do not want to label students or assume their academic ability on the way they look or act. I do not want the diverse settings to lead to situations where communication is not happening. I feel this is where behavior problems may arise. I want to create an environment where "teachers accept them [students] as individuals with unique and cultural difference; to respect, relate and like them; to listen and communicate openly; and the understand and honor their family, culture, language, and race." (Sheets and Gay, 1996) I believe to succeed in having a classroom like this it is necessary to have great interpersonal skills even more than classroom management skills. I want to create an environment where I can weave the curriculum into m students' different lives and experiences. I want them to be able to share these experiences and relate them to the material we are working with. This is a major plus of a diverse classroom. Where we can celebrate differences and learn from each other.

I would also like to implement some class meetings where we can discuss what is working and not working with the class. I would like these to be like an open forum where ideas and suggestions can be discussed and hopefully implemented. I am very interested in learning what the students are thinking about and making the learning environment as much to their liking as possible. I think this dialogue is crucial in creating an environment where the students feel autonomous and in control of their learning.

I would also use class meetings to discuss whole-school rules. I would hope that the school in general takes some time during the year to discuss policies with the students to get student feedback. In my high school this year, there was class time assigned to discussing the issue of homework. The administration is taking the feedback of the students to decide how to solve the issue of students having too much homework. I believe that it is imperative to adhere to whole-school rules in order to have an effective policy in the school. I will try my best to follow the whole-school rules where they make sense for the safety of the students or for order in the school. If I do not agree with the school rules, I will be talking to administration to see if there may be alternative possibilities.

In addition to making a class constitution, I would like to send out a monthly newsletter or post one on the web so parents can see what is going on in the classroom. I believe if parents are involved in their child's school, the child will have more support at home and the parent can help with any issues that arise. I believe in involving the parents as much as possible.

If there is a consistent misbehavior problem, I will initially ask the student to talk to me after class. I will talk to him/her about the positive things they are doing in class and how I appreciate something they are doing, as in participating in class for example. I will tell them why their behavior is interfering in the class and have them meet with me later to make a plan of how they will be able to stop the behavior. In class, I will give them a warning and then ask them to move to the back of the room to work by themselves. I always want to keep consequences in line with the misbehavior. If the misbehavior continues, I will talk to the student and make a phone call home. I might also ask the parent to come into school for a meeting with the student. I think it is very important to involve the parents. I do not believe in throwing a student out of the room unless they are being harmful to others or me in the class–either physically or verbally. I believe that misbehavior should be addressed with the teacher and student communicating as much as possible. I feel that sending students to the "office" is overused.

Classroom Procedures

I want to be consistent with my students in terms of Classroom Procedures. I always want to have the agenda on the board so they can copy it down in their notebook everyday as they walk in. On some days I hope to have a free-writing assignment so I can take role and they can be engaged and working on their writing. I will use interactive notebooks so students can do all homework assignments in the notebook as well as take class notes in the notebook and staple in any handouts. The purpose of this notebook is to keep all class materials in one place so when they go to study for a test, they are not looking all over for loose papers. In these notebooks, students can show their creativity in designing a cover page for each unit as well as doing free-writes or reflections to the lessons and central questions right in the notebook. I will go around the room and stamp the homework each day it is due and will collect the notebooks every two or three weeks to grade. Even if the student did not get the homework done, they may lose a point because they did not have a stamp, but still has time to get the assignment done by collection time. By stamping the homework and not grading it, it adds consistency to the classroom but does not lead to negative feelings every day of having the homework graded.

I am still debating my thoughts on homework. I keep coming back to a philosophy of my professor at Stanford who said that homework is a distinction between the "haves" and "have nots." I believe this is the case because there is a clear line in my classes who does their homework every night, who doesn't and who even has a tutor to help with essays. I don't believe in giving homework for homework's sake. I believe in giving out 2-3 nights a week of homework that enhances what we are discussing in class. I will give my students the homework assignment at least every week so that they can plan their weeks in advance. I want to give my students advance notice to help them with time management.

In terms of wrapping up, I want to also have an essential question that the lesson is revolving around. I believe the students will understand where we are going and it leads to an effective wrap-up at the end of class. I want to make sure I leave at least five minutes to wrap up the lesson and reiterate the important points brought up that day. I will use different forms of assessment to make sure students understand the information. Whether by passing out a half-sheet and asking for "three points they learned today" to having a discussion around the main points. I may give out an unannounced quiz but not have it graded so I can find out where students are at. I would like to grade more on final essays that have drafts attached rather then standard tests. I want to make sure my students understand the material as well as using higher-order thinking skills to analyze, interpret or evaluate the material. I believe essays are more equipped to let the students express their learning. I would also like to give out assignments where the students can choose a medium to demonstrate their knowledge of a given subject or unit. By letting them choose their way of showing competence, the students have another way to express their learning and it will allow students that aren't a high level of reading or writing a chance to use other methods of creativity.

If students are having some trouble getting homework in or not doing well on tests, I will have a conference with them to help them get back on track. I will make a plan with them that their parents will sign, if necessary (see Attachment 3). I do not want my students falling behind because they are not doing their work. I want to stay on top of the students who may need an extra push. I want all my students to feel important in my class and another way I can accomplish this is helping them with their schoolwork and organization. I will be another person setting high expectations for all my students and helping those who may need some extra attention to accomplish their goals in the classroom. "If students believe their poor performance to a lack of important skills or to poor study habits, they are more likely to persist in the future." (Anderman, Midgley, 1998) I want to students to understand that they do have control over their learning and it is not an innate skill or gene. I want to help those who need it most by working with them one-on-one if necessary.

I would grade on class participation including attendance, homework, groupwork and tests and quizzes. I would love to have the students create a portfolio of their work in alignment with their notebooks so they can be graded on their improvement and competency with the material so it is not solely graded on traditional tests and quizzes. I have attached a course outline for my classroom (see Attachment 4). I would probably put homework at only 10% of the grade tests/presentations at 25% and group work at 25% of their grade. Group work is graded both at a group level but also at an individual level. I would like to grade as holistically as possible and I do not want students who are successful on tests, presentations or group work assignments to be penalized too much if they are not completing all assignments. My policy on late work will be that it is accepted but at a lower grade. I want students to learn, first. I do not want them to forget an assignment just because they missed the deadline. I want them to do the assignment and learn from it and if it is handed in late, well their grade on the assignment will automatically go down.

Encouraging All Students

Bill Rogers, affectionately know as Mr. Rogers, has many effective techniques and approaches to classroom management, from prevention and positive correction to consequences. Mr. Rogers, I believe, takes a very logical and humane approach to dealing with students. He does not advocate being a strict, disciplinarian, authoritarian teacher, but gives strategies to help teachers work with students to control their own behavior. The first part of Rogers' plan gives techniques used to prevent discipline problems. In the establishment phase, he distinguishes rights from responsibilities and says that they need to be balanced. As he discusses rights of the students, he talks about how they have the right to feel safe, be treated with dignity and respect and have the right to learn. I think it is crucial in the beginning of the school year to state these rights and explain what the students need to do to have these rights. In order to establish a learning environment, students need to feel safe physically and emotionally; they need to treat each other with respect, which means not allowing name-calling or put-downs in the class. I found this strategy particularly useful, as my CT's only "rule" at the beginning of the year was to "respect each other, the classroom and the teacher in order to create an environment in which to learn." All negative language in the classroom is immediately stopped and I believe the students now feel safe to express themselves without fear of being made fun of. This prevents discipline problems as kids might act out if they are feeling attacked or unsafe in the classroom.

Also in the establishment phase is the idea that you have to be consistent with your rules that you really want to establish. One must make sure which rules you want your kids to obey and you must be absolutely consistent in letting them know what is appropriate or not. I agree with this prevention strategy because once a student is not held accountable, then the problem will just perpetuate. Rogers talks about re-claiming teachable moments and how it is hard if you don't catch a problem right from the beginning. I believe that this may make it easier in the long run, but I do not think you have to use a teachable moment right from the start to have it be meaningful. I believe if a problem is really out of control after two months or even five months, a proper, forceful teachable moment could teach the same thing even being later in the class.

Establishing attention is one last preventative technique. Rogers insists that you should not talk over noise. I agree with this prevention and I notice that when I stand in the same place in the room, the kids will quiet down. If I "wait" for them to be quiet, they will quiet each other down. Establishing this early on is crucial in having an environment conducive to teaching and learning. It is essential that directions are heard and important points in class are heard.

While Rogers talks about Positive Correction, he emphasizes reacting from the "head" versus the gut. I believe this is a very logical way to view correction. Instead of escalating an argument with a student as with secondary behavior, Rogers suggests stepping back and addressing just the primary behavior. He suggests not giving in to the secondary behavior, such as back talking or body language. He suggests using a technique of partial agreement that also focuses on the primary behavior. To me, this keeps a humane side of correcting a student. I believe it coincides with a theory of Linda Albert's which says that students misbehave when there needs are not met. Teachers can only influence behavior; they can not control it. By escalating an argument with secondary behavior, the teacher may be asserting control over the student. Neither Rogers nor Alberts agrees with this technique and argue against it. I think this helps the student take control of the situation. The teacher is not being pulled in, away from the rest of the class, just to assert control and prove their point. It is not an effective way to correct positively. Rogers talks about separating the action from the person.

He also agrees with Alberts that students need to have the choice to control his or her behavior. By giving "take up time" the teacher lets the student save face in front of his classroom. Rogers suggests giving directions and immediately walking away. I believe this is a great way for students to be able to make a choice about their behavior. If the teacher stands in front of the student to "make" him do something, the students will naturally want to "be tough" in front of classmates and will probably disobey the teacher. When the teacher walks away, the student stops being the center of the class' attention and has the opportunity to make a choice about his/her behavior (hopefully a positive one). I have found this effective when a student is talking out of line, I have asked them to stop, said "thank you" and walked away. I did not create a distraction, but let the student make a choice without losing face.

Finally, Rogers addresses consequences by helping a student find a connection between behavior and outcome. The consequences need to be related and reasonable. I agree with this last point. It also gives students a chance to choose their own behavior. When consequences are given, the student learns because it is related and reasonable. The student can not get mad at the teacher for an unreasonable punishment and in turn not focus on what he/she did to deserve the punishment. If the consequence is fair and reasonable, I believe students will be able to attribute the punishment to their wrongdoing.

One thing Roger does not address in his theories is a point that Kounin talks about in preventing discipline problems, which have to do with the subject matter of the classroom. Kounin emphasizes that teachers should make instructional activities enjoyable and challenging for the students. I believe if the students are busy with work that is relevant to them and is challenging, there will be less discipline problems. I noticed when I substituted, and there was only a video to watch, the students were more out of control than when there was a structured activity that engaged them. Kounin also talks about the smoothness of the lesson that will prevent problems. These teacher-directed suggestions about teaching our content area are not discussed in Rogers' theories and I believe are definitely a major importance in keeping a room free of discipline problems.

One other main point of the different theories that we have read by Dreikurs and Alberts point out that students who are not having their needs met will "act out" in order to get their needs met for either attention, power, relevant or inadequacy. Rogers does not address this point and I feel it is another important theory to remember when dealing with classroom management. These needs will help teachers understand some of the reasons why children may be misbehaving in class.

I also agree with the Whole School System that Rogers advocates. After listening to the arguments in faculty meetings at our school about the attendance policy, I understand that if the whole school does not buy into it, nothing will get done. The tardy policy is very lenient and the principal has been telling the teachers to mark all students tardy. Some teachers do not think it matters because the students can have 30 tardies before the parent is called in. Because the faculty are not all in agreement about the system, it creates a breakdown and the students do not get a consistent signal about tardies and nothing is done. This goes back to Rogers other point of being consistent with students on policies you really feel are important to enforce. Not only in your classroom is this true, but as a school as a whole.

Positive Reinforcement

Instead of focusing solely on the misbehavior in the classroom, I want to focus on the good behavior and attitudes in my classroom. I will have the students fill out postcards at the beginning of the year with their address on them. I will use these postcards throughout the year to send positive feedback to the parents at home every week. I will focus on sending a few postcards home each week. I want to acknowledge and encourage good behavior and academic success in my classroom. I think that letting parents know at home is another way to involve parents in the classroom as well as reinforce good behavior and learning by the students. I will make sure that positive post cards home will be given out for all students no matter how big or how small the accomplishment. I will also make some positive phone calls home as these have worked well for me this year. I think parents really appreciate positive phone calls home and it also sets up a dialogue between parents and teachers.

I do not believe, however, in using rewards like stickers or stars, A's or praise. To quote Alphie Kohn, "When rewards stop, people usually return to the way they acted before." I want my students to be intrinsically motivated and giving out rewards inhibits intrinsic motivation. "Students who are encourage to think about grades, stickers, or other "goodies" become less inclined to explore ideas, think creatively, and take chances." (Kohn, 1994) I want my students to know it is okay to make mistakes and take risks in the classroom. I want to encourage my students by telling them specific feedback on an assignment rather than a star and a "good job." I don't want them to become dependent on my praise. I want them to be successful learners. As Dreikurs (1982) argues, "Encouragement, refers to a positive acknowledgment response to focuses on student efforts of specific attributes or work completed...Unlike praise, encouragement does not place judgment on student work or give information regarding its value or implications of student status. I want to focus on improvement and effort not just a final product.

Conclusion

As I stated earlier, I believe Classroom Management is the key to an environment where learning can take place and students can feel safe participating. I hope to create an environment that is conducive to learning and involves all my students. I believe the most important part of classroom management is not the behavior problems but creating a good rapport with the students, encouraging them to succeed and setting high expectations for them. As well as using an engaging a curriculum, I believe you can create this environment and it will limit the behavior problems in your classroom from the start.

[Developed by Instructor: Colin Haysman, Stanford University]

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Name] Classroom Management [Date] Classroom Management Plan I believe Classroom Management is the key component in any educational setting. I believe that if students are in a safe environment, then learning can take place.

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In this seventh edition of Classroom Management Strategies: Gaining and Maintaining Students' Cooperation, the practical orientation of prior editions is retained with its pedagogy that leads the pre-service or in-service teacher to discover how to apply research-based strategies in his or her own classroom.

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As a teacher, you continually try to keep your students engaged and on-task. This list of classroom management strategies can help you accomplish this goal! Your classroom management strategy will encourage students to follow your classroom rules and behaviors, all while helping to keep them engaged and learning.
The Ultimate List of Classroom Management Strategies:

Tips from Dedicated Teachers

There are so many classroom management strategies out there, you simply need to know where to look. This list of classroom management strategies helps you get started as you develop a strategy that works for you and for your class. I interviewed over 300 teachers to find out their favorite tips and tricks for classroom management, and these are a huge chunk of their ideas. Here are some strategies you can start using right away, from games to prizes. And the best part about them is that they are all POSITIVE methods - perfect for positive classroom management.

List of Classroom Management Strategies for Whole Class or Small Groups

Small groups are great for classroom management. Not only do students enjoy working together in small groups, you also get the chance to observe students more closely. Whether it's for learning centers or a classroom lesson, this list of classroom management strategies can help you manage your small groups.

1. Class Meetings - Hosting a class meeting is the perfect way to start the school day, because it is an informal and unintimidating way to get important points across to students. The conversational style of a class meeting lends itself to open communication and supportive, encouraging talks about expected behavior and rewards/consequences.

2. Team Points - When your classroom is set up in small groups, give each group a chance to earn points when they complete an activity or exhibit a positive behavior. Your small groups will work hard to earn those points!

3. Table Wars - Similar to Team Points (above), use a little friendly competition to help manage your classroom. When your students are working in small groups, have them compete against one another, earning points for teamwork, staying focused, cleaning up supplies and more.

4. Team Names - Another great way to manage your small groups is to give your students a way to take ownership of those groups. Let them work together to come up with a team name.

Visual Classroom Management Strategies

When a student can see how they're doing, they're very likely to continue the positive behavior or to change the unwanted behavior. Visuals are perfect for this. Whether it's a clip on a chart, a color-coded card, or a countdown clock for an activity, visuals give students the opportunity to gauge their behavior at a glance and make positive adjustments.

1. Class Dojo - Class Dojo is an online student behavior tracker that is perfect for classroom management. You can display Class Dojo on your smart board, using it to give students rewards and tokens. You can even use it to communicate with parents!

2. Sticker Charts - Sticker charts also help students visually gauge their behavior. Students will love working towards a prize or goal as they fill up their sticker charts.

3. Yacker Tracker - When students are working in small groups, you can use a yacker tracker to show students if their voice levels are appropriate. A red light would warn students to quiet down, while a green light will encourage them to continue their behaviors.

4. Color-coded Cards - Instead of using a clip chart, you can also use color cards to help students track their behavior. Students can flip their cards to a different color based on their behavior.

5. Behavior Punch Cards - While your students are working independently or in small groups, walk around with a fun-shaped hole punch and punch their behavior cards when you noticed positive behavior.

6. Gold Tags - When you notice a student following classroom rules or complete an activity, give them a gold tag. Gold tags can be exchanged for a classroom prize at the end of the day or week.

7. Countdown Clock - If students know when to expect an activity to end, they can make sure they complete all of their learning goals before the time is up. That's why a countdown clock is perfect for your classroom.

8. Fill A Jar - Every time an individual student, table group, or the whole class does something positive, you can add an item to your jar. It can be anything, from pom-poms to rocks or marbles.

Verbal Classroom Management Strategies

Your voice is a powerful tool when it comes to classroom management. This list of classroom management strategies focuses on verbal cues and transitions you can use to keep your students organized and ready.

1. Callbacks - Callbacks are a great way for you to get your students' attention and give them instructions for the next activity. Callbacks can be anything, from saying "Class, class" and having your students answer back with "yes, yes" to saying "1-2-3, eyes on me." Find a callback that works for your class and make the most of it!

2. Shushing Pattern - Words aren't the only thing you can use to get your students' attention. You can also make a shushing pattern and have your students shush it back to you.

3. Classroom Transition Songs - When it's time to move on to the next thing, get students moving with a transition song. You can come up with your own transition song or chant, or you can easily find a class favorite online.

4. Line Up Chants - A chant can also be used to get your students lined up for leaving the classroom. Not only will this get students in line faster, eliminating long transition times, it will also keep them focused and on good behavior as you take them into the hallway.

Non-Verbal Classroom Management Strategies

There are also plenty of non-verbal ways for you to keep your classroom under control. This list of classroom management strategies gives you a way to keep your students on task and learning.

1. Raise Your Hand - If it's time for your students to transition to another activity or to simply work more quietly, then simply raise your hand and wait for students to quiet down and raise their own hands.

2. Sign Language - When you're in the middle of an engaging lesson, the last thing you want to do is stop teaching the whole class to tell a student that they can grab a kleenex. That's why sign language can be such an important classroom management strategy. Teach students simple signs such as bathroom, tissue, sit, stand, or I have a question. This will eliminate plenty of interruptions!

3. Routines - Kids thrive on routine, which is why you should make routines a part of your classroom management strategy. Decide what works best for your class and use that throughout the year, remaining consistent with routines and expectations.

4. Proximity - If you have a student that is not on task, it's amazing how focused they can become as soon as you walk near them. Use your proximity to help manage students, encouraging them to be well-behaved and on task.

Classroom Management Games

Games are a great way to get students excited to learn! You can use these classroom management games to help encourage the behaviors you want and discourage the behaviors you don't want.

1. Porky the Pig Classroom Blurters - When you have a student that blurts, it's time to play the Porky the Pig game! Have a pig mounted on your whiteboard, along with a collection of coins attached to magnets. When a student blurts, they have to put a coin in Porky's mouth. At the end of the week, if Porky has collected too many coins, the class does not earn a reward. If they meat their goal, then the whole class can enjoy something fun.

2. Candy Land Behavior Game - Mount a candy land board for your class to see. Each student gets 5 moves a day, but can earn extra moves forward or backward based on behavior.

3. Kindness Chain - Challenge your class to build a kindness chain. Each time your students are kind or follow classroom expectations, they can fill out a paper link and add it to the chain. Once you reach a certain number of links or length, the whole class can earn a reward!

4. Brownie Points - Give your students a chance to earn brownie points! These points can be displayed on a baking sheet at the front of the room so that they can see how close they are to earning their classroom prize. The reward could be a brownie dessert!

5. Classroom Puzzle - Mount magnets to the back of each puzzle piece and then give your students a chance to earn those puzzle pieces throughout the day. At the end of the day or week, students can put the puzzle together on the dry erase board, displaying a beautiful picture that represents their classroom behavior.

Brain Breaks for Classroom Management

When students have been working hard on an intense lesson, a brain break can work wonders for your classroom management. Give students a constructive way to work out their energy, such as playing a moving game or fidgeting with a stress ball.

1. Go Noodle - Go Noodle is an online resource that is a must-have for any classroom. Simply play a fun video and watch as students dance, jiggle and wiggle their energy out. They'll be more prepared to learn after taking a Go Noodle Break

2. Fidget Toys - Some students need to fidget to help focus. Give students what they need by providing fidget toys, stress balls, or even notebooks to help keep them focused.

3. Calm Down Zone - Students also need a chance to calm down when they're upset or hyper. Create a safe zone for students to calm down, such as a corner of the room with a cozy chair. During a break, students can use this area to calm down and get focused until the next activity. Make a calm down kit with a few special items that a child can use when needed.

4. Brain Break Activities - Have a set of brain break cards ready with simple activities that kids can do easily and quickly when they need a break. Great for the whole class to get up and moving!

Prizes & Rewards for Classroom Management

You can use prizes and rewards to keep your students on their best behavior! In small groups or as a whole class, students can work towards a goal by demonstrating the desired classroom behavior. Here's a list of fun ways you can reward students for good behavior.

1. Prizes - Get some small prizes online or grab some items from a garage sale. Students will love earning little prizes.

2. Coupons - If you're looking for reward ideas that don't cost a thing, print off some coupons for students to earn. This can be anything, from picking their seat for the day or sitting by a friend.

3. Classroom Economy - Print some fake dollar bills and let students earn money to buy prizes. Not only is this a great classroom management skill, it also gives your students practice counting money, as well as spending it.

4. Raffles - You can also use raffle tickets for your classroom management strategy. Hand out tickets to students following directions and draw a few names at the end of the week. Whoever wins the raffle, will get a special prize.

5. Holiday-Themed Prizes - Students can be extra energetic before a holiday. Use that to your advantage and have a holiday-themed prize box. This can be anything, from a Boo Bucket for Halloween to a Pot of Gold for St. Patrick's Day.

6. Fun Friday - Another free prize your students can earn each week is Fun Friday. If students meet their class goal for behavior, you can save the last 20 minutes of class as their Fun Friday time. Students will be able to play educational board games, centers, iPad apps and more!

Parent Communication

Parent communication is an important piece of your classroom management strategy. Enlist parents' assistance by keeping them informed of their child's behavior, both positive and negative.

1. Positive Notes Home - When a student does an exceptional job, make sure you send a positive note home. This will endear yourself to the child's parents, letting them know that you love and care for their child. This will also make it easier to talk to the parents if you start to notice negative behavior.

2. Daily Folders - Use daily folders to communicate with parents. Each day, write a note to parents with the behaviors you've noticed, including both the good and the bad. Parents can also write back to you, keeping you informed of any personal issues that you should be aware of.

3. Thinking Sheet - When a student has displayed negative behavior multiple times, it's time to do a little bit of thinking. Send home a thinking sheet with the student, giving them a chance to reflect on what went wrong for the day. This will also make the parents' aware of any issues you've noticed.

A strong classroom management strategy is important for your students and for you, which is why this list of ideas is vital. Not only will classroom management help keep your students behaving, it will also keep them on-task and learning, a goal every teacher has!

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The Ultimate List of Classroom Management Strategies

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This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Any purchases made through one of our links earn us a small commission, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. All creative ideas and opinions expressed are purely my own.

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We know that social-emotional learning (SEL) empowers students with abilities that directly impact not only their academic lives, but their success and happiness as adults. Figuring out how and when to teach and assess SEL skills, however, can be daunting to even the most seasoned educator. So we've created this guide to social-emotional learning, packing it full of questions to consider and techniques to try.

You'll learn why investment in SEL is crucial, explore how to nurture a positive school culture, and gain insight on new approaches to SEL assessment. Looking for innovative ways to teach social-emotional learning skills in your classroom? How about by using AR and VR, or weaving SEL into everyday literacy instruction.

Like all learning, SEL must address issues of equity. We highlight efforts to better support LGBTQ students, involve educate parents and caregivers, and share PD experiences that helps teachers develop their own SEL competencies. Coming soon: how SEL can help students who've experienced trauma.

Please check back soon for more articles on integrating SEL into academics and the role of parent engagement.

-Mary Hossfeld, Guide Editor

This illustration highlights the relationship between school climate and social and emotional competence.

Source: The Intersection of School Climate and Social and Emotional Development, 2018, American Institute for Research.

Social-emotional learning is often broken up into five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making.

Source: CASEL

Many teachers feel their schools put too little emphasis on developing the life skills of students, which includes social and emotional skills.

Teachers at high poverty schools are even more supportive of SEL than the average.

Source: The Missing Piece: A National Teacher Survey on How Social and Emotional Learning Can Empower Children and Transform Schools, 2016, CASEL.

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Social-Emotional Learning: Why It Matters and How to Foster It - EdSurge Guides

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We know that social-emotional learning (SEL) empowers students with abilities that directly impact not only their academic lives, but their success and happiness as adults. Figuring out how and when to teach and assess SEL skills, however, can be daunting to even the most seasoned educator.

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From behavioral observation to conflict resolution, the printables and articles below will help you manage classroom discipline. Read veteran teachers' tips and advice on establishing rules and incorporating effective behavior management strategies in your classroom. You'll find advice for handling disruptive behavior and environmental interventions for minimizing its effect on other students. Our forms and charts are excellent tools for documenting and tracking your students' behavior. They are particularly helpful references for parent-teacher conferences.

Essential Behavior Management Forms

Behavior Management Tips & Advice

Classroom Discipline

Behavior Techniques

Positive Student Behavior

Positive Classroom Behavior
Read ideas and find resources on establishing and maintaining acceptable behavior in your students. New teachers, who are determining the most effective teaching methods for their classrooms, will find this behavior management resource particularly valuable.

Positive Descriptions of Student Behavior
An extensive list of verbs and phrases that will help you to prepare positive, descriptive statements about a student's behavior. New teachers will find this resource particularly valuable when they're writing their first report cards and progress reports.

Putting a Positive Spin on Peer Pressure
Peer pressure has the potential to be a powerfully positive force. By leading students through self-awareness activities, you can create a group of peers who value individualism, practice it in their own lives, and encourage it in others.

Awards, Certificates, and Notes for the Classroom
Reward your students with an award, a note, or a certificate for outstanding work or behavior.

Conflict Resolution

Classroom Organization

Behavior Forms & Charts

Blank Behavior Contract
After completing this behavior contract with a teacher, students are bound to following it. This behavior management printable is customizable. Tailor the PDF to your needs by typing in the highlighted fields before printing.

Charting and Reinforcing Behaviors
This behavior management article includes two handy charts to track student behavior as well as a list of possible positive reinforcers.

Incident Report
Use this report for quick documentation when a behavior incident occurs in your classroom. This behavior management printable is customizable. Tailor the PDF to your teaching needs by typing in the highlighted fields before printing.

More Behavior Management Forms

Additional Resources

Recommended Behavior Management Resources

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Use these behavior management strategies to establish discipline and mutual respect in the classroom. Learn how to handle disruptive student behavior and minimize its effect on others with these articles and printables.

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I see a ton of teachers wondering what they can be doing during their summer break to prep for the upcoming year. What do I say to that? If you don't do anything else before the school year starts, I encourage you to at least develop behavior management plans for your students. (and your sanity!) When kids know their boundaries and that they will be rewarded for following the expectations a healthy classroom environment is born.

But, I definitely hope you do way more than just develop behavior management plans. You need to make sure to decide how you are going to set up and organize your classroom. I wrote a free ecourse that allows you to develop a plan for classroom organization in a week!

You'll also want to make sure that you develop plans for routines so that you are prepared when those little munchkins come skipping (or crying) into your classroom in August.

This post may contain affiliate links. That just means that if you purchase something using a link I share, I get a percentage from that purchase. This helps me keep The Simply Organized Teacher going! You can read more in my disclosure policy.

A behavior management plan is more than telling kids they are doing a good job and calling their name out loud when they are not following the rules.

A healthy behavior management plan involves mostly positive rewards and incentives paired with an understanding of the expectations. When those expectations are not followed, a consequence is given. We must make sure our students know what their boundaries are and that they see consequences when they cross them.

(Obviously consequences aren't for every.single.time. a kid makes a mistake, they are kids! But you know when a student is being defiant versus making a genuine mistake.)

Types of Behavior Management Plans

I believe in developing a plan for different behavior management plans. This doesn't mean I use all of them at the same time (or even during the school year at all.) But it is important to have a plan in place before the school year starts so that when instances arise, you are prepared.

When I was in grad school (and probably undergrad, too) my amazing professor taught us about the 3 behavior management plans we needed in our classroom. We then had to do this same thing and plan out our management plans before day one even started. The ideas below are from her originally, but with my added twist to it!

You can also listen to this video in podcast form by heading here!

Whole Group Plan

This is a behavior management plan that rewards the whole group for good decisions, staying on task, and following directions. We must teach our kids how to work as a team and to help each other. When kids know they are accountable for the whole groups reward, there is more ownership in their behavior.

My favorite whole group management system is a marble jar. The class can earn multiple marbles at a time for choices that they are making. I add extra lines on the marble jar so that they can get rewards throughout the process.

It's important to keep this POSITIVE so I try to refrain from removing marbles unless I say something to my students like "I have 6 marbles here that you can earn during this lesson, but if you talk without raising your hand, I can take a marble away." This way the expectations are set and if they don't meet them, they see the consequence of their action.

You can also do things like a paper link chain, a brownie points pan, or adding letters to a "secret word" to foster engagement in positive choices.

Small Group Plan

This is a management plan developed to hold small groups or teams accountable. The first team to get their table picked up quietly and quickly earns a point. The most important point I want to make is that teams do not compete against each other but instead compete against themselves.

When I use this management plan, I am always intentional about finding something worth rewarding from even the WORST table! It is also important that once a team reaches the "goal amount" of points starts over, not the entire class. Because this is a small group management plan, other teams should not be held accountable or lose their rewards because another team has already met their goal.

Individual Plan

An individual behavior management plan is a positive reward system for when the student does something worth being recognized for. To me, this is the most important management plan to establish because it is a very visual way to reward kids for positive choices and remind other students that meeting expectations earns rewards.

I have always used a classroom economic system as my individual behavior management plan. You can read more about it on my Classroom Economic System post. In that blog I share about where that idea came from, how to implement the economic system I sale in my shop, and how to manage it.

Other individual management plans involve tickets that can be traded in for rewards and class dojo. The most important part of rewarding students individually is to be consistent and to verbally praise them for their choice and give them their tangible reward (money, ticket, point, etc.)

Also, not EVERY time a kid raises their hand needs to be rewarded. At the beginning of the year, YES! Do it ALLLLLL day long. But as the year progresses it is okay to back off a bit and allow kids the opportunity to make wise choices even if they aren't receiving a reward.

Individual Plan for Challenging Students

Some years you will have some extra challenging kids where the simple "great job, friend, here is your sticker" won't work. In those situations you need to develop a more in depth plan for them. This is usually something I plan out all the details for when I actually need it. But the rough draft always involves a very scheduled out reward system

These students need to be praised and rewarded FREQUENTLY! Sometimes multiple times a day. You can read more about the plans I developed for my challenging students this past year in my post on management tips for challenging students.

One thing I have always wanted to try and keep forgetting about in the hustle and bustle of the school year is the mystery student. I have had friends use this and I think it is an AMAZING idea.

Each morning one students stick is placed in the mystery student jar, at the end of the day if that student has made good choices they will be rewarded. If not, then their name is put back into the jar of sticks for a chance another day.

Class Meetings

Another way to foster positive behavior within the classroom is to incorporate class meetings.

I would recommend the book " Positive Discipline In the Classroom." They break down step by step how to begin class meetings. Some of the projects are too much for younger grades (at least in my opinion) and have to be modified, but the messages behind them are important.

I conduct weekly class meetings. I try to do 2-3 a week in addition to a team builder or class builder on the other days. It is important to me that my students feel connected to the other members in their class and by sharing their highs and lows, feelings, and struggles connection is formed and trust is built.

My friends Courtney and Tiffany from Mustard Seed Teaching write about The Fellowship of the Classroom and how class meetings are worked into that. They even show a video of how they work.

What are you planning on doing for your behavior management plans this year? I still want to do my money management system but "Jackson Bucks" don't sound as alliterate as "Buchtien Bucks" so I am on the quest for a new name........

My new ebook that launched last Saturday has a whole chapter dedicated to this topic of behavior management plans. You can click the link below to grab you own copy! I also write about time management, laying out a classroom, decorating a classroom, and much more!

Until next time,

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First Year Teacher: 5 Important Behavior Management Plans to Develop ·

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I see a ton of teachers wondering what they can be doing during their summer break to prep for the upcoming year. What do I say to that? If you don't do anything else before the school year starts, I encourage you to at least develop behavior management plans for your students.

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The FBA can be done by the school (school behaviorist) or by outside behaviorist, in either case the FBA report should be discussed at the team meeting with the school. Call a team meeting to review the report when developing or updating your child's IEP and include a Behavior Plan.

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Joseph A. Durlak, PhD, is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Loyola University Chicago. He has been a member of the editorial boards of several professional publications, has written or coedited four books on prevention, and has a longstanding interest in the welfare of children and adolescents. Dr. Durlak's current work focuses on how to facilitate the implementation of evidence-based SEL and prevention programs in local communities and schools. He is a recipient of the Joseph E. Zins Award for Action Research in SEL from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL).

Celene E. Domitrovich, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Center for Child and Human Development at Georgetown University. She is also a Senior Research Scientist at the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) and has academic affiliations with The University of Illinois at Chicago, The Pennsylvania State University, and Johns Hopkins University. Her research and publications focus on the development of social and emotional competence in children, the role of teachers in children?s acquisition of these skills, and how these skills are related to success in school. Dr. Domitrovich is the developer of the Preschool PATHS Curriculum. She has served on the board of the Society for Prevention Research and is a recipient of the Joseph E. Zins Award for Action Research in SEL from CASEL.
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Roger P. Weissberg, PhD, is NoVo Foundation Endowed Chair in SEL and Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Education at The University of Illinois at Chicago. He is also Chief Knowledge Officer of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning.. Dr. Weissberg has authored numerous publications on preventive interventions with children. He has received awards including the Distinguished Contribution Award for Applications of Psychology to Education and Training from the American Psychological Association, the Distinguished Contribution to Theory and Research Award from the Society for Community Research and Action, and the Daring Dozen Award from the George Lucas Educational Foundation. ÿHe is an elected member of the National Academy of Education.

Thomas P. Gullotta, MA, MSW, is CEO of the Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut, Inc., and a member of the Departments of Psychology and Education at Eastern Connecticut State University. He is editor emeritus of the Journal of Primary Prevention and serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Early Adolescence, Journal of Adolescent Research, and Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation. He has published extensively on adolescents and primary prevention. Mr. Gullotta is a recipient of the Distinguished Contributions to Practice in Community Psychology Award from the Society for Community Research and Action, Division 27 of the American Psychological Association.

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Handbook of Social and Emotional Learning

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The burgeoning multidisciplinary field of social and emotional learning (SEL) now has a comprehensive and definitive handbook covering all aspects of research, practice, and policy. The prominent editors and contributors describe state-of-the-art intervention and prevention programs designed to build students' skills for managing emotions, showing concern for others, making responsible decisions, and forming positive relationships.

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Discover kernels-simple, quick, and reliable ways to deal with behavior challenges.

©Shutterstock.com/Monkey Business Images

Do unresolved behavior issues keep you awake at night thinking about what strategies might enhance responsible decision making and increase academic learning time? It's natural to feel personally and professionally challenged-as I have, too many times to count.

The good news is that there are some research-based strategies called kernels that you can add to your classroom management toolkit.

What Are Kernels?

In a 2008 paper published in Clinical Child and Family Psychology, Dennis Embry and Anthony Biglan describe kernels as "fundamental units of behavioral influence"-bite-size strategies that are validated by mountains of empirical evidence and teacher experience. (Barry Parsonson's " Evidence-Based Classroom Behavior Management Strategies " offers another deep dive into the research.)

Embry and Biglan describe how a kernel might help the parent whose child is struggling to get out the door on time for school: "Alone, such a complaint does not merit implementing parenting skills training. However, a simple behavior change strategy, such as the 'Beat the Timer' game ( Adams and Drabman 1995), in which the child receives a reward for completing a behavior before the timer goes off, could solve the problem, and prevent parent-child conflict."

Particularly at the beginning of the year, before you've had a chance to develop deeper relationships with your students, kernels can offer useful approaches to classroom management. Administrators and coaches recommend kernels because implementing them with fidelity is intuitive and observable. They require neither special training nor expensive consultants.

11 Classroom Management Kernels

While veteran teachers may read the annotated list of kernels as common knowledge, their ubiquity is an advantage. You'll often find them embedded in more complex constellations of evidence-based behavioral programs because of their effectiveness in cuing self-awareness, self-regulation, and pro-academic dispositions.

3. Timeouts: Hundreds of studies support the timeout strategy, which is now considered an indispensable component of many evidence-based behavior management systems. Unlike the dunce cap punishment, which intentionally shames and stigmatizes students, a timeout is now used in progressive classrooms to provide an emotional breather in a less socially charged area of the room. It's also a way for students to decompress, reflect on and enhance their self-awareness, and then return to their seats with improved self-regulation.

6. Private Reminders: When partnered with discreet praise, private reminders to students about how to act responsibly increase on-task behaviors. Researchers recommend using short and unemotional reminders.

7. Greetings: It might seem like an insignificant gesture, but greeting students by name and making a positive statement enhances their self-regulation and increases class participation. Example: "Hey, Marcus. How is my brilliant student today?"

An overwhelming number of studies recommend that classroom instructors systematically teach self-regulation, relationship management, and responsible decision making at the beginning of the school year, so implement these kernels soon.

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Discover kernels-simple, quick, and reliable ways to deal with behavior challenges.

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According to CASEL, social-emotional learning can be defined as: " the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions."

While students' emotional well-being and social skills has always been on educators' radar, recent years have witnessed a shift towards a stronger focus on SEL in the classroom. Researchers have come to understand the connections between academic performance and SEL, as well as the importance of attending to the many facets of student learning experiences in an effort to educate the whole child.

But implementing SEL initiatives in your school or classroom can be a challenge - whether you're looking to improve your school climate, integrate SEL lesson plans into traditional academic work, or partner with community organizations to meet your goals, gaining momentum to influence real change will be difficult. To help get you started, Annie Snyder, Learning Scientist from our Applied Learning Sciences team, has written a guide entitled Building Social Emotional Learning into the School Day: Five Guiding Principles. Find the full guide here, or read on for a synopsis:

5 Guiding Principles of SEL: Create, Integrate, Communicate, Instruct, Empower

1. Create

The purpose of this principle is to consciously create a nurturing, caring, and safe environment for students. In the guide, you'll find find specific strategies and a full, narrative example for carrying out this principle.

Sample strategy: Provide multiple ways for students to report, discuss, and work through conflicts.

2. Integrate

The key to this principle is to incorporate SEL skill-building into academic instruction whenever possible. It's about keeping social and emotional learning top-of-mind, and constantly revisiting your incorporation tactics to find new, creative ways to integrate. You'll find strategies and a narrative example in the guide.

Sample strategy: Design a full classroom unit based on a real-life theme (e.g. helping a local organization increase environmental sustainability.)

3. Communicate

This principle takes your larger community into account, and stresses that you communicate early and often with all SEL stakeholders. Every educator a student encounters during the day should be aware of SEL objectives and communicate with colleagues or partners about concerns and progress. The guide provides individual strategies for communicating with parents, school staff, and community partners.

Sample strategy: When communicating with school staff, researchers recommend that schools form a core team of school staff and administrators to lead in the communication and integration of SEL into school-wide strategies.

4. Instruct

The purpose of this principle is to consider social and emotional learning as you would any other subject area - as information and lessons worth explicit, planned instruction. With clear guidance, you will ensure that your students fully understand SEL content and expectations. Find step-by-step strategies and narrative examples in the guide.

Sample strategy: Explicitly teach protocols and procedures for handling challenging social situations. Recognize that time spent on topics such as conflict resolution counts as a "teachable moment" just as time spent on academic content.

5. Empower

This principle gets at the core of any social-emotional learning instructional plan: to empower students to take charge of their own social and emotional learning. It's about ensuring that students are supported and ready to take on the next phase of their academic and emotional lives with confidence.

Sample strategy: Provide data and feedback that students can use to modify and extend their own application of SEL strategies learned in the classroom.

Find the full guide below, or by clicking here:

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5 Guiding Principles of Social and Emotional Learning

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According to CASEL, social-emotional learning can be defined as: " the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions."

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.