Tips for Creating a Successful Classroom Environment

1. Establish classroom routines; take the time early in the year to model and practice the routines so that the rest of the year will flow smoothly.
2. Give students responsibilities within the classroom, such as monitoring their own learning.
3. Keep seating charts up-to-date.
4. Establish classroom rules by facilitating student involvement in classroom rule setting within the realms of your expectations.
5. Establish rules upfront and communicate consequences that are clear and fair for each rule.
6. POST the rules and refer to them often.
7. BE CONSISTENT in the application of classroom rules for ALL students.
8. Establish classroom centers/areas clearly and creatively where students can work independently to reinforce/enrich learning. Model appropriate behaviors at the learning centers.
9. Begin to build a file of enrichment activities to use when students complete work early. Differentiate according to ability level, whether the activity is for reinforcement of concepts or whether it is to enrich with more challenging material.
10. Provide visual aids that support subject matter, grammar examples, rubrics, punctuation etc.
11. Establish and practice routines for activities that require students to leave the classroom, such as band, chorus, and bathroom.
12. Establish and articulate regularly expectations and requirements for making up missed work and possibly any late work.
13. Prepare and distribute to parents and students a contract or syllabus that outlines class expectations, rules, guidelines and grading policies.
14. Provide classroom arrangement that allows for mobility in the classroom.
15. Remember that learning should be fun.
16. Be open to other instructional methods, including technology, video, Internet, etc.
17. Utilize the students as teachers.  Peer teaching is a great way for students to showcase their knowledge of the specific concepts and their abilities or talents.
18. Give students CHOICES in tests and final projects.
19. Give CHOICES to accommodate various learning styles.
20. Vary types of test questions, multiple choice, short answer, essay, true false, matching, fill in the blank, etc.
21. Be professional. Remember you are their teacher not one of their peers.
22. Treat all students equitably.
23. Create a system for randomly selecting students (e.g., names on index cards, slips in a jar).
24. PATIENCE! PATIENCE! PATIENCE!
25. Establish, practice, and articulate transitions between activities, classes and/or subjects.
26. Make your classroom colorful and welcoming to students with meaningful visual resources that support instruction.
27. Allow for movement and grouping within the lesson.
28. Occasionally allow higher level students to work with and assist lower level learners, but remember that all students need to be challenged.
29. Establish open lines of communication with parents.
30. Praise expected behaviors.
31. Post daily activities/lessons so that students who were not in class can access and look over the information.
32. Establish areas for students to borrow materials, sharpen pencils, turn in work and pick up graded work to use class time efficiently.

Document steps that you have taken to solve problems with a student in order to make it easier to seek reinforcement from administration and parents.