3 Classroom Management Mistakes You Might be Making
Effective classroom management can feel like a huge task, especially if you are having a year full of management issues. As teachers, it’s easy to fall into certain traps that may hinder our success in creating a positive and productive classroom environment. Here are three common classroom management mistakes—and how to fix them!
1. Vague Expectations
One of the most common mistakes teachers make is being unclear about what they expect from their students. Phrases like “pay attention” or “be good” leave too much room for interpretation. Students, especially younger ones, need clear, specific instructions. Instead of saying, “Clean up your desks,” try, “Put your books in your cubby, throw away trash, put your papers in your folder, and push in your chair.” Clear directions help prevent misunderstandings and set students up for success.
The Fix: Take time to explicitly teach your expectations. Model what following directions looks like, and offer students opportunities to practice. Act things out, slow down and try them again…do what you need to do to make it stick! Revisit these expectations regularly, especially after long breaks or when routines change.
2. Over-Prioritizing Incentives Over Relationships
Many teachers rely heavily on incentives to encourage good behavior. While rewards can be useful in the short term, they can create an environment where students are motivated by prizes rather than an internal desire to succeed. Worse, it can lead to resentment if some students earn rewards while others don’t. Building strong, trusting relationships with students is a more powerful and lasting tool for classroom management. In my book, The Classroom Management Playbook, I write in detail about how you can embed relationship-building into everyday routines in your classroom.
The true secret to having the classroom of your dreams is to have buy-in. And the only way to get this buy-in is to have a relationship with your students where they feel valued by you, and understand that you care when you are holding them to high expectations.
The Fix: Focus on building connections with your students. Greet them by name, show interest in their lives, and celebrate their efforts. When students feel valued and respected, they’re more likely to follow your expectations because they trust and respect you—not because they want a sticker.
3. Frustration Instead of Re-Teaching
When students fail to meet expectations, it’s easy to become frustrated and think, “They should know this by now.” Have you ever caught yourself lecturing your students for a poor behavior choice for what feels like the hundredth time that day? It’s exhausting. Often, students aren’t being defiant—they simply need reminders or re-teaching of what’s expected. Classroom management is not linear. There will never be a year where you teach something on the first week of school, and watch your students get consistently better at it over time with no prompting on your end. They will have days where they act like they have never even done that routine before. Or, maybe there is a time in your room where things have just slowly gone downhill for a while and you need to re-set. Lectures and consequences may be effective in some cases, but often taking the time to reteach expectations and have students try again is what will help you the most.
The Fix: When behavior issues arise, take a step back and calmly re-teach expectations. Demonstrate the correct behavior, have students practice it, and acknowledge when they get it right. Patience and consistency will pay off over time!
Final Thoughts
Classroom management isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being reflective. By addressing these common mistakes, you can create a classroom environment where expectations are clear, relationships are strong, and students are set up for success.
The Classroom Management Playbook
Are you feeling overwhelmed by classroom disruptions? The Classroom Management Plan and Strategies E-Book is here to help! This comprehensive guide offers a 10-day plan to transform your classroom from chaos to calm, no matter the time of year. With 30 actionable strategies, it addresses common behavior challenges and provides practical solutions to regain control and create a positive learning environment. Teachers who implement these techniques report more respectful classrooms and a renewed passion for teaching. Don't let negative behaviors impact your teaching experience—equip yourself with effective tools to manage your classroom confidently. Learn more and get your copy here:
