The most important factor in managing a class is good lesson planning. If the pace and the activities in your lesson are level and age appropriate, the students will be stimulated and will enjoy your class. A well planned class will leave no time for disruptive behavior; a poorly planned class on the other hand will create an opportunity for students to talk and take focus away from your class.

Here are a few things to remember if you are looking to manage your classroom more successfully:

• Be prepared: Students respect teachers who have put time and effort into their lessons
• Learn the names of your students: This will let the students know that they are a part of the class, making no one feel left out.
• Maintain the interest of all students: Make sure that each student is somehow involved with the lesson so that no students feel bored or are given the opportunity to talk with their friends
• Never leave the class unattended: This will only result in losing the childrens’ attention which will take valuable classroom time to get back; come to class prepared so that you don’t have to leave even once during the lesson
• Vary teaching approaches and activities: Always keep your lessons new and fresh; this will keep the students’ interest and result in better comprehension of the lesson
• Let your students know the consequences of bad behavior: Make sure you follow through with the punishment that you have set out for misbehavior if you have a student who breaks the rules; if you don’t follow through, the students will take advantage of the rules as they will know they won’t get in trouble for their actions
• Always face the classroom: It is important that the students know you are aware of everything going on in the class. Kids will be kids, and sometimes their attention span is minimal at best, so make sure they know you are paying attention to their behavior
• Have seating plans and change if necessary: Most kids will want to sit with their friends, so let them, but warn them that they will be moved if they are disruptive. If you are having problems, change the seating arrangement – they will not be happy, but will most likely improve their behavior if they are allowed another chance to sit beside their friends again
• Use positive reinforcement: Always reward correct answers and good behavior as it will increase the likelihood for further participation from your students
• Always smile! This might sound simple, but a smile goes a long way in the classroom as it does in life