The Physical Environment and Classroom Management

While organizing the classroom might not seem like an important part of classroom management, in fact the physical environment is as important as the rules and consequences in keeping students focused.

Seating Chart

The seating chart has a huge impact on the classroom management strategies of a teacher. While the actual seating arrangement is based more on the teaching style of an individual teacher than on the management strategy in place for students, there are two things that are important to keep in mind:

1. All seats need to be positioned so that each student can clearly see the teacher. To ensure this, the teacher can take a moment to sit in each seat.
2. All seats need to be positioned so that the teacher can quickly reach each student at a moment’s notice to handle any academic or behavior problem that may come up.

Classroom Decorations

It is very important to have the room decorated appropriately for students. The posters and other decorations aid in boosting student enthusiasm, increasing student motivation and reinforcing academic skills and concepts. At the same time, though, it is important to not overdecorate a room. Too much decoration can overstimulate student’s and cause them to become distracted. An important rule of thumb for decoration is to ensure that there is blank wall space around each decoration. If in doubt, take something down.

Related posts:

1. Q. How do I Motivate My Students?
2. Check List for Managing Misbehavior
3. Keeping Kids Calm Through the Holidays
4. Classroom Management for Specials
5. Using Praise for Basic Discipline