Where to Begin? 

Page 3

Classroom management is one of those topics that changes over time with each educator and years of experience. The other variable in creating a classroom management plan is your students! Students come into class as a melting pot of personalities, emotions, challenges, goals, capabilities and more! Your classroom management plan may change year to year with the different children in your care. In addition, the age group of the children in your program will dictate many of your classroom management options. Infant and toddler classrooms will have simpler management plans as opposed to preschool groups. The key is to be flexible and to be willing to make changes as needed to find solutions to common challenges in education.   

When creating a classroom management plan, most teachers do what is called back-planning. To back-plan is to identify the desired outcome of the situation and plan according to that desired outcome. This keeps the end-goal in mind when planning the strategies that will be best. ​​   

Here is an example:

Mrs. Jones’ preschool class has a difficult time transitioning between activities. It often takes double the expected time for students to transition and also becomes loud very quickly. She is searching for a solution. ​  

Here is how she may use back-planning to find a solution:

​You can see from her planning strategy, that she first identifies the goal, which is the end of the process. She then considers the steps that will be necessary in achieving her goal and plans them out as precisely as possible. During the planning process it is imperative to revisit the goal and consider whether or not the steps to achieve it will be realistically supported. In Mrs. Jones’ case, the goal and the steps to plan it do align.  

Optional Resources for Further Study

• Classroom Management Planning Sheet
• Classroom Management​ articles by NEA
• 19 Big and Small Classroom Management Strategies by Edutopia

Course Navigation Menu

1. Course Agenda
​2. Classroom Management
3. Where to Begin?
4. Goal Setting (1/10) ​
5. Setting Routines
6. Transitions​
7. Real Strategies
8. Transition Technique (2/10)
9. Appropriate Expectations
10. Setting Expectations
11. Expectations Scenario (3/10) ​

12. Setting Rules 
13. Involving Students
14. Behavior Management
15. Behavior Management
16. Guidance Techniques
17. Sign Language for Classroom
18. Management Motivation
19. Group Motivation
20. Individual Motivation
21. Classroom Analysis (4/10) ​
22. Mistaken Behavior

23. ABC Chart
24. Behavior Patterns​ (5/10)
25. How to Make your Own ABC Chart
26. ABC Chart – Scenario 1 (6/10)
27. ABC Chart – Scenario 1 (7/10)​​​
28. ABC Chart – Scenario 2 (8/10)​​​
29. ABC Chart – Scenario 2 (9/10)​​​
30. ABC Chart to Prevent Behavior
31. End of Course Quiz (10/10)
32. Course Evaluation Form​
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