Predictable Structure

• Students thrive in an environment when they can predict the pattern of the day ahead of them. Set times throughout the day when things happen. For instance, you might have a warm-up activity before class begins, schedule the mid-morning snack for 10:30 a.m., follow lunch with recess at 12:30, and build in a free period to catch up on work during the last 30 minutes of school. You can also plan topics such as English, math and social sciences in the same way. This will give the students a structure to know when they are expected to work, and what they are expected to accomplish.
  
  

Reward Systems

• Reward systems keep students motivated in working toward a goal. Also, class-wide reward systems encourage the class to work together in order to achieve a goal they can all share. For instance, you might offer a pizza party on Friday if the students complete all of their required reading for the week by Thursday afternoon. Find rewards such as extra recess, food and free time that the students will look forward to obtaining.
  
  

Behavior Management

• When students act up with inappropriate behavior, it is important that you as an educator know how to reprimand and re-focus that student so that the entire class stays on track. One type of behavior management system includes using cards that mimic a stop light. Everyone starts out with a green card. When inappropriate occurs, the next card is pulled. As the cards progress, the punishment gets more severe. For instance, if a student has an outburst during a lesson, he may receive a yellow card as a warning. If that same student continues to act out, then a red card might be pulled, causing that student to lose recess.
  
  

Class Rules

• One way to get everyone on the same page is to create a list of class rules that remain posted in the room at all times. During the first week of school, you can ask the students to help you with the rules, which are then written down. For instance, "No talking while the teacher is speaking" might be a rule, or "No using hurtful or inappropriate words toward others" can be another rule. Remind the students of the rules when they are broken from time to time.