The key to lesson planning for better classroom management comes down to the relationship you as the teacher has with your students individually and your class as a whole. As you get to know your class, it will become easier to know what will and will not work in your lesson plans. Below I offer some tips and tricks you can incorporate into your lesson planning while considering managing classroom behavior. Both stations and timing considerations require you to know your students and how they interact as a class. But, do not be deterred if you feel like you don’t have that knowledge or if it’s the beginning of the year and you have not met your students yet. These tips and tricks will also help you get to know your students so you can modify your lesson plans as you build those relationships.
Stations
One of the best strategies I learned from my host teacher during my student teaching was the concept of stations. This class had a handful of students with behavioral challenges, so a carefully thought-out classroom management plan was crucial for success. Breaking the class into smaller groups that would rotate together to each station allowed for the purposeful pairing of students. Some students worked better when paired together, while others needed to be kept apart. Stations allowed for these combinations of students to be effective. Additionally, my host teacher was careful to create distinct seating clusters and station groups. This prevented students from getting overwhelmed by being paired with the same classmates all day.
Another significant benefit to stations is it allows for small group instruction. By creating 4-5 stations where all but one are for various forms of independent study or is guided by a classroom helper, the teacher can individualize the instruction at the teaching station. There will always be a wide range of skills and abilities among students. When teaching during a station, the more advanced students get the opportunity to dig deeper into a concept. In contrast, the students that need more direct instruction have the opportunity to receive that support.
Timing
One of the biggest lessons I learned as a first-year teacher was timing within my lesson plans. I had to consider when best to do an activity based on when they last ate. Do not make the same mistake I did by underestimating food’s influence on the brain’s ability to focus. I quickly learned to save the parts of my lesson plan that required a lot of brainpower after snack or lunchtime.
When I was first teaching, the other teachers around me all seemed to do things the same way when it came to the timing of their day. We were all self-contained classrooms, so we had the freedom to structure our day however we wanted, but my co-teachers all seemed to follow the same structure. I found that structure did not work for my class, so we flip-flopped our schedule. My students were more productive, and their ability to stay on task increased. You know your class dynamics best, so don’t be afraid to go against the norm if it works for your class.
Knowing how to plan your lessons will become second nature as you develop your relationships with your students. Like planning a seating chart, you’ll know what works, what doesn’t, and when to change it up. Because stations allow small group instruction, they also allow you to get to know your students individually. Small group interaction is one of my favorite ways of working with my students. I find this is when their personalities shine. As you get to know your class dynamics, you will also gain insight into the timing of your lesson activities. Don’t be afraid to switch things around, and nobody knows your class as you do.
Thank you for reading this article! Joanie Clarkson’s information is located below. Thank you, Joanie, for writing this fantastic article! At LYS also know the importance of education, and we aim to help you out in making sure that your students receive all the help they need to ladder their success. If you are an educator or homeschooling parent, the LYS Classroom App is an excellent tool for supplemental lesson planning. Try it for free here!
Hi! Thanks for reading this article. My name is Joanie Clarkson, and I am a guest writer from Schooltube.com. You can find more of my work at this link.
