4 Ways to Plan for Classroom Management: the Secrets New Music Teachers Want

Looking for ways to plan for classroom management? Classroom procedures and routines are the key to setting the tone to manage student behavior in your music room. These easy steps will have you running your room like a boss, so you can enjoy being a teacher who shares the love of music. 

To create a plan for classroom management, it’s important to have in mind what classroom management is. It can be defined as a well-run music room that keeps students focused on learning while maintaining order and discipline. It starts from the moment students transition to your music room. Which is a great place to set the tone. Check out my plan for classroom management with 5 easy tips – how to play xylophone. 

So let’s begin a plan for classroom management by looking at the routine for entering the music classroom. My procedure for entering is to welcome students at the door, have students proceed to the assigned location, and quietly wait for instructions. 

• Greet
• Take your places
• Wait for instructions

This plan for classroom management sounds simple and it is simple only because my expectation for students is defined and consistently enforced. The key to managing behavior successfully is to define your expectation.

Lesson Students Love!

If you are looking for music lesson plans elementary students love so much they don’t even realize they are learning! Engage your students and conserve your energy with music activities that teach music theory, history, and creativity! Your students will leave your room inspired, and you will finally feel successful with easy ways to share what you love, MUSIC. Check out my store CLS Music Essence on TPT by clicking here. You can also get my best music games to use immediately for free right here. I’ll stop by from time to time with new inspiration, and tried and true tips and tricks! Let’s get started.

#1 Plan for Classroom Management Tips: Define behavior expectations 

I expect students to enter the room in an orderly fashion and be ready to listen for instructions. 

I know when reading this it may sound like I run a rigid authoritarian style classroom, which if you knew me you would laugh. My classroom expectation is defined, but my attitude is welcoming, playful, and positive. Ask yourself what is your ideal classroom? Do you want students who can sit and stay in a designated area? Of course, you do, and you can have what you expect. Imagine what your classroom should look like and write a solid, easy-to-enforce expectation.  

# 2 Reinforce procedures for classroom management

Step two is making sure that expectation is followed. Because the expectation is defined, I know when it needs to be reinforced. Say a classroom teacher just drops their class off at your door and the class is loud and disruptive. Take the time to reinforce what you want. You can make an impression on the class you are finishing up teaching and the class coming to your room at the same time. 

• Grab their attention and make it short. “Excuse me.” (said sternly) or “Woah” (said in a surprised tone.)
• Positive: I love that you are excited to be here.
• Expectation: I expect you to be quietly waiting to enter as I finish teaching. Please walk back (Pick a spot where you can still see them like the end of the hall) and show me you can walk quietly and wait for your turn.
• Praise: Be sure to reward good behavior with a smile and encouraging words. “Awesome,” “Much better,” “Thank you,”  “I knew you could.”
• Be consistent: It will set the behavior expectation if you are consistent with all classes.

 

#3 Plan for Classroom Management Skills! Positive & Proximity

Plan for classroom management skills. You can be rigid with your expectations and yet positive and encouraging as a teacher. Positive encouragement helps build a safe environment and one where students feel they are accepted. If students feel understood and treated with respect, they are more apt to want to follow instructions and accept being corrected when needed.   

Welcoming students with a smile is a great way to set a positive tone. I was fortunate to have a classroom close to the front office where students would pass by as they came to school. I would make a point of making sure my room was set up so I could be outside my door to at least say “Good Morning” as students entered the building.

Greeting each class as they come to your room is a good time to get a brief assessment of mood, or a quick heads up from the classroom teacher. There are times when a conflict happens right before your class, and the problem has been addressed by the classroom teacher, but the students have not moved past the moment. Some come in tears, pouting or mad. 

Getting that heads up from their teacher on the conflict or who should not sit next to each other is helpful. You can briefly address the student saying “I’m sorry you had a difficult morning. Hopefully music will help,” and then quickly move on. It acknowledges their emotion but doesn’t give them fuel to keep going. This can all happen during the welcome. 

Encourage the Positive / Not call out the Negative

My favorite plan for classroom management trick is to use positivity to reinforce the behavior I want. Find the student that is following directions and call it out. “I really like how Brent is following directions and sitting waiting for instructions. Way to go Brent.” This works better than reprimanding the child talking, It also calls out the behavior you want and thus models it for the class what you are looking for, and best of all doesn’t give attention to negative behavior.

It sounds really easy to be positive, but this will be tested every day, and you will want to remind yourself to stay positive. Setting up a kind yet structured environment is how you build a classroom where students feel safe, cared for, and welcomed. 

Now there is always going to be at least one student who just grates on your last nerve. It will take some real digging down deep to hold your cool.  If you can find even the littlest thing to state positively about that student it might be the only positive comment they hear all day. It can make a difference in their life and can change their attitude too.  

Proximity

Proximity is one of the best strategies to plan for classroom management because you don’t have to say or do anything except step in the direction of the problem. Are a couple of students visiting or messing around? Step that way. Don’t miss a beat. Just keep going with what you are teaching. This approach works great. If you need one step further you can always place a hand on a shoulder for a second. This will just let them know you are there for them. If you need to, give a quick whisper in an ear to focus on you. 

#4 Pick and Choose Wisely 

My plan for classroom management includes 3 simple rules. They encompass it all and are easy to reference when the moment calls for it. 

• Be respectful
• Be responsible
• Be safe

There will be times when you need to take it a step further. I reserve this for serious concerns. Because it is rare for me to be stern beyond one word or sentence, students are more apt to listen because it is a change from the norm. Just pick and choose these moments. Once you get the hang of things, you will know how to address issues before they happen.

I remind myself to smile a lot because a smile is worth more than words. So when my smile disappears and the tone in my voice changes. They will listen up. Pick one of the three rules. My #1 is safety. I want my classroom to be a safe environment emotionally and health-wise. So an unsafe situation will cause me to address it further.

Second in my plan for classroom management is respect! Have and model respect. I will give a student a way out by saying “You probably didn’t mean to be disrespectful, but when you are talking when I am giving directions It feels disrespectful to me. I expect all eyes on me, so I know you are listening.” 

Model Kindness

It’s also important to model kind communication with each other. Inevitably a student will call another student stupid, dump, or worse. Again I intervene and give my “You may not have realized that was hurtful, but…..” I do this for students who will tell you that it’s okay when they are called a name. I want them to know it is not okay for anyone to do that. Some students need help sticking up for themselves. 

Being responsible does not come into play as much and usually is addressed during instrument care. 

After taking care of the problem, there is no need to ruin the rest of the class, move on quickly after the point was made and return to the fun engaging music lesson you planned. 

Keeping students engaged every minute is another great way to manage behavior. If you are looking for those fun engaging lessons that can save time and are easy to use. I have a store full. I would love for you to stop on by. Follow my store here. I list new products for 50% for the first 24 hours. Get on my email list and I’ll pop by once in a while with tips, tricks and freebies too!