George Lucas Educational Foundation
Edutopia

Classroom Management

Learn strategies for building positive, compassionate classroom communities that engage learners, and find and exchange tips for coping with disruptive behaviors and managing distraction.

  • Boosting Student Engagement... With Rubber Ducks?

    Using a funny object to monitor participation or as a writing prompt can help high school students relax and share their creativity.
    Lindsay Mitchell

  • Helping Students Return to Class After Discipline Issues

    When a student is sent out of the classroom, welcoming them back to the community can help them learn the right lesson.
    David Bulley

  • If You Can't Love Every Student, Try Finding Common Ground

    Building meaningful relationships with students—even the difficult ones—is really hard, but research shows the benefits are worth the effort.
    Sarah Gonser

  • 60-Second Strategy: Pom-Pom Jar

    Explicitly teaching and celebrating kindness is a simple yet powerful way to build a positive classroom culture.

  • A Student-Centered Model of Blended Learning

    When educators at a Washington, DC, high school ditched their lectures and devised a self-paced blended learning model, their students thrived.

  • The Role of Emotion Co-Regulation in Discipline

    Helping students regain their calm after misbehavior doesn’t mean there are no consequences—it ensures that the right lesson is learned.
    Lori Desautels

  • 8 Proactive Classroom Management Tips

    New teachers—and experienced ones too—can find ideas here on how to stop disruptive behavior before it begins.
    Youki Terada

  • 4 Strategies to Improve Group Work

    Many teachers believe that group work is valuable for students but still struggle to implement it. Here’s how to avoid common pitfalls.
    Laura Lee

  • 60-Second Strategy: Appreciation, Apology, Aha!

    A quick, low-key way to build community in your classroom on a daily basis.

  • 60-Second Strategy: Snowball Toss

    A quick, fun classroom activity fosters open dialogue while releasing pent-up energy.

  • 30 Techniques to Quiet a Noisy Class

    Most teachers have a method of calling for quiet, and we’ve collected a variety of good ideas for elementary, middle, and high school.
    Todd Finley

  • 10 Powerful Community-Building Ideas

    Strategies for ensuring that students in every grade feel like they’re part of the classroom community.
    Emelina Minero

  • There’s a Cell Phone in Your Student’s Head

    A 2017 study found that cell phones that were turned off and stashed away silently reasserted themselves—distracting working students anyway.

  • Welcoming Students With a Smile

    Greeting each student at the door with a positive message brings benefits for both students and teacher.
    Youki Terada

  • Demonstrating Self-Regulation With Tone of Voice

    When teachers model self-regulation by using a voice that is calm, neutral, and assertive, they help students feel cared for—and ready to learn.