5 Fun, Quick and Easy Elementary Classroom Management Ideas!

Disciplining students doesn’t have to be tiresome and stressful. It can be fun! Here are 5 fun classroom management tactics to use in your elementary classroom.

Erase the Animal (2^nd-5^th grade)-Before each class I let my students decide what animal they want me to draw on the board. If they are showing positive behavior, I gradually color the animal in over the course of the period. When they show negative behavior, I begin to erase the animal. If the animal is completely erased before the end of class, students must stay 2-3 minutes after class during their recess.

Red Light Green Light (2^nd-4^th grade)-Print out a picture of a traffic light. At the beginning of class, everyone is at green. If they move to yellow, this signifies that the students need to pause and check their behavior. If behavior worsens, students move to red light and receive a consequence.

Monster Eats Prince/Princess (2^nd-5^th grade)– Print out pictures of a monster and a prince or princess (or any figure your students like). Distance the figures on the board and draw steps in between them. If students are showing negative behavior, the monster moves closer and closer to eating the prince/princess. This can also be used for positive reinforcement. If students are showing positive behavior, a figure can move closer to a treasure chest, for instance. Rewards or consequences for behaviors are at the teacher’s discretion.

Letter Grab Bag (Specifically for ESL learners 3^rd-5^th grade) Whenever students display positive behavior or actively participates in class, they earn an opportunity to grab a letter out of your letter bag. However many letters they’re able to grab in a class is equal to the number of points they earn (4 letters=4 points). If they can make their letters spell a word, they get double the points. These points can build up to a long-term reward. Note: Individualized incentive system

Board Game (3^rd-5^th grade) -This is also an individualized incentive system. Make a fun board game that is visible and can be posted on your whiteboard. Whenever students display positive behavior, they may move one space on the board and closer to the end prize. To make this more fun, when students display positive behavior, they earn the opportunity to roll a dice, and move as many spaces as they roll.