Behavior Management Teaching Resources
Bring your classroom behavior management to the next level this school year with behavior management strategies and systems, classroom rules and expectations, student and classroom reward charts and more resources created by teachers for teachers like you!
This collection of teaching resources was developed by the expert teachers of Teach Starter to save teachers valuable time with printable and digital options ready to be downloaded and used — no extra prep necessary!
Just getting started with this part of your overall classroom management strategy? Jump in with this quick guide from our teacher team, including a definition of behavior management and strategies you can use in your classroom.
What Is Behavior Management?
Behavior management is a proactive strategy for teachers to handle behavior in the classroom. By setting up solid student organization strategies, creating clear rules and expectations, and providing consistent feedback, teachers set students up for success.
A good behavior management strategy will give students:
- Specific expectations
- Positive reinforcement when expectations are met
- Fair and consistent consequences when expectations are not met
One of the most popular behavior management strategies these days is CHAMPS, which stands for Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, and Participation. The goal is to provide students with an instructional structure that promotes responsibility and motivates students.
Why Is Behavior Management Important?
Strongly backed by research, behavior management strategies like CHAMPS have been shown to:
- Provide students with a sense of connection to school and their peers
- Promote a productive learning environment
- Minimize classroom disruptions
Behavior Management Strategies to Use in Your Classroom
Before we dig in too deeply, it's worth stressing that the goal of the strategies you're about to read is to accentuate the positive, that is, to keep control of the behavior in your classroom in a positive way.
We've also included a mix of strategies that will help you prevent negative behavior as well as some simple things you can do to curb unwanted behavior in the classroom.
Redirect
This technique is simple, yet effective. When you notice a child is off-task, simply move their attention from one thing to another. For example, if one student is distracting another student, you may direct their attention to the work at hand by saying you'll be over in a few minutes or simply asking that student what they are up to.
Ignore Secondary Behavior
When a child is being warned about inappropriate behavior, you may notice a secondary behavior, such as an eye roll or a delayed response to a question. This behavior is often to avoid humiliation in front of peers.
If the initial poor behavior has stopped, ignoring the secondary behavior — as long as no one is in danger and it hasn't caused additional classroom disruption! — can prevent the situation from escalating. If you feel you need to, you may opt to talk to that student one on one after the lesson to reflect on the situation (without the audience of the other students).
Plan Your Transitions
A transition in a classroom is when a student moves from one activity to another. It can be a significant change such as transitioning from gym or the cafeteria back into the classroom or a more minor change such as transitioning from time on the carpet back to their seats.
For little brains, transitions can be tricky as they need to go from an active state to a focused state ready for learning, and this is where inappropriate behavior may start to fester.
Planning for how you and your students should transition can help avoid this situation from escalating. A simple transition for the example of going from PE back to class, for example, could be to use a fun movement such as walking like a ballet dancer back to class.
Make sure to explicitly teach students what they should be doing during transitions, so they know the sort of behavior you expect!
Offer Choices
Providing a student with choice is extremely powerful! It makes them feel like they are in the power seat, when in fact, you've planned it out beautifully! When you notice inappropriate behavior, instead of issuing a demand, offer a student a choice of two options. The first choice would be the route you'd like them to take. The second is the consequence of not taking the first option.
For example, "Zane, would you like to remove yourself from the distracting spot you're sitting in, and complete your work? Or, would you like to stay with me at lunchtime to complete the work then?"
You'll find that most of the time, the student will take the better option in this scenario.
Attention Grabbing
This is similar to the "redirect'" option, but this is a strategy to use if a number of students are starting to get off task. Use some fun attention-grabbing techniques like call and response ( you can download our Attention Grabbing Phrase Cards and use those!).
You can then redirect the group's attention back to the work by providing some more information that may support them in finishing the task.
Use Positive Non-Verbal Reminders
You don't always have to use your voice for your behavior management to work. Non-verbal reminders can be equally powerful and limit the disruption to the class. Simple non-verbals like stopping what you're saying and smiling at the student who may be off task is sometimes all that is needed for some students. This lets them know you know they're off-task in a gentle way.
Another non-verbal reminder is to just lower your body down to the level of the child while you continue with the teaching, or do a simple tap on their desk as you walk past.
Set Up a Calm Corner
Little kids experience BIG emotions, and often when they are trying to deal with these big emotions, they struggle with self-regulation.
Another behavior management strategy that will work for some children is just some time away from the hustle and bustle of the classroom. If you have the space, set up a corner of the classroom for students to 'chill out.' You can fill the space with fidget toys, weighted blankets, wobble cushions, a tub of sensory toys and similar objects.
If you are noticing a student that isn't responding to the smaller behavior management strategies, 5 minutes in the chill-out corner/area may help this student.
Another idea — sending a student to another teacher with a note that says something simple such as "John needed some space." This gets the student out and about and gives them some purpose by having the very important job of delivering the note to the other teacher.
Get Them Moving
We know a student's attention span is short, and yet we expect them to sit and listen and use their brains for long periods of time ... often longer than their age allows. Ensuring you have had a lot of movement integrated into your day is a great way to limit the number of behavior situations you may encounter in a day.
It could be as simple as a "stop work and stretch at your desks" type situation, but you may be surprised by how planning these active brain breaks into your day can improve behavior in the classroom.
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Desk Pet Application
Encourage students to boost their behavior by implementing a Desk Pet Adoption Drive in your classroom, starting with an application!
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Desk Pet Habitat Templates
Encourage positive behavior with printable Desk Pet Habitats for your students to spend their Desk Pet Dollars on!
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Tiered Behavior Plan – Editable Template
Establish clear expectations, rewards and tiered consequences with this free behavior plan template.
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Classroom Rules and Expectations – Cut and Paste Worksheets
Start your year off right by reviewing classroom rules with a cut-and-paste, writing and drawing activity.
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Desk Pet Dollars
Encourage good behavior choices by awarding your students with Desk Pet Dollars to purchase their new desk pets!
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Growth Mindset Brag Tags
Celebrate students using a growth mindset with a set of printable growth mindset brag tags!
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Digital Reward Chart – Marble Jar
Celebrate classroom successes with a fully digital marble jar classroom reward chart.
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Behavior Sticker Charts - Stars
Reward positive behavior with printable sticker charts!
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Sticker Chart – Rainbow Theme
Encourage positive behavior and track progress with this rainbow-themed sticker chart.
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Cooperation Station — SEL and Character Education Craft
Make your classroom a better “space” with cooperative learning and a fun Cooperation Station craft!
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Tattling vs. Telling Teaching Presentation
Teach your students the difference between “tattling” and “telling” with this comprehensive teaching presentation.
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Tattling vs. Telling Poster
Teach your students the difference between “tattling” and “telling” with this classroom display poster.
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Student of the Week Certificate – Upper Grades
Celebrate your Student of the Week student with this certificate for upper grade students.
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Visual First-Then Schedule
Communicate a sequence of events with this visual first-then board and set of 48 reward picture cards.
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Respect Self, Others, and the Environment Posters
Encourage your students to respect themselves, others, and the environment with this set of 4 classroom posters.
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Chill Out – Classroom Break Passes
Give your students a work break to stop behavior problems before they start with our printable Chill Out Passes.
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Editable 5th Grade Graduation Certificate
Celebrate 5th grade graduation and reward your students with printable promotion certificates.
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How Do I Get Home? Backpack Tags & Forms
Use printable backpack tags to organize student transportation at the end of the school day.
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Hall Pass Templates
Send your students down the hall in style with fun printable hall passes using our customizable hall pass templates.
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Identifying the Parts an Earthworm Worksheet
Read, learn and label the parts of a worm with a set of printable animal features worksheets.
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Meet The Teacher Presentation Template
Introduce yourself and your classroom expectations to parents and students with a customizable Meet the Teacher Slideshow!
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Keeping My Hands and Feet to Myself Mini-Book
Teach your students about the importance of keeping their hands and feet to themselves with this printable mini-book.
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Positive Self-Talk Poster: Talking to Myself
Highlight the benefits of positive self talk and having a growth mindset with this classroom poster.
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Playground Rules Mini-Book
Remind your students about playground rules with this printable mini-book.
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Verbal and Nonverbal Communication Poster
Teach your young students the key to communication by starting with the basics — the difference between verbal and nonverbal communication methods.
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Rules for School Mini-Book
Remind students about appropriate behaviors at school with this printable mini-book.
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Superhero Reward Charts
Motivate and reward students in the classroom with a set of superhero themed desk charts.
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Behavior Reward System - Token Charts
Celebrate classroom successes with a set of fun-themed classroom reward charts.
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Mystery Prize Picker - Interactive Behavior Rewards
Reward your students with special surprises by using our interactive behavior reward picker!
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Caught Being Good! Class Reward System
Reward and track positive classroom behavior with a printable “Caught Being Good” ticket system.
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Out of this World Behavior - Class Reward
Motivate and reward positive classroom behavior with a reward chart that is out of this world!
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Virtual Classroom Management - Interactive Reward Charts
Track and reward extraordinary class behavior with a set of fun digital reward tracking slides.