Classroom management issues are one of the main reasons for teacher burnout in the first 3-4 years of their career. I do not really know much about classroom management. I am not a teacher yet and do not have a classroom of my own. That being said, I am a substitute teacher. I have only had a few issues with discipline in the classes that I have been in. The majority of issues I have had stem from the original teacher having scantly prepared lesson plans and not holding the students accountable for their actions when they are gone from the classroom.

As a future teacher, I hope to have lesson plans for every day and built-in time for dealing with problems that may arise. I subscribe to the Murphy’s Law of teaching and planning; “If anything can happen, it will.” Some books say to never have down time or at least very little so that students won’t have idle time. “A busy student is less difficult.” I believe that students should have enough work and it should be appropriate for the grade level, topic covered, and students involved. There is no need to over-work students, but it is better to have more prepared than too little. You can always move assignments to another day.

Classroom management issues are one of the main reasons for teacher burnout in the first 3-4 years of their career. Yes, I said it twice! It is true and kind-of scary. Having specific rules and regulations that are listed and understood by students and parents alike are beneficial to classroom management. Students will maintain a decent behavioral pattern if they know what is expected of them. If the parents know what is expected of their children, they are more likely to support the teacher’s decisions with discipline issues. In addition, good and efficient classroom management skills stem from good organizational skills. Organization allows a teacher to be more confident and able to handle situations that may arise. Another technique for increased classroom management has been to build a rapport with students. If students know you and your classroom structure, they are less likely to try to take advantage of you as a teacher. Does that mean that if I am organized and plan plenty of class material, list rules and policies, and have paperwork signed by both parents and students stating the understanding of such rules mean that I will never have classroom management issues. The answer is no.
Teachers will inevitably have tough kids in their classrooms that want to empress their friends, talk when they shouldn’t, act out for attention, etc. and we must continue to manage our classrooms accordingly. Adequate preparation in effective classroom management is increasingly necessary. To protect student safety and learning environments, teachers must have effective classroom rules and procedures for student participation. Early establishment of simple rules and procedures allow quick and easy understanding and participation by students, teachers, and parents.