Top 10 Classroom Management Tips for Maintaining Order and Creating Effective Lessons that Every Primary School Teacher Should Know

To maintain classroom order, never give students time to chat or do personal tasks. This means teachers must keep a close watch. For example, during a math lesson, if a student is talking, the teacher can ask that student a question from a previous lesson. Especially for higher-grade students like those in grades 3, 4, and 5, there is plenty of content to question them about. Asking questions related to the lesson encourages critical thinking and leaves no time for distractions.

Being loved by teachers is an essential factor in motivating students to engage positively in their studies. However, if that affection is shown inappropriately or at the wrong time, it can make students feel that favoritism is at play. In a classroom of several dozen students, it’s understandable that teachers may give more attention to well-behaved, high-achieving students. Conversely, teachers may not show as much affection towards students who are misbehaving or disobedient. Children can perceive their teacher's attitudes and feelings towards them, and for those who receive more attention, it might bring joy but also create selfishness, leading them to think of themselves as the 'center.' This can lead to disrespectful behavior towards peers, believing they are protected. On the other hand, students who feel neglected may experience sadness, anxiety, and a loss of self-confidence. They may even develop jealousy towards their peers. Ultimately, this imbalance can diminish their enthusiasm for class, resulting in more disruptions and off-task behavior.

It’s important to remember that students can easily distinguish between fair and unfair treatment, so teachers must ensure they treat every student equally to earn their respect.

"If the class is noisy, the teacher earns points, and if the class behaves well, they earn points. Sometimes, specific students can be singled out, and points may be deducted for the whole class or group because of one student’s behavior. The pressure from peers will motivate the troublemaker to follow the rules." This is a classroom management tip from a teacher who learned this method through experience. It encourages each student to take responsibility for the whole class. On one hand, it discourages talking and disruptive behavior, while on the other hand, it fosters a sense of responsibility to prevent the entire class or group from being affected by one individual's actions.

Weekly rewards can include simple school supplies like pencils, ink, chalk, rulers, erasers, colored pencils, and paper, but these should be framed as an honor: “This reward is for students who have shown great effort (received many positive points or demonstrated good behavior) during the week. I hope everyone will work hard so that next week, you can earn a prize.”

At the end of the month, students can vote or select peers who have shown the most effort over the past four weeks, and those students can receive larger rewards, such as a soccer ball, books, stories, or fountain pens.

No matter what, the best way to keep students engaged and prevent disruptions is to make the lesson interesting. Sometimes a short story related to the lesson can captivate the students, with the teacher managing the lesson well and keeping an eye on the whole class, without becoming too focused on the lesson plan. It's important to remind students right away if they're not paying attention, and address specific students by name. For example:

• When students are doing exercises, the teacher walks around the classroom, observing and providing guidance to each student (if necessary). The teacher may also stop and assist the whole class.
• When students are working in groups, the teacher observes to ensure no one is idle. Some assignments may differentiate based on student levels.
• Not all lessons require students to sit quietly and listen. Some activities can involve cooperation and discussion. It’s not necessary for students to remain seated and still throughout the entire lesson. Occasionally, teachers can incorporate games, such as active games at the beginning of the class or light games during breaks to help students relax.

"Everything depends on the teacher... Especially with elementary students, the success of the 99% class is determined by the teacher," a teacher remarked when asked how to maintain order and effectiveness in lessons. So, what should teachers do and how should they approach it? In summary, here are some key points:

• The way of speaking is crucial; poor communication affects the class.
• Handwriting also plays a significant role.
• Non-verbal communication must be precise, engaging, and appropriate.
• The teacher’s movement should be correct and purposeful.
• Interactions with students should be gentle and encouraging, even when students answer incorrectly. The teacher should avoid criticizing directly, instead making students feel positive and motivated to continue speaking, even when they are wrong.
• If students are distracted or chatting, 80% of the time it's due to the teacher's approach. In these cases, the teacher should approach the student, speak louder, and not remind the student directly. Other students will naturally prompt them. When the student refocuses, the teacher should show special attention, possibly by incorporating their name into a lesson story. This approach will undoubtedly succeed, no matter how difficult the student may seem to be.

In conclusion, teachers need to be skilled, learning the old saying (learning to eat, speak, wrap, and open), and adapt to the age and needs of the students.

• Identify the causes of classroom disruption.
• Instead of shouting, empathize with the students. Listen to what they want.
• Organize a small game on responsibility, then explain the negative consequences of disruption to the students.
• Ask the students how disruption affects the class. Let them answer. Then, ask them: What should we do in this situation? They will share their thoughts, and you can agree on a solution together. Set rules that everyone follows for a smooth classroom experience.
• Each week, review issues of disruption, celebrate improvements, and discuss further solutions for those who break the rules.
• The teacher must be a role model for students to follow.

• Students who repeatedly talk to each other and disturb classmates: Punished by sitting alone at the front of the class for a few days.
• Students involved in fights: Punished by doing joint community service or cleaning duties.
• Students who fail to complete their homework: Punished by memorizing and presenting their work to the class.
• Students causing disruptions in class: Punished by apologizing to each classmate.
• Students using inappropriate language: Punished by standing and bowing while apologizing 20 times.
• Students insulting teachers: Invite parents for a meeting, praise the student first, then address the offense, making the student feel embarrassed and self-motivated to apologize.
• Students with poor grades: Punished by copying notes repeatedly.
• Students skipping class to play video games: Punished by doing cleaning duties before and after class, and copying the missed lessons.

• When the teacher raises their hand to their mouth, we should all be quiet. Can you do that?
• When the teacher taps a ruler on the table, we should all look at the board.
• ...
  
  

• Listen with your ears
• Look at the speaker
• Keep your mouth closed
• Stay still
• Don’t play with objects
  
  

Many teachers complain, 'I’ve shouted until I’m hoarse, but none of the students are listening.' Why is this happening? Simply put, it’s because you may not know how to grab their attention. Instead of yelling at students to be quiet, try staying silent yourself to capture their focus. In this approach, if students are being loud, the teacher remains silent and doesn’t continue the lesson. Once the class quiets down, the teacher resumes. The teacher should set a waiting time, and any lost teaching time should be made up at the end of the lesson. Look directly at the students talking, wait for them to stop, or call them out by name to remind them. Appoint the students who often disrupt the class to the role of class monitor. Ask them to stand up and point out other students who are talking during the lesson.

When teachers speak or lecture, students should listen to understand and absorb knowledge. Similarly, when students speak or present, teachers must also listen to understand the feedback from students. For example:

• When the teacher is delivering a lesson and student A is being disruptive, the teacher may invite that student to take over the lecture (this serves as a reminder that the principle of "the speaker must have an audience" is being violated). Student A will then stop talking. If student A agrees to take over the lecture, the teacher will ask the class: 'Would you prefer me to continue the lesson, or would you like student A to take over?' Naturally, the students will answer that they want the teacher to continue. The teacher will then turn to student A and say: 'Everyone wants me to continue the lesson, and I believe you would agree, right?' Student A will understand and stop talking. The teacher may only need to address this once. In future disruptive situations, the teacher can simply ask: 'Who wants to take over the lesson today?' and the students will automatically return to order.
• When the teacher asks students to work individually and some students are being disruptive, the teacher can remind them: 'I commend those who are focused and finishing their tasks quickly and accurately. Those who are talking while working need to concentrate immediately, or they will run out of time.'