What is a Classroom Management Plan, and Why Do You Need One?

Although many teachers have heard of classroom management plans, most still have questions:

• What is a classroom management plan? 
• Why is a classroom management plan important?
• How is a classroom management plan used?
• What does a classroom management plan look like?
• How do I create a classroom management plan?

More than just paperwork, a classroom management plan is the roadmap to a calmer, more predictable classroom.

Let’s start with the basics.

What is a Classroom Management Plan?

If you’ve ever wondered, “What is a classroom management plan,” you’re not alone. Many teachers have questions about what it looks like and how to use it effectively.

A classroom management plan is a list of strategies and expectations for students and teachers in your classroom.

Think about your toughest class for a moment. Maybe they’re the ones who just left your room, or the ones who are about to come in as soon as your lunch break is over.

A classroom management plan tells those students what your rules are, and what the consequences are if they break the rules.

Classroom management plans also remind you of the routines you use on a daily basis. When you make a classroom management plan, you will think through your day and clarify the routines students are expected to follow.

Once you know what students are expected to do, it becomes a lot easier to teach (and enforce) the rules.

Why is a Classroom Management Plan Important?

Classroom management plans benefit everyone: teachers, students, co-teachers, paras, and anyone else in your classroom during the day.

Benefits for Teachers

Teachers who use classroom management plans deal with fewer disruptions during teaching. 

Students know exactly what is expected, and consequences for not following expectations are clear and consistently enforced.

This means you can spend more of your day teaching and less time shutting down disruptive behaviors.

Of course, teachers aren’t the only ones who benefit; classroom management plans help students, too.

Benefits for Students

Students can also bring stress into the classroom – but clear, consistent routines can help them feel safe.

When students know exactly what’s expected of them, they will engage more in the learning. 

They can focus on contributing rather than guessing what you want them to do next.

Benefits for Others

If you have a co-teacher, paraprofessional, or another adult in your classroom, sharing the classroom management plan with them will make sure everyone’s on the same page. 

They won’t discipline a student for sharpening a pencil without asking, for example, if they know that routine is expected as part of your classroom management plan.

Substitutes, too, will be able to keep expectations consistent. They will be able to shut down any wide-eyed pleas that “our teacher lets us do that,” and they’ll know the exact consequences to enforce.

How to Use this Classroom Management Plan Template

Now you know what a classroom management plan is and why it’s useful. 

If you’re sold on the idea but not quite sure how to make one, this template is the perfect starting point for you.

The template comes with a partially-filled example of a classroom management plan to get you started. There’s also a 2-minute explainer video (so you can watch it during your plan period and still have time to make copies).

All told, putting together a classroom management plan like this only takes about 10 minutes.

Think about it: 10 minutes today, calmer class tomorrow.

What a Classroom Management Plan Really Is

At its core, a classroom management plan is simply clarity.

It’s a way for you to think through your day, your class, your expectations and organize your thoughts so you can explain them to others.

Making – and using – a classroom management plan consistently is like taking your vitamins: If you take them every day, you’ll prevent bigger problems later in the year.

Download your free classroom management plan template, and start tomorrow in a calm, productive classroom.