When I began my career in education, the current theory was “Don’t smile until December.” I tried that, and I can tell you it didn’t work. The way to manage a class isn’t to pretend to be stoic and uncaring—you need to get to know your students and learn techniques to create a positive learning environment. Both rookie and veteran teachers alike benefit from learning and relearning classroom management strategies. Here are five online resources to help you with your management techniques. I hope they can be of use to you.

• Edutopia: This site, sponsored by filmmaker George Lucas, aims to improve K-12 education and offers a variety of articles and videos covering many aspects in education. It’s a great place to hear ideas from other educators. For instance, you will find a short video that shows a simple management idea. This site is perfect for the many educators out there who are short on time but still want to learn new techniques.

• Applied Educational Systems: This article presents eight simple, doable strategies to improve a classroom setting. A few of the points are things you probably know—great reminders of what makes a classroom more efficient and inviting. But some of the other strategies are ideal for 21st century classrooms dealing with technology problems and overworked students. Even if you already know these things, this article is upbeat and offers excellent reminders on creating a positive class environment.

• National Education Association: This website has many wonderful resources to offer teachers, but the classroom management page in particular contains useful articles as well as actual lesson plans to share. Check out this site for teaching tips, including how to create positive relationships with parents, establishing routines, and emotional literacy. There are articles relating to all teaching levels that address many common class management issues. 

• Scholastic: I’m a big fan of anything put out by Scholastic. This company not only provides quality books and materials, but also offers great online resources for teachers. This particular page shares articles and blog posts about other teachers’ management strategies. The page says it’s for Pre-K through 8th grade, but there are articles that are appropriate for high school teachers, too. You’ll be surprised at the wealth of information Scholastic has to offer.

• We Are Teachers: This site may be my favorite classroom management resource of all. We Are Teachers aims to be a sort of online teacher’s lounge, offering advice and articles, sharing tips, advertising freebies, and more. In addition, there are humorous pieces to lighten your day. If you want to post a comment, you have to create an account, but everything else is free. If you want to infuse some humor into your management studies, I’d encourage you to scroll down and find the “9 Classroom Management Ideas We Can Steal From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson” article. I’m already planning ways that I will use this resource in my own classroom!

Whether you’ve been an educator for a month or for twenty years, you know the importance of classroom management. The catch is that no classroom is the same. And no school year is the same, so teachers have to keep learning, growing, and trying new things to create a healthy and positive classroom environment. I hope the resources I’ve shared help you acquire new management techniques and/or serve as great refreshers. I wish you a happy, upbeat classroom and a wonderful school year. 

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