Without Great Classroom Management, Great Teaching is Not Possible

Classroom management might be the least talked about tool in the successful teacher’s toolbox — but it’s absolutely essential. At Success Academy, we’ve always believed that a well-managed classroom sets the stage for excellent teaching and higher levels of learning. A novice educator might feel that such a classroom is out of reach, but as classroom management guru Michael Linsin shows us, it’s actually very simple. 

In his wonderful book The Classroom Management Secret (based on the first 45 posts on his blog), Linsin explains that great classroom management comes down to “creating a classroom your students love being a part of combined with an unwavering commitment to accountability.” What does he mean by an unwavering commitment to accountability? Again, it’s very simple: Teachers must have a crystal clear plan for routines, rules, and consequences, and stick to this plan with utter fidelity and consistency. 

As a leader of 45 schools and 1,500 educators, nothing excites me more than people who are able to boil down what seem like hopelessly complex instructional processes to their essence, and I have become an ardent fan of Michael’s work. Not only did I make The Classroom Management Secret required reading for every school SA staff member, but the principles it describes are now the foundation of our re-designed classroom management training for teachers. 

Over the summer, Michael agreed to spend some time working with our Assistant Principals, and I was thrilled to have the chance to probe him further about how teachers can actually take charge of the classroom — and unlock joy in the process. For the teachers out there who are struggling with student behavior, I urge you to read his book. In the meantime, I am delighted to share with you an edited excerpt of our conversation. 

You have a tremendous knack for boiling classroom management down to its essence, which is, as you put it, really about preventing disruption. How did you come up with that phrase? 

Every student has the right to learn and to enjoy being in my classroom. As a teacher, it’s my job to protect that right and to safeguard my own freedom to teach. Disruption is a simple word and we all know what it means — and classroom management is simply making sure that we’re blocking disruption so that kids can learn and teachers can teach. 

I came up with that way of describing classroom management by answering parents’ questions. I’ve actually never had a parent complain about this in all my years of teaching. At the start of the school year, I always get questions about the expectations that I set for my classroom. Parents sometimes have concerns that I’m going to be a strict teacher and what that will mean for their students. It gives me the chance to explain that I’m making space for learning — and for enjoyment. Who can argue with that? 

Another of your phrases that I love is "the gift of truth." Could you explain what that is, and what role it plays in successfully managing a classroom? 

I believe in transparency and telling kids where they stand all the time. They should know why we have the rules in the class, why we’re doing this, and why we’re learning something. I really believe in selling the why; being upfront — no secrets. When teachers are honest, it helps kickstart that intrinsic motivation engine in the students. 

How important is consistency and routine in making classroom management work? 

When you treat a student like everyone else in the class and they have the same set of rules and standards — and they're not put under behavior contracts — then they start behaving like everyone else. They start believing in themselves. It might seem counterintuitive, but routines also banish boredom. Kids start to feel purpose-driven: "Okay, this is what I have to do. I know what I need to do to be successful doing it." I also believe in a lot of freedom — we’re not talking about creating classroom soldiers here. You can have them enter the room, put a little piece of tape on the ground, and tell them they can do their own unique dance before crossing the line and going to sit down. They just need to be crystal clear on what’s expected, and routines help with that. 

You say that being in the classroom should be the ultimate reward. Why is it so important to create that kind of environment for learning? 

My goal has always been for students to run home and say, “I love my teacher, and I love my class.” The beauty of successful classroom management is that it ultimately shifts the responsibility — and the ownership — to the students. That allows teachers to fall in love with the job; it’s so much more fun, easier, and rewarding when the kids are driving their own success. Classroom management is all about asking yourself: What needs to happen to protect the rights of my students to learn and enjoy being in my class, and to protect my freedom to teach and have fun and be goofy and enjoy being a teacher?

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