Self-Management 💝

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 June 28, 2022



       Classroom management is such a strong focus. So many teachers are looking for the answer on how to run or manage their classroom. It continues to amaze me how much focus there is on telling students exactly how to behave. We tell them how to line up. We tell them how to get to their seat. It’s exhausting!

Now, someone is already disagreeing with me. And that’s ok! At the end of the day, these children are humans. They are just like you and me. How many of us want to be told how to walk or sit or stand? It makes sense to have structure, but there is a difference in structure and control. 

This past year, I truly enjoyed giving my students freedom. It was AMAZING! Yes, we need to model and give students expectations on the best way to succeed within the classroom. But I want to give them an opportunity to be themselves.

Let’s flip the switch… it’s not that I don’t want classroom management. It’s that I want students to build and have self management… even at the elementary level… even in a first grade or kindergarten classroom. By giving students the opportunity to self-manage, the students have a chance to be a better person tomorrow than they were today. 

So what does it look like to give students self-management?! The teacher models how to keep the room safe and respectful like pushing chairs in to keep others safe. Then, teacher allows students to line up or move to the carpet without a step by step instruction. It’s the idea of trusting the students to safely move from one place to the next. There is only praise given, not correction. When a student is unsafe, friends can help them out or they may notice others and self-correct. It’s a great opportunity for students to step up as leaders and leads to more social awareness. 

I know it sounds crazy, but the freedom creates such independence for children and allows them to be more than they realized they could be. 



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