Erin here, from Creating & Teaching! Today I’m going to share some classroom behavior management tools and strategies for success that I use in my classroom. Don’t worry, these behavior strategies don’t have anything to do with a color clip chart.

I use a color clip chart in my classroom and I went one year without one, then it came back, but there is so much more to management than a simple clip! I know, you’re a teaching pro—you don’t need me to tell you that! BUT, I hope that I can share some new ideas and strategies with you.

1. Use Footprint Guidelines to Establish Boundaries

One of my most favorite ideas that I started a few months into my first year teaching is taping down footprint accents to the floor at the sink. Most likely your anxiety levels are slightly elevated just like mine and most likely you want your students to have great sensory experiences in pre-k, so you let them finger paint. Then the moment comes when they have to wash their hands. You’re sweating bullets hoping no one decides to give a “love tap” to the person in front of them to hurry up. That’s where the footprint accents come in.

By taping the footprint accents down in front of the sink you give your students behavior management guidelines and boundaries while they wait. They know where they need to be. Not too close to the person in front of them and not standing next to the person who currently is using the sink. For my classroom, three sets are the magic number. Maybe your number is four, or five. Footprint set one will typically need to be replaced about halfway through the school year. Then a little before the end of the year, maybe set number two. Set number three always makes it to the end—for me.

2. Spot Markers with Student Names are Ideal for Lining Up

Up next are spot markers. Most commonly found amongst your P.E. teachers or hanging out in your gym, but these babies are more than welcome in my classroom!

I add each student’s name and I use spot markers for lining up. If you don’t have spot markers you can easily use circle accents and add double-sided tape on the bottom. Now, I teach a small class size of special needs preschoolers so I’m not dropping (and then later picking up) 20+ spot markers every time we leave the room. At max, I’m probably picking up 8. Again, these have the same purpose as the feet. They provide boundaries. The students know where they are supposed to be while they are waiting for the rest of their friends to line up. I discussed a little more in detail our line-up procedures over on my blog, {here}.

3. Sand Timers are Perfect for a Smooth, Quiet Transition, without Alarming Students

And last but not least, sand timers. I know you’re thinking—“Lady, do you live under a rock? Those things are digital now!” That is true. I use digital timers a lot, even the ones that only vibrate. However, I also have students who get alarmed when they pick up on the sound of the vibrating timers. There are times when I don’t want the students to hear the timer. Only I, or my classroom paras, need to know when time is up. That is why I love sand timers to help with time and behavior management. They are perfect for just that! This particular one is jumbo in size and is for 1 minute. I splurged on this big one, but quickly realized I needed more of them in other time increments.

Do you use any of these classroom behavior management tools in your own classroom? Or have similar ideas we all need to hear about? Leave a comment; I’d love to stop back by to read your ideas! If you want to stay up to date with MY classroom ideas, don’t forget to follow my blog, Creating & Teaching.