Reframing Classroom Management: A Toolkit for Educators

TOLERANCE .ORG

Reframing Classroom Management:

A Toolkit for Educators

Eective classroom management is critical to supporting student engagement and achievement. You can

spend hours crafting a creative, engaging, standards-aligned lesson, but that lesson will be of little use if taught

in a chaotic or unsafe classroom. In a 2013 study, The New Teacher Project found that teachers identiﬁed

classroom management mistakes as the most common barrier to great teaching. In a survey administered by

Teaching Tolerance during spring 2016, over 45 percent of teachers who responded indicated that they had

wanted to leave the profession at one point because of classroom management and behavioral issues.

Educators agree that classroom management is important, but our survey revealed that few teachers are

explicitly trained beyond cursory traditional approaches (which can actually exacerbate behavior prob-

lems). This toolkit seeks to reframe classroom management by questioning the assumption that teachers

must always lead and be in control and that students must always follow. This model supports teachers in

responding to student behavior with the goal of keeping learning on track rather than keeping absolute

control. It focuses on student development instead of punishment.

We created this model—and the accompanying recommendations—with input from over 1,200 teachers

across the country.

1. Understand and Distinguish Behavior

All behavior is communication aimed at meeting a need. Although a student’s behavior may not be an ap-

propriate way for them to get their need met, they engage in it because—on some level—it works for them.

Determining the function of a behavior is essential in developing a response or intervention. Understand-

ing the reasons behind behaviors also allows teachers to focus on prevention, as opposed to punishment.

Not all behaviors call for the same response. For example, three common types of misbehavior—disre-

spect, disruption and disregard for rules (the “three Ds”)—indicate dierent needs and require dierent

intervention strategies. Properly understanding and distinguishing behaviors also reduces the likelihood

that teachers will personalize student misbehavior.

Understand

and Distinguish

Behavior

Rethink Control

and Power

Dynamics

Be Proactive

Instead of

Reactive

Respond to

the Child, Not

the Behavior

© 2016 TEACHING TOLERANCE  tolerance.org       2
2. Rethink Control and Power Dynamics
It is fairly common for adults to experience bad days and to test boundaries, but 
the expectations we place on children often don’t allow for these natural behav-
iors. Instead, we insist that young people adhere strictly to our rules and allow 
themselves to be “managed.” The term management itself is problematic because 
it relies on unbalanced power dynamics and assumes that all students are devel-
opmentally the same and capable of learning within the boundaries we’ve estab-
lished. Reframing classroom management requires an understanding of what 
is realistic to expect of the whole child based on what we know of their personal 
circumstances, the message their behavior sends and their developmental level. 
Children enter classrooms with unique personalities and challenges; these factors 
must inﬂuence educators’ assessments of how to support student success within 
the classroom community.
The term management also misplaces emphasis on training and control rather 
than collaboration with students. Responsive classrooms are shared community 
spaces where students are growth partners and leaders of their own learning. 
Research indicates that excessive control undermines student motivation and 
development and creates reluctant compliance instead of the excitement that 
comes from self-determination. 
3. Be Proactive Instead of Reactive
Reactive management strategies such as punishment have a signiﬁcant connec-
tion to elevated teacher stress and o-task student behavior. In the same way edu-
cators learn to teach academic skills, we must also learn to teach classroom-ready 
behaviors so students become self-disciplined and self-directed instead of relying 
on authority. This vision of classroom dynamics calls for preventative steps such 
as building relationships and fostering engagement rather than meting out pun-
ishment after misbehavior occurs. Simple strategies such as greeting students 
outside your classroom can have profound impacts on behavior. Positive behavior 
support is one approach to proactively nurturing classroom-ready behavior.
4. Respond to the Child, Not the Behavior
Responsive classroom management honors the whole child, respects their identities 
and experiences, and acknowledges their critical role in the classroom community. 
It also seeks to decode behavior rather than focus exclusively on power and control. 
Returning the classroom to order by any means necessary may seem desirable in the 
short term, but harsh or punitive classroom management practices actually exacer-
bate behavioral problems by fostering resentment and humiliation; they also do noth-
ing to change the environment or to address the underlying and unexpressed needs of 
the child. Research indicates students lose respect for teachers who discipline them in a 
dismissive or punitive way and are also more likely to misbehave in their classes. 
When teachers engage in dialogue with students and create spaces where it is 
safe to make mistakes and learn from them, students are better equipped to un-
derstand and regulate their emotions and improve their problem behaviors. 
This toolkit builds upon 
previous resources 
Teaching Tolerance 
has published to help 
educators shift their 
thinking about school 
discipline. For more 
information, see Code 
of Conduct and “A 
Teacher’s Guide to 
Rerouting the School-
to-Prison-Pipeline.” 

Functions and Explanations of Student Behavior

All behavior is communication. Social scientists view behaviors as serving functions or purposes. Each

student’s behavior is a puzzle educators are tasked with solving. As soon as we know the function or

purpose of a behavior, we can design interventions that teach students how to meet their needs in more

appropriate ways.

You can remember the four most common needs driving student behavior by using the acronym EATS.

Escape: Students engage in inappropriate behaviors to try to escape a task or situation they ﬁnd aversive.

Attention: Students engage in inappropriate behaviors to gain or escape attention from peers or teach-

ers. (This can include negative attention.)

Tangible gains: Students engage in inappropriate behaviors to gain access to a preferred activity or object.

Sensory needs: Students engage in inappropriate behaviors to meet a sensory or internal need that may

be dicult to detect from the outside.

STUDENT BEHAVIOR EXAMPLE POSSIBLE NEED

Distracting others,

making unnecessary

noise

Rashad is often disruptive during silent reading, making

noises that make his peers laugh.

Attention

Not listening,

not following directions

Savannah sweeps materials o her desk and stomps on

the ground each time she is asked to transition from a

work station to independent seat work.

Escape

Talking back,

being disrespectful

Each time Juan enters the classroom late and the teacher

tells him to go to the oce for a pass, Juan argues with

her, eventually calling her a “b**ch” and slamming the

door as he exits the classroom.

Attention, Escape

Physical aggression Eli struggles to make friends in class and often appears to

be “pushing the buttons” of peers. It is not uncommon for

him to push other students when in line, causing multiple

children to fall.

Tangible, Sensory

Fidgeting Chris often drums his pencil on his desk. Sometimes he

appears aware of this behavior, but other times he does

not. The noise distracts his classmates and annoys his

teacher.

Sensory

*This chart shows some common student behaviors and the needs they function to address. It is important to remember that each student

is a dynamic and complex individual and that the same behavior may indicate dierent needs in dierent students. It is up to the teacher to

determine the need and the appropriate intervention.

UNDERSTAND AND DISTINGUISH BEHAVIOR

Eight Practices to Foster Empathy

Choose empathy. Empathy is not a feeling or a predetermined character trait; it is a choice to change your

perspective. Discuss this choice with your students. Actively engage your class in an assignment like “De-

veloping Empathy” that helps them put themselves in someone else’s shoes. Engaging students in experi-

ences and circumstances dierent from their own helps them build bridges between misconception and

understanding.

Understand that respect is subjective. Have a conversation with your students about what respect means

to them. Stanford researchers found that teachers often view respect in terms of cooperation and com-

pliance, while for students, respect often means “basic recognition of your humanity.” This includes the

teacher knowing the student’s name (and pronouncing it correctly), not embarrassing them in front of

their peers and expressing interest in their perspective.

Recognize barriers to empathy. The children who need the most love often show it in the most unloving

ways. Studies by Russell A. Barkley show that students who have attention-deﬁcit/hyperactivity disorder,

for example, have underdeveloped emotional regulation, which is a barrier to social, emotional and aca-

demic success.

Explain why you are there. Show passion. Explicitly explain to students that you are there to prepare them

for their future. Don’t be afraid to tell them about your own life. Letting students in will help build their

empathy as well as a mutual, caring relationship.

Give an “I Wish My Teacher Knew” assignment. Giving students an outlet to tell you about themselves can

yield remarkable results. Students may not be comfortable sharing their thoughts in front of the class or

out loud, but they might be willing to write them down. Take time to reﬂect on what your students want

you to know and how that can inform your practice.

Model empathy. Dealing with students all day can be frustrating, especially when you are repeating the

same set of directions or reviewing rules on a daily basis. Consider the empathetic perspective, described

by Chad Donahue in “Give the Kid a Pencil,” as a means to push past frustration and toward unconditional

understanding.

Reverse the Golden Rule. Every teacher has used some version of the saying “Do unto others as you would

have them do unto you.” Rephrasing this as a question can help evoke empathy from your students (i.e.,

“How would you feel if she did that to you?”)

Incorporate immersion, problem solving, group play and collaboration. Students who work, solve problems

and play together are more likely to empathize with their classmates. Build these activities into a daily

routine to allow students optimal time to practice empathy skills.

UNDERSTAND AND DISTINGUISH BEHAVIOR

Six Phrases That Disempower Students—

and How to Flip Them

1. “I get paid regardless.”

Saying this to students communicates that you are not interested or invested in

their education. Instead, try I’m not going to give up on you, or I’m here for you

every day.

2. “You know what you did!”

Use this moment as an opportunity to explicitly and directly review and reteach

rules. Try Let’s review our rules, or I noticed that you ___. Next time ___ .

3. “If you had been paying attention, you would know!”

Students miss directions and assignments for all kinds of reasons; don’t assume

that it was for lack of caring. You can transfer the responsibility back to them by

saying, Start by asking a classmate for help. If you still need clariﬁcation, I’m here.

4. “What is wrong with you?”

Saying this to a child implies—publicly—that something is wrong with them. If

you have the urge to ask what is wrong with a child, instead try asking yourself,

What has this child been through?

5. “We always…”

Instead of using an exasperated tone, try to help the student recall the order or

routine. Helping them by saying, What do we do after we ___? to encourage them

to look for the answer on their own.

6. “In my classroom…”

A learning community that maximizes student engagement belongs to everyone,

not just the teacher. Try, I like that in our classroom, we ___ .

RETHINK CONTROL AND POWER DYNAMICS

Teacher Habits That Can Make Behavior Worse

Power struggles If you engage in a public battle with a student, you have already

lost. Some students will say or do anything to avoid defeat or humiliation in front

of their peers.

Favoritism A student who feels they have lesser status in the eyes of the teacher

will respond accordingly. Withdrawal or misbehavior is often the result of not

feeling respected or liked.

Hostile body language Children are experts in nonverbal communication. Take

an honest look at how your posture changes depending on how you’re feeling or

who you’re talking to.

Restricting recess as punishment Physical exercise reduces symptoms experi-

enced by students with attention-deﬁcit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)—yet

students with ADHD are among the most likely to have recess taken away.

Punishing entire class Holding students accountable when they were not part of

the disruption undermines mutual respect in the classroom. Arbitrarily meting

out punishment can cause students to feel insecure and distrustful.

Failing to forgive Students should be able to redeem themselves, correct their

behavior and rejoin the classroom community. Start each day new and without

judgment about the past. Starting a student’s day on “red,” for example, sends a

wordless message that you see the student as a problem and undermines their

motivation to correct their behavior.

Personalizing student behavior Student behavior is most accurately viewed as

communication about a young person’s needs, not a personal statement about an

educator’s teaching or personality.

Exempting yourself from the rules In a collaborative classroom, the rules apply to

everyone. Don’t talk on your cell phone or eat in class if these behaviors are against

the rules for students.

Making too many rules A classroom that is too rigid will demoralize students and

can even lead to rebellion. Keep the list of rules clear, broad and short.

Passing the buck Resolve as many issues as possible in your classroom. Sending

kids to the oce or another room relinquishes your power as the instructional

leader. Students need to receive the message that you care about resolving issues

within the classroom community.

HOSTILE BODY

LANGUAGE

“I had a student who

consistently showed

deﬁance and refused to

follow my rules. After

many eorts to win

him over and curb his

behavior, I called for the

AP to remove him. He

said to the AP later, ‘She

doesn’t like me.’ And I

thought about that and

found that I probably

did not greet him as

enthusiastically as I did

his classmates. I didn’t

smile at him as much

because I was always

expecting the worst.”

FAILING TO FORGIVE

“Start fresh each day

and apologize when you

are wrong.”

PERSONALIZING

STUDENT BEHAVIOR

“If you can step back

and not emotionally

react to misbehavior, it

helps immensely.”

RETHINK CONTROL AND POWER DYNAMICS

Setting low expectations Given the opportunity, students will rise to the occa-

sion. Critical engagement requires establishing rigorous standards for all stu-

dents and providing the scaolding necessary for them to succeed.

Public shaming or reprimanding Whenever possible, avoid embarrassment and

further disruption by resisting the urge to discipline a student in front of the

class. Instead, try talking one on one. If another student is the victim of the

behavior, make it known publicly that the behavior will be addressed. Consid-

er using restorative justice, which brings the victim into the discussion, allows

the other student to make amends and restores the misbehaving student to the

classroom community. (Note: Be sure to get support or training or thoroughly

research the best practices for executing restorative justice before implementing it

for the ﬁrst time.)

Teacher Habits That Support Student

Development and Success

Reﬂect on respect. Over 500 teachers in our survey mentioned the word respect

when asked about their most important classroom rules. Respect oers a strong

foundation for classroom agreements because it can apply to the physical envi-

ronment, instructional time, peer-to-peer and teacher-student interactions. Re-

spect, however, must be explicitly deﬁned and agreed upon. Student deﬁnitions

of respect often include teachers knowing their names (and pronouncing them

correctly), not speaking down to them or embarrassing them in front of their

peers, and expressing interest in their perspectives.

Consider the physical layout of the classroom. Step away from your desk and adopt a

workspace from which you can easily see students, access materials and circu-

late to dierent parts of the classroom throughout the day.

Distinguish the three Ds: disrespect, disruption and disregard for rules. Not all mis-

behavior is created equal. Dierentiate behaviors and respond accordingly.

Foster investment in the classroom culture. Strive for a classroom in which the

teacher is a facilitator and leader, not a manager. Collaborative rules and guide-

lines mean the students have input on what is important and are a part of agree-

ing to it. Consider holding regular meetings during which the classroom commu-

nity can hash out problems and ﬁnd solutions together.

Focus on the future. Who do your students want to be? Where are they going?

Call them scholars, scientists, researchers and thinkers. Adopt a college theme.

Frame discussions around future successes.

Avoid the quick ﬁx. Calling the school resource ocer to remove a student

requires less eort than working with a counselor or other support sta to keep

the student safely in class. Recognize, however, that choosing the latter option

will likely yield a more positive outcome for the student and keep them more

connected to the learning environment.

Practice inclusivity. Make sure your students know how important they are and

that all of their identities are honored in your classroom. Speak up immediately

when you witness bullying or hate speech of any kind.

Give students a variety of ways to respond. Including movement, voice and

rhythm is a cornerstone of culturally responsive teaching that improves engage-

ments and lessens discipline issues. Consider using “claps and snaps” or call-

and-response to invite engagement and interactivity.

DISTINGUISH THE

THREE DS

“Build a community

and be a part of the

community, not just

the dictator.”

“Good discipline is more

than just punishing or

laying down the law.

It is liking children and

letting them see that

they are liked. It is caring

enough about them to

provide good, clear rules

for their protection.”

DR. STANLEY GREENSPAN

PRACTICE INCLUSIVITY

“Our classroom has no

place for hate.”

GIVE STUDENTS A

VARIETY OF WAYS

TO RESPOND

“I include movement,

music, dance, partner

work and other very

engaging activities in

my class to help meet

the physical and psy-

chological needs of

my students.”

BE PROACTIVE INSTEAD OF REACTIVE

Focus on development instead of punishment. Become a warm demander.

Students have the most respect for teachers they can trust but who also hold

them to high standards.

Dierentiate. Teaching styles and student personalities vary too much for one-

size-ﬁts-all approaches.

Reinforce positive behavior. Rather than praising the students themselves, praise

their classroom-ready work and behavior. Be speciﬁc (“Good job ﬁnding your

seat quickly.” “Thank you for sharing your crayons.”) and abundant. Oer tan-

gible rewards (a prize like a sticker or pencil, or a privilege like extra free time).

Rewards can be used for individual or group behavior and may be phased out

over time as students’ behaviors improve.

Plan classroom transitions. Student engagement and on-task behaviors can be

inﬂuenced by how smoothly and eciently teachers move from one learning ac-

tivity to another. Prepare students with predictable routines and explicitly teach

each step—multiple times if necessary. Many students need as much support

learning behavioral skills as they do learning academic skills.

Examine your biases. Whether we’re aware of it or not, teachers are more likely to

invoke negative stereotypes if the misbehaving student is a person of color than

if the student is white. LGBT, class and ability biases also aect perceptions of

behavior and the ensuing responses.

FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENT

INSTEAD OF PUNISHMENT

“Be kind. Imagine

every child is your child.

How would you hope

your child is spoken to,

treated and cared for at

school?”

DIFFERENTIATE

“Figure out what makes

students tick. Get to

know them individually

and what they dream

about. Then, use the

things they dream and

care about to teach

them and motivate

them.”

REINFORCE POSITIVE

BEHAVIOR

“Sometimes we talk to

kids and we tell them,

‘You act a certain way,’

but we don’t help them

see and learn, ‘What

does that look like?

What does an active lis-

tener look like? What do

your legs look like when

you’re learning? What

are your arms doing?

How is your posture?

Where are your eyes?’”

Six Steps to Stronger Student-Teacher

Relationships

1. Show you care with the ﬁrst assignment. An early assignment in any classroom

should involve explicitly getting to know each other—collages for writing jour-

nals, math graphs of home life, favorite items, ice-breakers, photos, decorating

the classroom with personal drawings.

2. Greet students at the door. Say “good morning” to each student. Develop a

class handshake or greeting. Smile. Set a positive tone for the day.

3. Interact with students outside the classroom. Sharing non-academic experi-

ences can help you and your students see each other as whole people. Eat lunch

together. Take them on a trip. Watch their sporting or extracurricular events.

Attend community events in their neighborhoods.

4. Listen. What are your students saying—and what are they not saying? From

the intricately detailed stories of some students to the quiet silence of others,

listening to the message and reading between the lines will tell you a lot about

them.

5. Know your allies and involve them. Invite families into the classroom and

ask for their help, support and suggestions. If your school oers wraparound

services or if a similar collaborative team exists, work with them to create and

implement plans that will help students to be successful.

6. Model humility and fallibility. We are all human and we are all fallible. There are

times when we will react to students in ways we wish we hadn’t. It’s OK to tell

your students that you’ve made a mistake and that you will try to do better. This

will help them to know that it’s OK for them to make mistakes as well.

KNOW YOUR ALLIES AND

INVOLVE THEM

“Contact parents for the

good as well as the bad.”

MODEL HUMILITY

AND FALLIBILITY

“Teachers have a hard

time saying when they

are wrong to students

and not realizing the

value of how much [it]

would help their rela-

tionship building with

students to say, ‘You

know what? I thought

about it. I really handled

that situation poorly.’”

BE PROACTIVE INSTEAD OF REACTIVE

Six Ways to Redirect Classroom Disruption

1. Refocus the energy. Instead of pausing your teaching to reprimand, ask the

misbehaving student to answer a lesson-related question. This gets the student

back on task and keeps the pace of the lesson moving forward without taking the

focus o academics

2. Give students a break. Have a disruptive student take a physical break or a

break from the current assignment. Ask the student to move seats and or give

them a special responsibility or errand.

3. Give non-verbal cues. Eye contact and body language are eective nonverbal

communication tools—if handled with sensitivity. A gentle hand on a desk, a

silent tally on group points, catching a student’s eye and circulating throughout

the classroom all have the power to help students refocus and stay on task. Open,

non-threatening body language tells students you are calm, in control of the

class and mean to be taken seriously, but also that you see them, care about them

and want them to do better. Be sensitive to the ways in which dierent cultures

view eye contact and physical proximity between adults and children.

4. Address the disruption quickly and quietly. Get the class focused on another

task and pull the student to the side. Start with a question that is not accusa-

tory, like “It looks like you may have a question,” or “What’s up?” Then remind

the student of the rules and assignment, and direct them back to work with an

expectation. If a student is engaging in the behavior to seek attention, drawing

focus away from the behavior will likely cause it to stop.

5. O er kinesthetic movement options. Many students (and adults) beneﬁt from

some sort of kinesthetic movement while listening to instructions. If a student is

squirming or making noise, hand them a stress-ball, a ﬁdget cube, Velcro or other

sensory stimulus to reduce their desire to “ﬁdget” and help them stay on task.

6. Give anonymous reminders. “We are just waiting on two scholars to take their seats”

GIVE NON-VERBAL CUES

“Sometimes eye contact

or proximity is all a

student needs.”

OFFER KINESTHETIC

MOVEMENT OPTIONS

“I have a basket of

‘ﬁdget widgets’ that

my kids can choose

one item from to keep

in their hands to keep

them busy/occupied as

they listen.”

RESPOND TO THE CHILD, NOT THE BEHAVIOR

Eight Alternatives to Classroom Removal

1. Schedule a one-on-one conversation. By having a quiet, uninterrupted time for

discussion you can not only address the behavior with the student, but also give

them the opportunity to talk about their frustrations or other issues that may be

aecting their behavior.

2. Call home. Pull the student to the side or meet with them individually. Make

time to call the family together and explain the behavior as well as the conse-

quence. Make sure you have a previous relationship with parents and are sensi-

tive to their work schedules when calling.

3. Send a “next-time” message. Frame your response in a manner that corrects

student behavior without shame or discouragement. Remind students what to

do next time instead of focusing on what they just did. “Next time, come talk to

me about the problem you are having with a classmate.”

4. Oer time for mindfulness. Teach students how to calm down, breathe and

focus their energy. Learning these skills will help students reﬂective on their

behavior and be prepared to re-engage with the classroom and the content. Mind-

fulness can be done in a safe space like a classroom peace table or as part of a daily

routine. Some schools have a special room devoted to mindfulness and use it as an

alternative to detention.

5. Oer in-school or community service. Involve the student in making their

school a better place. Draw the connection between themselves and the larger

school community by having them participate in school improvement, helping

the janitorial crew or mentoring a younger student.

6. Remove privileges. Instead of taking away recess, try removing a privilege such

as school social time or participation in a class party. Work with parents to create a

home-school connection so that the student sees their teacher and their family as a

united front when it comes to losing privileges and earning them back.

7. Try restorative justice. If a student’s misbehavior targets another student or

harms the larger class, create the opportunity for the targeted student(s) to vocal-

ize how the behavior aected them and for the oending student to make amends.

(Note: Be sure to get support or training or thoroughly research the best practices

for executing restorative justice before implementing it for the ﬁrst time.)

8. Refer to mental health or support services. Find out who provides mental health

services at your school. If these services aren’t available, ﬁnd out what resources

the district or the community has to oer. Let families know you are available to

help formulate treatment goals related to behaviors you’ve witnessed at school.

SCHEDULE A ONE-ON-

ONE CONVERSATION

“Know your students.

Pick your battles. Cor-

rect students privately,

or at least quietly.”

RESPOND TO THE CHILD, NOT THE BEHAVIOR