Take a look at our five incredible classroom management techniques with Elevate Supply. Perfect for educators who wish to feel prepared and alert at all times! 

Stepping into a classroom as a supply teacher can feel like a really exciting challenge. However, it can also feel a little daunting! Here at Elevate Supply, we know it can be overwhelming when you’re constantly adapting to a new environment, meeting unfamiliar students, managing behaviour and keeping everything running smoothly.

The good news is, with the right strategies, you can quickly build rapport, establish authority and create a positive learning experience for students.

But Elevate Supply, I need some tips to do this! 

That’s why we’ve come up with this excellent guide of effective classroom management techniques. Here at Elevate Supply, we wish to make things as easy as possible for supply teachers and educational institutions. Whether this is by providing handy pieces of advice that can enhance your teaching experiences or by recommending handy tips on how to use our platform to help you find work, we’re here to help. 

We are passionate about providing our users with loads of important information to consider when it comes to exploring career options with a supply teaching agency.

So, without further ado, let’s get into five upbeat and effective classroom management techniques to help you shine in any educational setting. 

Begin with a warm introduction and set expectations immediately.

First impressions matter! Once you’ve familiarised yourself with the classroom and the learning environment, make sure to greet the students with warmth and kindness. A friendly and confident start will set the tone for a respectful and engaging day. Let students know you’re excited to be there and explain what they can expect from the day ahead. You may wish to share a fun fact about yourself or complete a quick “What’s my favourite….?” activity! 

Connecting with students is a great way to show to them that you’re there to help them and you’re engaged in their learning. You could write down a few prompts on the board, such as “What’s my favourite film?” or “What’s my favourite food?” and ask students to explain their choices. A quick five minute activity like this can break the ice between you and your students, which can encourage them to feel comfortable in your learning space. 

Make sure to also set expectations immediately. Employ a no-nonsense approach from the start, so students are aware that they should treat you as they would with their full-time teacher, or any other educator. Students thrive on structure, so make sure to lay down your rules from the beginning.  

Whether it’s raising hands to speak, staying seated during instructions or respecting each other’s space, make the rules clear and simple. 

Get students involved by creating a quick “Classroom Contract.” Ask them to suggest a few rules that make a class run smoothly, then write them on the board and have everyone agree to follow them. When students have a say, they’re more likely to cooperate!

Let’s go onto our next handy classroom management technique. 

Add some music into the learning environment! 

According to Masha Godkin, “Music activates both the left and right brain at the same time, and the activation of both hemispheres can maximise learning and improve memory!” 

Music can be an amazing motivator for students. Once students have demonstrated that they can complete their work sensibly and independently, create a one minute brain break in the classroom for students to listen to some tunes. Set clear guidelines, such as making sure to have appropriate lyrics and a popular genre that everyone will enjoy, and see how quickly they may work to earn the privilege! 

Top Tip - We’d advise you to add some music into the session once students have worked for a little while and demonstrated that they are willing to work hard! If you offer the music initially, they may see your leniency as something to take advantage of and they won’t have to work hard for the privilege. Whereas, if they complete a task to the best of their abilities, they will see the music as a lovely reward.

Create a “What’s next?” board. 

Supply teachers often face challenges when students constantly ask "What are we doing next?" For some students, having a change in their school routine, such as having a supply teacher, can be a little disorientating or confusing, so they may feel more reliant on you to explain every single task to them. Although this is absolutely fine, being asked repeatedly can take your attention away from the subject matter or it may distract you. 

A simple solution is to write the schedule on the board with checkboxes. As each task is completed, tick them off together—this keeps students focused and on track! You could even ask students to rate their task out of ten, in terms of difficulty, and perhaps ask them to summarise what they learnt in 30 words or less. 

They could also write down key words from the task or suggest new tasks that they may find useful. Completing mini consolidation activities can encourage students to distil their knowledge and they also serve as a good progress tracker for educators, as you’ll be able to feed this information back to their full-time teacher! 

If these classroom management techniques are sounding good so far, read on for more…

Stay as adaptable as possible. 

Every classroom has its own rhythm and dynamic. Whether this is defined by how students interact with each other, their daily routines, how the class is structured or perhaps even their timetables, it’s essential for you to observe how students perform and adapt accordingly. You don’t want students to feel like they have been disrupted by the change in routine and you should enhance their learning experience. 

Make sure to take advantage of anything their regular teacher has left, such as notes or routines, and follow them closely to maintain consistency. If you haven’t been provided with this kind of information, you could ask their teaching assistant or even ask students themselves. This will give them a sense of responsibility and hopefully the day will run smoothly with their recommendations!

Not only this, but disengaged students are more likely to misbehave, so if you feel like your session isn’t engaging students, it’s important to be able to adapt to enhance the learning experience. Incorporate movement, group activities and interactive discussions. A short brain break, like a stretching exercise or a quick game, can help refocus their attention and keep them alert! 

Make sure to use positive reinforcement when you’re approaching classroom management. Rather than focusing on what students shouldn’t do, emphasise and reward good behaviour. So, if students have been helpful and listened attentively, praise them and make sure they’re aware that you’re impressed with their behaviour. You could even introduce a simple reward system that could lead to a fun activity at the end of class. 

Create a compliment circle. 

End the lesson on a positive note! Have students share a compliment about a classmate’s behaviour or effort during the lesson. This fosters kindness and leaves everyone feeling great before they leave. Research suggests compliments and praise may help us when it comes to learning new motor skills and behaviours. Being in the habit of giving compliments helps us notice and appreciate what's good and what we like in those around us. 

If you need some inspiration on how to begin the compliment circle, or if you’re on the lookout for more classroom management techniques, we’ve got amazing news for you.

You can get access to a FREE Twinkl Ultimate Membership when you work with Elevate Supply at least once a month for access to top-quality resources to make life in the classroom easier. So, you will always be able to instantly download excellent activities from one of the global leaders in Ed-Tech publishing. 

To get the compliment circle going, you may wish to use a wonderful Twinkl resource, such as the Giving Positive Compliments Prompt Cards. These amazing cards have been created to support students in giving compliments to each other. They can be used in many different situations to encourage students to verbalise their kindness. 

And there we have it! Five fantastic classroom management techniques that will help you to think outside of the box and manage behaviour successfully. 

Here at Elevate Supply, we believe that taking a few moments to engage with students personally also makes a huge difference. 

Ask about their favourite subjects, what they enjoy outside of school, what they might be up to at the weekend. When students feel connected to you, they’re more likely to respect you and stay engaged.

Remember - not every class will go perfectly, and that’s okay! Stay adaptable and maintain a positive mindset. If a lesson isn’t working, tweak it on the spot. If students are having an off day, acknowledge it and adjust accordingly. Your enthusiasm and resilience will set the tone for the class. That’s why classroom management techniques are also extremely helpful, as you’ll feel more prepared and more alert with these tricks up your sleeve. 

Being a supply teacher is an adventure—one where every day is different and filled with learning opportunities, both for you and the wonderful students you will meet along the way. 

By staying prepared, positive and flexible, you’ll not only manage the classroom effectively but also leave a lasting impact. So step into that classroom with confidence and have fun making a difference! 

With the help of Elevate Supply and Twinkl, we hope to help as many supply teachers as we can. Whether this is by providing handy classroom management techniques or helping you find a suitable and sustainable job role, we are dedicated to creating a sustainable and fulfilling career for educators!