Taking Back Control: Veteran Classroom Management Strategies That Work

Classroom management isn’t about posters or pep talks. If you’re reading this, chances are your class is already slipping out of control, and you need tools that work right now. After more than 20 years in the classroom, I can tell you this: students want structure, they need it, and if you don’t provide it, they’ll create their own.

Here are proven strategies you can implement tomorrow to regain control of your classroom and get back to teaching.

1. Establish Clear Rules and Enforce Them Immediately

Students need to know where the lines are, and they need to see you enforce them every single time. Don’t wait, don’t bargain, don’t debate.

• Write 3–5 rules on the board (keep them simple: Be respectful. Be prepared. Follow directions.).

• The first time someone breaks one, address it directly. The second time, enforce the consequence you’ve already stated.

As Harry Wong put it in The First Days of School: “The number one problem in the classroom is not discipline; it is the lack of procedures and routines.”

Establishing new, clear rules will take time, sometimes a few hours, sometimes a few days. In the beginning, your discipline system and structure must take priority over curriculum. While this may feel like lost instructional time, it’s not. You’re investing time to create a system that will pay you back tenfold. Once your expectations are firmly in place, your class will run smoother, your teaching will be more effective, and you’ll regain every minute you spent laying the groundwork.

2. Control the Room With Your Presence

You don’t need to yell, you need to own the space. Move constantly. Stand where the trouble is, not at the front of the room. Use eye contact and silence to signal authority.

I once had a mentor tell me, “Your feet are your best classroom management tool.” Walk toward the disruption, stand there, and keep teaching. Nine times out of ten, the behavior will stop.

3. Tighten Up Transitions

Chaos breeds in downtime. If you’re losing them between activities, that’s where discipline slips.

• Give crystal-clear directions before the transition: “When I say go, you have 30 seconds to put away your book, get out your pencil, and open to page 12.”

• Use a timer. Hold them accountable when they don’t make it.

• Practice transitions like you would practice a difficult passage of music.

Students respect teachers who don’t waste their time.  When I was in college we were required to transition to a new activity every 10-15 minutes which meant the average secondary class period had at least 3 transitions.  Moving quickly and quietly was essential to truly teaching bell to bell.  This in my experience is the one place that most teachers lose the most time, and attention.

4. Don’t Talk Over Students—Ever

If you start teaching while students are talking, you’ve lost. Stop. Wait. And don’t resume until you have 100% attention.

It may feel awkward at first, but silence is powerful. I’ll often say quietly, “I’ll wait until you're done.” Eventually, the students will correct each other to get you moving again.  Some teachers like hand signals, or call and response phrases, but I prefer standing in silence, controlling the room with my presence.  Students know the expectations, and understand both them and I are in the room to get work done.

5. Follow Through on Consequences Every Time

Empty threats destroy your credibility. If you say, “Next time, you’ll move seats,” then when “next time” comes, you move them.

Marzano’s research is clear: consistent enforcement of rules is one of the most effective strategies for classroom management. Students may not like it, but they will respect it.

6. Start Fresh Tomorrow, But Don’t Forget Yesterday

If today was rough, tomorrow is your chance to reset. Start class with confidence and structure, but don’t pretend yesterday didn’t happen.

You might say: “Yesterday got away from us. That can’t happen again. Here’s how today is going to work.” Students actually appreciate knowing that you’re steering the ship.

7. Build Positive Momentum Once Control is Established

Discipline isn’t the end goal—it’s the foundation. Once you’ve reestablished order, find ways to highlight success. Praise the behaviors you want repeated: “I like how this row is ready to go.” But remember, praise only works once rules are enforced. Students won’t buy it otherwise.

As my first principal always told me: “Fair isn’t always equal. Fair is giving every student what they need to succeed. And sometimes what they need first is boundaries.”

Final Thoughts

If your classroom feels out of control, don’t despair. The truth is, every veteran teacher has been there. The difference is that we don’t stay there—we take action. Tighten routines, enforce rules without hesitation, and use your presence to send the message:

This is a place for learning.

When you do, students will respond. They may not thank you today, but they will respect you tomorrow.