Mid-Year Classroom Management: Hope, Reassurance, and (Possibly) a Few Solutions 

For many new teachers, establishing a positive classroom environment at the beginning of the year feels manageable. The real challenge often comes later, in maintaining that culture throughout a long school year.

If you’re ready for a mid-year reset on classroom management, we’re here to help!

The strategies below won’t magically eliminate challenging behaviors.  However, when these ideas are used together, you should begin to see a reduction in your stress levels and a calmer classroom environment.

9 Mid-Year Classroom Management Strategies

1. Make it your daily goal to stay calm.

Repeated disruptions or disrespectful behavior wear on all of us; that stress often leads to angry outbursts.  Don’t beat yourself up if you’ve recently lost your cool in class – it’s human nature.  But losing your temper almost always makes a situation worse.

First, when the teacher gets angry, the classroom culture is negatively impacted.  Raising your voice escalates conflict and can even invite students to push back. At the very least, your outburst becomes a story students laugh about with their friends after class.

Second, getting angry takes a physical toll on you.  When a teacher engages in a stress response, known as “fight or flight”, it leads to a rapid increase in heart rate, muscle tension, and fatigue.  

Staying calm won’t make teaching easy, but it can prevent the crushing end-of-the-day fatigue that makes teachers question whether they can keep going.  

2. Establish a mantra.

One way to stay calm is to establish a go-to mantra that you resort to when addressing misbehavior.

A mantra serves two purposes. First, it gives you something automatic to say, reducing the chance of an emotional reaction. Second, a mantra provides students with a predictable signal that their behavior needs to change.

Your mantra should be:

• • Short and easy to repeat
  • Neutral in tone
  • Focused on expectations, not character

Examples include:

• • “That’s not the expectation.”
  • “Please reset.”
  • “Try that again.”
  • “This isn’t the time.”
  • “We’re getting off track.”

The key is consistency.  When you use your mantra, say it without sarcasm or added commentary. (Practice in the mirror, in your car, wherever.) Over time, students begin to recognize the phrase as a cue to self-correct, often without further intervention. 

3. Understand that student behavior is rarely about you.

Student behavior can feel extremely personal.  In most cases, it isn’t.

Students bring their own experiences, stressors, and even trauma into the classroom.  Not only that, but students are experiencing the typical emotional and cognitive development that comes with being young.

While it’s reasonable to expect all students to focus and engage, that expectation isn’t always realistic. 

Trauma, in particular, can present as defiance, withdrawal, or disruption. Understanding this doesn’t excuse the behavior, but it can help you respond with perspective rather than frustration.

If you’re interested in reading more, check out “How Trauma Affects Kids In School” from the Child Mind Institute. 

4. Use a behavior reflection form.

When emotions are running high, a conversation with a student about their behavior can turn negative and unproductive in a hurry.

One strategy is to have students fill out a short behavior reflection form. 

Typically, a behavior reflection form aims to address three issues: What happened?  Who was impacted?  How can we make it right?  

Behavior reflection forms help shift the focus from punishment to accountability and problem-solving, making the interaction more productive for both teacher and student.

5. Try to connect, however briefly, with every student, every day.

It helps to be as observant as possible of your students.  Consider standing at the door to greet students by name as they walk into the room.  This brief connection also provides insight as to which students might need a little grace or space during that class period. 

6. Become a whiz at side-stepping confrontation.

For some students, if you escalate a situation or challenge them publicly, you WILL lose.  Look for options that will help you avoid this unpleasant scenario.  

• • Can the student take a short break?
  • Can the conversation wait until emotions cool?
  • Is there support available from a counselor or administrator?

By the way, if you feel like a student is taking advantage of this leeway, keep track of how many times they ask to “take a short break” and let the office know.

7. Look for and praise positive behaviors.

Your attention is like oxygen for some students – they’ll do anything to get it.  By praising students, you shift the method by which they gain attention.

Set a goal and track the number of times you praise students each period.  Particular students might require separate quotas.  Authentically praising even your most challenging students can shift the relationship you have with them.

8. Use proximity to your advantage.

If a student is engaging in low-level disruption, simply decreasing the distance between you and the student is often enough to stop the behavior.   

Without saying a word – or even disrupting your teaching – you can calmly squash minor distractions before they grow.

9. Follow through with reasonable consequences.

Teachers are not required to tolerate disrespect or repeated disruption.  Although we value positive rapport with every student, endless warnings without follow-through will not work.

Enforce your behavior expectations using reasonable consequences that align with your school’s culture. If you’re unsure what that looks like, seek guidance from a veteran teacher or administrator. Consistency matters more than severity.

Final Tips:

• • Try to adopt a growth mindset when it comes to your classroom management.  Tell yourself, “This class forces me to be on my game every day” as opposed to “This class is impossible, I can’t do this.” 

• • View each day as a learning opportunity.  And when you have a not-so-great-day, allow yourself to detach emotionally. 

• • Experiment with different approaches to challenging behaviors. See what works and what doesn’t work. 

• • Think of every interaction as beneficial. Positive interactions with students can be super energizing.  Negative interactions can teach us how to be better in the future.

• • Do your best not to jump to conclusions about your ability as a teacher. Give yourself time to improve. 

The bottom line is: If you focus on what isn’t going well right now, it’s easy to get discouraged.  Instead, reflect on the opportunity this group of students is providing you to gain experience and hone your craft.

Brad has taught history at the middle and high school levels for 19 years, almost exclusively in American public schools.  He has a master’s in educational technology and is passionate about elevating the status of professional educators.