What Is Reactive Classroom Management?

A combination of proactive and reactive classroom management strategies can keep students on task in the classroom. A proactive classroom management approach involves preventing potential issues from arising in the first place. While this is a great starting place, a proactive approach is often not enough in a real classroom setting. Students may become distracted and teachers will need to use a reactive approach to redirect their students and keep their class on track. 

Reactive classroom management helps teachers guide their students into better patterns of behavior. Let’s take a closer look at what reactive classroom management means in practice within your learning environment.

Reactive classroom management definition

Essentially, reactive classroom management refers to the ways in which teachers respond to students when they are off task or behaving inappropriately. Though this approach occurs after the fact, it is important for teachers to assess the situation and think carefully before taking action. Why is the student behaving in this manner? Which response would be most appropriate in addressing that behavior? Answering these questions can help teachers respond appropriately. 

By redirecting behavior, you can address problems before they escalate. Here are some examples of reactive strategies that can be used in the classroom to help you achieve this:

• Make a clear statement about expected behaviors in your classroom.
• Use sudden silence as a way to grab students’ attention.
• Praise students who are behaving well as a form of encouragement.

3 reactive classroom management strategies

1. The use of non-verbal cues

While using non-verbal cues may take some time to perfect, your students will eventually adapt to your style of teaching. They will come to realize that those cues mean you’re serious, and they will start to respond.

Here are some useful non-verbal cues you can use in your own classroom:

• Keep your hand raised until every student copies your action. Once every student has raised their hand, you can then lower yours and talk. This is a particularly useful technique with young children.
• Stay silent if your class is talking. Maintain clear eye contact, and don’t write on the board, shuffle papers, or look at their work. Once your students see you’re waiting for them to be silent, they’ll quiet down.
• Set a fixed timer for a discussion or task. This is an effective technique for older students, as it keeps them motivated and productive. Consider using a digital stopwatch that your class can see.

2. Follow through

Consistently following through with responses to student behavior helps build your credibility and reinforces your teaching approach. When expectations are clear and upheld, students are more likely to respect boundaries and demonstrate positive behavior.  

It’s important to also select the most appropriate responses to suit your class. What motivates your students to behave well?  It’s a good idea to discuss possible behavioral outcomes at the beginning of the school year with your class. When they have taken ownership of the process of selecting responses to behavior, they will be more likely to adhere to the rules.

3. Quick fixes

So, what are some reactive classroom management examples? How do you begin to introduce useful techniques into your learning environment? Here are a few quick activities for both individuals and whole classes to help you respond effectively to disruptive behavior.

Single-student activities:

• Allow the student to take three minutes of time to refocus and decompress.
• Give the student a brief errand to perform, such as delivering a note to another teacher.
• Send the student to the school counselor for a conversation if they are having a major issue.

Whole-class activities:

• Get the whole class to stand up and do a few stretches.
• Watch an amusing video clip together.

These simple tips will help you to respond quickly to a problem without devoting excessive time to redirecting behavior.

Use growth mindset

While good behavior is important in school, responsibility is equally vital. Students need to take ownership of their education. They need to focus in class, complete their homework on time, and study for exams. Teachers can promote this kind of responsibility in their classrooms by using a growth mindset.

Words always have a major impact on the way in which young people view themselves so it's important to be mindful of how you speak to students. Instead of praising students on their intelligence or getting the right answer, you should celebrate effort with phrases like "I can tell you've been working hard on this problem." The growth mindset also embraces challenges and setbacks as a normal part of learning. With a growth mindset, students will be empowered to develop the essential skills they need to succeed in life.

This article was adapted from a blog post initially developed by the education technology company Classcraft, which was acquired by HMH in 2023. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of HMH.

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