When most educators think of K-12 classroom management, we traditionally focus on ways to keep students quiet, well behaved, and on task. In order to better prepare them for the realities of today’s world, we should instead think of classroom management as preparing students to work collaboratively, form their own thoughts and opinions, stay independently motivated, and listen to their classmates. In the interconnected 21st century, classroom management is about building students up, not breaking them down. With those changes in mind, this handy guide offers 50 practices for managing today’s classroom in a user-friendly format, complete with just-in-time tools and relatable teacher-to-teacher anecdotes and advice.

My first year -- First weeks of school -- Best practice #1: make day 1 about the students -- Best practice #2: get respect and fast -- Best practice #3: set your routine and structures early and keep them! -- Best practice #4: speak student -- Best practice #5: create purposeful seating charts -- Forming positive relationships with your students -- Best practice #6: use your power for good, not evil -- Best practice #7: let students make mistakes without feeling like a failure -- Best practice #8: win over the tough kids -- Best practice #9: become a teacher detective -- Best practice #10: spread positivity with your words and tone -- Best practice #11: focus on the positive and create positive students -- Best practice #12: understand the student known to others as the "bad kid" -- Best practice #13: reward students -- Best practice #14: the power of behavior contracts -- Curriculum and instruction -- Best practice #15: get your students engaged: make learning fun and make it -- Transferable -- Best practice #16: research, read, use -- Best practice #17: pick up the pace -- Best practice #18: use arms length voice -- Best practice #19: be one or two steps ahead of the class -- Best practice #20: keep everything contextualized and do projects! -- Best practice #21: challenge and support students -- Best practice #22: take risks in your lessons -- Best practice #23: know how to prepare when you just can't be there -- Best practice #24: creative discipline -- Best practice #25: vary levels of noise in the classroom -- Best practice #26: make groupwork work -- Best practice #27: let their creative juices flow -- Best practice #28: teach to every different type of learner -- Best practice #29: have no doubts but be prepared to have [just a few] lessons flop -- Other adults as resources -- Best practice #30: learn how to win over parents -- Best practice #31: know how to make coteaching work -- Best practice #32: be a sponge -- Best practice #33: find a mentor. don't you dare call them one! -- Best practice #34: watch and learn -- Best practice #35: instead of talking: listen with your mind -- Best practice#36: being proactive: getting and keeping administration on your side -- Spins that will wow your students -- Best practice #37: how to get guest speakers into your classroom -- Best practice #38: give students power and a voice -- Best practice #39: show your students you care -- Best practice #40: a class that laughs together learns together -- Best practice #41: gift -- Best practice #42: be the teacher they never had -- Best practice #43: kids notice the small things -- Best practice #44: get students to behave when you're covering classes -- Best practice #45: surprise! -- Keeping yourself sane -- Best practice #46: balance your life -- Best practice #47: know how to handle the difficult parent meetings -- Best practice #48: keep it balanced: give and take equally -- Best practice #49: be responsive and prioritize -- Best practice #50: be mindful with your coworkers -- Widening our lens: a global perspective on classroom management -- Handy to-go list of 50 best practices -- The end of the beginning -- Real advice: teacher to teacher.