5 Proven Ways to Start the School Year Calmly and Confidently
Welcome to our yearlong series on Classroom Management by Design for Primary Teachers. Each week we will give you a new piece to the classroom management puzzle to have in place when you need it this school year. Think of it as a Lego kit just waiting to be built.
Classroom Management by Design for Primary Teachers: 5 Proven Ways to Start the School Year Calmly and Confidently
✨ You’re not behind — you’re building something intentional.
If you’re feeling the pressure of August prep, take a breath.
Your classroom doesn’t need to be perfect — it needs to be ready enough to make your students feel safe, welcome, and supported. You’ve got this — and I’ve got a plan to help.
Whether this is your 1st year or your 15th, this post will give you real tools for creating a calm, structured, and connection-centered classroom — without burnout before Open House.
🎯 The First Week Isn’t About Curriculum — It’s About Culture
Your students won’t remember the first worksheet they completed — but they will remember how they felt walking into your room.
The real “prep” isn’t in the perfect bins or matching borders — it’s in how you plan to build routines, model expectations, and create a classroom climate that supports regulation, not chaos.
Here’s how.
✅ 5 Must-Do Preps That Will Keep You Grounded All Year
1. Visual Daily Schedule
Post a visual schedule (with icons or photos!) at the front of the classroom. It eases anxiety, gives kids a sense of predictability, and helps you stay on pace.
💡 Pro Tip: Include 1–2 minute movement breaks between subjects to reset attention.
2. Prepped Sub Plans (Yes — Already!)
Having Day 1–3 sub plans ready isn’t about expecting absence. It’s about having one less stressor on your mind. You’ll thank yourself later.
👉 Check out my ready-to-print Sub Plan Starter Packs for K–3 [linked here].
3. A Ready-to-Go Calm Corner
No fancy furniture needed. A simple calm space could be a shoebox with sensory tools or a quiet desk area with visuals for breathing, emotion check-ins, or positive affirmations.
✨ Coming soon: Free download — 15 Calm Corner Items You Can Add Today.
4. First Week Behavior Scenarios
Start your classroom conversations with connection. Use quick daily behavior scenarios to:
Introduce common classroom situations
Practice expected responses
Build classroom norms together
🔁 These 5-minute daily prompts build empathy, not fear — and a sample set is included just by clicking here!
5. Plan Your Own Reset Routine
You need one too. Every day of the first week, give yourself 10 minutes after dismissal to:
Reset the classroom environment
Reflect on what went well
Breathe before switching to “home mode”
💬 Real Talk: You Can’t Manage a Class You Haven’t Built Connection With
Forget perfection. The first week is about predictability, routines, and connection. It’s about choosing presence over pressure. Show up as a calm, confident leader — and the rest will follow.
🎁 Freebie for You:
“First Week Calm Prep Checklist”
→ Download your printable checklist with clickable links to:
Sub plans
Daily schedule template
Calm corner setup
Behavior scenario card preview
Wow Day #1 bonus activity
Click here to grab your CHECKLIST...no email required.
👣 Ready for a Calm, Connected Start?
Join the Lesson Plan Toolbox — where we turn behavior chaos into calm routines and give you back your evenings.
Whether you're prepping your calm corner or building your parent communication tools, you’ll have everything at your fingertips.
👉 [Click here to explore the Toolbox now.]
Manage Student Behavior in 5 Minutes a Day!
Do you see student behavior going through the roof right about now?
Have you tried EVERYTHING and NOTHING seems to work?
Trust me, I've been there!
This is EXACTLY why I created The Student Behavior Scenario of the Day Cards for primary teachers. You will improve student behavior AND your classroom management in just 5 minutes a day!
As teachers, we can't assume that students know how to behave or what is expected of them and so often that is where things go wrong for us. (We all know what happens when we ''assume", but yet we still do it anyway.)
These cards changed EVERYTHING for me in the primary classroom because students LOVE talking about behavior AND they want to meet your expectations.
Best of all, each card has scenario of the day, reflection questions, and possible consequences that teachers can use in each situation.
GRAB YOUR FREE SAMPLE HERE: Student Behavior Scenario of the Day Cards
DID YOU KNOW…
Did you know I organize a FREE Facebook Group for Mastering Classroom Management? We are gearing up for our school year quarter sessions, so if you’re looking for a simple way to improve your classroom management join the already 200+ teachers that have signed up: Mastering Classroom Management Facebook Group
Your ebook GIFT: Empowering Primary Teachers: Effectively Manage Disruptive and Violent Behaviors in the Classroom
FINALLY…
If you enjoyed the tips in this post, you might also enjoy this series of videos Classroom Management by Design for Primary Teachers:
Unlock the Key to Supporting Neurodivergent Learners - Without Overwhelm
Finished Early? Now What? 10 Brilliant Ways to Keep Students Engaged Without the Chaos
A Guide to Creating an Intrinsically Motivated Classroom
Expanding AI's Role in the Primary Classroom
Unlock the Power of AI in the Primary Classroom
Supporting a Student Being Bullied
What to do With a Bully in the Primary Classroom
Don’t forget to follow us over on Instagram!
Teach~Relax~Repeat
Lauren
