Every state in the United States has laws against child abuse. A teacher is mandated by her state to report any suspected child abuse to the authorities. This is one of the most important classroom management law. If abuse is suspected, the teacher can report it to the principal, school counselor or community authorities, such as the police or the Department of Social Services.
Preparing lessons for the classroom is part of classroom management. An effective teacher has planned out classroom time and is prepared for changes. If a teacher plans a math activity and the children finish the project early, the teacher will have an alternate activity or worksheet planned. The teacher will follow state guidelines concerning what the children will learn and will be prepared to teach with activities and structure.
The classroom needs to be controlled to be successful. The teacher will assign seats to the students to avoid conflicts or arguments over seats. The teacher will create and review classroom rules. The day will be structured, with students moving from activity to activity smoothly. Room activities will be arranged by category; math activities will not be mixed with writing activities. It is the right of the students to receive structured guidance throughout the day.
The teacher will organize a strategy for classroom discipline in order to manage behavior. One discipline strategy involves using colored index cards. The children are taught the rules, and for each rule broken, one card is removed from that student's pile. Each card color has a consequence, which the teacher has explained to the children in the beginning of the year. It is the right of the teacher and the student to maintain a stress-free learning environment.
It is the right of the teacher to feel safe in his classroom. If a student is threatening or the teacher feels uncomfortable due to the violent tendencies of a student, the principal should step in and help the teacher handle the situation. If the principal is unavailable or unwilling, the teacher will contact the local branch of the National Education Association, which is a teacher's union.