Be proactive by planning your curriculum, lesson plans and strategies before the school year begins. Have a basic outline of what you will cover for the year. Add the details to your lesson plans each week.
Involve your students in establishing classroom rules during the first week of school. Review rules, consequences, expectations and your general daily routine and schedule with your students. Avoid unnecessary downtime by having centers, a classroom library or extra work children can turn to when they are finished with the assignment at hand.
Set a positive tone at the beginning of each day. Greet your students with a smile. Leave a worksheet or other activity on their desks to ease them into the day. This will help your students to transition into the classroom, settle down and focus on learning.
Encourage interaction in your classroom. Invite students to the board to answer questions. Have them teach their solutions to each other.
Have your students participate in hands-on activities whenever opportunities arise. This keeps students involved. It also allows them to get out of their seats and move around. This is a necessity for some children.
Change your interaction patterns when possible. Pair students together or arrange them in small groups of four. Change students' seating regularly so they can get to know their fellow classmates and you can see who works best together.