My Top Classroom Management Tip for Elementary
If there’s one thing that has completely transformed my classroom management, it’s this:
Make everything musical or rhythmic.
Music activates both hemispheres of the brain and instantly creates a playful, engaging tone. And when things feel playful, students are so much more likely to participate and follow expectations.
Here are some of my favorite ways to bring music into your daily routines:
🎶 Beginning of Class Songs
Start your class the same way every day with a simple song or rhythm. This builds routine, predictability, and calm right from the start.
For example, when my Pre-K students line up outside my room, we sing this as they walk in:
“Walking, walking, walking, walking
Walk, walk, walk… walk, walk, walk
Walking, walking, walking
Walking, walking, walking
Find your spot! Find your spot!”
Once they’re seated, we sing this to set clear expectations:
**“Keep my hands to myself
Don’t touch anybody else
I can stay in my space
And treat others well
I’ll raise my hand to share
And try my best
To make good choices in my class”**
They love this song—and the best part? You can reference it throughout the lesson when reminders are needed.
👏 Attention Grabbers That Actually Work
Instead of raising your voice, use quick, musical cues to bring students back together: (insert one of our classroom management videos from Vimeo)
“Class, class?” → “Yes, yes!”
“Eyes on me?” → “Eyes on you!”
“If you can hear me…” (clap 1, 2, 3 times)
“We are… QUIET!” (to the tune of We Will Rock You)
Clap a rhythm → students echo it back
“Shh, shh, shh-shh, shh!”
If you can hear me say “shhhh”! (I particularly like “shhh” because they can’t talk while doing the “shhh” sound so it quickly eliminates talking. And the “shh” sound is regulating)
You can also incorporate calming, playful strategies:
Use a breathing ball for regulation & focus
Try silent “follow the leader” movements (pat head, tap knees, etc.)
These keep things engaging and help reset the room without stress.
🚶♀️ Line-Up & Transition Routines
Having a consistent, musical transition makes a huge difference.
Line-Up Chant:
“Eyes are facing (forward)
Hands are by your (side)
You’re ready for the (hallway)
It’s time to say (goodbye)
Level (ZERO)”
You can also line students up by their numbers using rhythm or counting. This works great with a drum to keep a steady & focused beat:
“1, 2, 3, 4… walking feet, walking feet
5, 6, 7, 8… walking feet, walking feet”
🎵 It’s Time to Say Goodbye
End class with a consistent goodbye song so students know exactly what to expect.
Once we finish singing, I call on the quietest row to line up first. This reinforces positive behavior in a simple, natural way.
Want More Support?
I hope these ideas make your classroom feel a little more calm, playful, and connected 💛
If you want even more support, we’ve put together a Classroom Management Cheat Sheet with:
Step-by-step strategies from an experienced teacher (13 years in the classroom!)
Our “Rockin’ Behavior” system
A printable poster you can use right away
👉 Grab the freebie here (link to Flodesk opt-in)
And if you’re ready to go deeper, you can explore our full Resource Library of:
SEL songs
Lesson plans
Classroom management tools
👉 Get full access to our Resource Libraries!
Happy Teaching! 🎶✨
-Paige-
Narwhals & Waterfalls
