Six Evidence-Based Classroom Management Strategies (Articulate Rise Course)
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Audience: New and early-career teachers seeking practical classroom management strategies.
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Skills Applied: Instructional design • Performance consulting • Scenario-based learning • Branching design • Adult learning principles • Storyboarding • UX/UI wireframing • Visual design • Interactive prototyping • Knowledge checks • Usability testing
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Tools Used: Articulate Rise, Canva, Gemini, Google Docs, Google Forms, ChatGPT, Claude, and Freepik.
Project Overview
Early-career teachers frequently report that classroom management is one of the most challenging aspects of their first years in the profession. I experienced this struggle firsthand. Like many new educators, I entered the classroom well prepared in content knowledge but less equipped with practical, research-backed management strategies that could immediately improve the learning environment.
This course was born out of a simple question: What resource would have helped me most when I started teaching? My goal was to design a concise, practical course that provides teachers with clear, evidence-based strategies they can immediately apply in their classrooms.
The Problem
Many early-career teachers struggle with classroom management, particularly in the post-COVID classroom environment where student behavior and engagement patterns have shifted significantly. Without clear systems or practical tools, teachers often spend valuable instructional time managing disruptions rather than facilitating learning.
Drawing from my own experience as a teacher of six years, I recognized a gap between theoretical knowledge about classroom management and practical strategies teachers can implement immediately. I wanted to create a resource that was simple, actionable, and grounded in research.
The Solution
After identifying this gap, I met with my principal and proposed creating a professional learning course for our middle school faculty focused on practical classroom management strategies. He approved the idea and encouraged me to develop the project.
To begin the design process, I created an initial course outline using Claude to help organize the structure and flow of ideas. From there, I gathered research from multiple sources:
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A CDC-published study on effective classroom management strategies in post-COVID classrooms
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Insights from experienced teachers and school leaders
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My own six years of classroom experience
After drafting the outline, I shared it with six members of school leadership. Their feedback was detailed and specific, helping refine the course structure, examples, and clarity of each strategy. Incorporating this feedback strengthened the course and ensured the strategies were relevant to real classroom environments.
Analysis (ADDIE)
The need for this course emerged from a clear instructional gap: teachers—especially those early in their careers—often lack practical systems for managing classroom routines and behaviors. Conversations with colleagues and leadership confirmed that classroom management remains one of the most common areas where teachers seek support.
Design
During the design phase, I structured the course around six practical, evidence-based strategies that teachers can implement immediately. The course was intentionally designed to be concise (approximately 20–30 minutes) so it could realistically fit into a teacher’s schedule while still providing meaningful learning.
Each strategy includes:
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A short scenario that mirrors real classroom situations
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A clear explanation of the strategy
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A visual job aid summarizing the key action steps
Development
I built the course in Articulate Rise, carefully constructing the learning experience from the ground up. Rather than relying on the platform’s built-in AI tools, I manually designed the course content, scenarios, and visuals to maintain clarity, consistency, and instructional alignment.
Throughout development, I synthesized research findings, leadership feedback, and practitioner experience into a single cohesive framework that emphasizes clarity, practicality, and immediate application.
Implementation
The course will be introduced to the middle school faculty at my school, where I will present the project and explain how the strategies can support effective classroom routines and behavior management. Teachers will complete the course independently after the initial presentation.
Evaluation
To evaluate the effectiveness of the course, I am using elements of the Kirkpatrick Model of Training Evaluation:
Level 1 – Reaction
Teachers will complete a post-course survey to provide feedback on the usefulness, clarity, and relevance of the training.
Level 2 – Learning
Participants will complete a pre-course survey assessing their confidence and familiarity with each classroom management strategy. After completing the course, they will revisit these same questions in a post-course survey, allowing for measurable comparisons in confidence and perceived understanding.
Level 3 – Behavior
One month after completing the course, teachers will complete a follow-up survey measuring the frequency with which they are using the strategies in their classrooms.
Level 4 – Results (Future Measurement)
The long-term goal is to analyze the survey data to determine whether the training increased teachers’ confidence and implementation of effective classroom management strategies. These findings will be incorporated into this portfolio project once the data is collected.
Reflection
This project allowed me to experience the full instructional design process—from identifying a learning need to designing, building, and evaluating a training solution. What began as a personal frustration early in my teaching career has evolved into a practical resource that may support other educators facing similar challenges.
I am especially excited to review the evaluation data once teachers have completed the course and implemented the strategies in their classrooms. These results will help determine how effectively the course supports teacher confidence and classroom practice.