Classroom Management: A Persistent and Growing Problem for Teachers

If classroom management is a persistent and growing problem for teachers, why aren’t we doing anything about it? Learning strategies may not be enough, but connecting these strategies to teachers’ values may be the missing piece.

Classroom management has long been identified as one of the most challenging aspects of teaching, yet it remains one of the least adequately addressed. Across decades of research, teachers consistently report that managing student behaviour is a primary source of stress, frustration, and professional dissatisfaction (Evertson & Weinstein, 2006; OECD, 2019). While effective classroom management is foundational to learning, many teachers experience it not as a skill they confidently apply, but as a daily struggle that shapes whether teaching feels sustainable at all.

Importantly, difficulties with classroom management are not just an inconvenience—they are closely linked to teacher attrition. Large-scale studies have shown that behavioural challenges and classroom disruption are significant predictors of teachers leaving the profession, particularly in the early years of teaching (Ingersoll, 2001; Ingersoll & Smith, 2003). New teachers who report feeling unprepared to manage behaviour are substantially more likely to experience burnout and to exit teaching altogether (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2017).

Despite this, many teachers report that they were not adequately trained in classroom management during their preservice education. Reviews of teacher preparation programs have found that classroom management is often treated as a secondary topic, with limited opportunities for applied practice in real classroom contexts (Oliver & Reschly, 2007; Freeman et al., 2014). As a result, teachers frequently enter classrooms with strong pedagogical knowledge but without the tools needed to respond effectively to persistent behavioural challenges.

Compounding this issue, classrooms themselves are becoming increasingly complex. Teachers are supporting students with a wider range of learning needs, social-emotional challenges, trauma histories, and mental health concerns than ever before (OECD, 2019; McLean & Connor, 2015). Post-pandemic research has further highlighted increases in emotional dysregulation, behavioural escalation, and disengagement among students, placing additional strain on teachers who are already stretched thin (Madigan & Kim, 2021). Classroom management is no longer simply about maintaining order; it involves navigating emotionally charged situations in environments where both student and teacher regulation are constantly under pressure.

Taken together, this research points to a clear conclusion: classroom management is not a minor teaching skill—it is a central, unresolved problem that affects teacher well-being, retention, and the overall functioning of classrooms.

Evidence-Based Supports Exist—But Access Remains a Challenge

In response to these challenges, programs like RAD have introduced classroom management materials that are evidence-based, effective, and practical. These materials draw from well-established research in behaviour science, social-emotional learning, and trauma-informed practice, and are intentionally designed to be clear and usable in real classrooms.

Yet, even when strong resources are available, a familiar challenge persists: access and uptake. Teachers may value these approaches but still struggle to engage with them. Common barriers include limited time, feeling ill-prepared to implement new strategies, uncertainty about effectiveness, or a sense of overload that makes learning something new feel unrealistic. These barriers are not signs of resistance—they are predictable responses to the realities of teaching in complex environments.

Most teachers enter the profession with deeply held values related to learning, growth, and supporting students. Taking time to learn and refine classroom management practices often aligns with those values. However, internal barriers such as doubt, stress, or fatigue can make it difficult to act on them. Recognizing these barriers, accepting that they exist, and continuing to take small, values-aligned steps is often what allows meaningful change to happen in practice.

The Establish · Encourage · Respond (EER) Framework

The Establish · Encourage · Respond (EER) framework is a simple, practical approach to classroom management that organizes evidence-based practices into three clear steps. Establish focuses on teaching expectations and routines, Encourage strengthens positive behaviour, and Respond provides consistent, calm ways to address challenges when they arise.

EER is designed to be easy to use and flexible, helping teachers apply what works without adding complexity. It offers a clear structure for creating predictable, supportive classrooms where learning can happen—even when teaching feels hard.

References

Evertson, C. M., & Weinstein, C. S. (2006). Handbook of classroom management: Research, practice, and contemporary issues. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Freeman, J., Simonsen, B., Briere, D. E., & MacSuga-Gage, A. S. (2014). Pre-service teacher training in classroom management: A review of state accreditation policy and teacher preparation programs. Teacher Education and Special Education, 37(2), 106–120.

Ingersoll, R. M. (2001). Teacher turnover and teacher shortages: An organizational analysis. American Educational Research Journal, 38(3), 499–534.

Ingersoll, R. M., & Smith, T. M. (2003). The wrong solution to the teacher shortage. Educational Leadership, 60(8), 30–33.

Madigan, D. J., & Kim, L. E. (2021). Does teacher burnout affect students? A systematic review of its association with academic achievement and student-reported outcomes. International Journal of Educational Research, 105, 101714.

McLean, L., & Connor, C. M. (2015). Depressive symptoms in third-grade teachers: Relations to classroom quality and student achievement. Child Development, 86(3), 945–954.

OECD. (2019). TALIS 2018 results (Volume I): Teachers and school leaders as lifelong learners. OECD Publishing.

Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2017). Motivated for teaching? Associations with school goal structure, teacher self-efficacy, job satisfaction and emotional exhaustion. Teaching and Teacher Education, 67, 152–160.