Creating and maintaining an effective classroom environment for students can be a difficult task to accomplish. With the amount of distractions and behavioral problems that teachers encounter on a daily basis, it becomes essential to prepare and try to prevent them. Our goal for students is that they receive the most optimal opportunity for learning with minimal time spent on discipline and management. To do this we must hold ourselves accountable as teachers to establish order and also hold students accountable for their actions. If a good classroom environment is created, I believe students can learn effectively without feeling limited. While students can be unpredictable and not all strategies are proven to work, the efforts made to create this environment are what make the difference. To have a well-managed classroom it is essential to be an effective teacher. There are several characteristics associated with being an effective teacher and I believe that some of these characteristics need to be developed to create a well-managed classroom (Wong). Organization is a key feature of giving your students a clear understanding of what is expected of them throughout the day. Not only this, but establish classroom norms for your students and consistently express to them the standards you hold for them as well. Preparing and organizing the classroom itself can be a precursor to how your classroom will be run. Allowing students a workspace, wall space, and their own workspace can help keep the classroom from feeling chaotic. Use containers for specific materials that are labeled and stored, as well as create index cards for lesson plans and worksheets that... middle of paper... can establish this environment and hold them accountable for maintaining it so that our classroom can be a place where they feel safe, comfortable and motivated to learn. Works Cited Celic, CM (2009). Classroom management with English speaking students. Day-to-day English language learners, K-6: A comprehensive guide to literacy, content area, and language instruction (pp. 63-91). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Management Theorists.Classroom. Retrieved March 20, 2014, from http://faculty.mdc.edu/jmcnair/EDG3410%20Topic%20Outline/Classroom%20Mgt.pptSlavin, R. E. (1997). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (1998). Classroom management. The first days of school: How to be an effective teacher ([2nd ed., pp. 79-202). Mountainview, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications.