Looking for ways to get my preschool students to listen to me?

Question

I have recently began a summer position at a preschool and I have a class of twenty 3-5 year olds. I don't really have a threatening demeanor and I when I yell, my voice isn't very strong or threatening; so I have about 4 kids who absolutly will not listen to me at all. They constantly interupt the flow of the day and I would much rather spend my time with the kids who may actually get something out of class instead of always having to keep my eye on the trouble makers. If anyone could give me some advice on how to be more authoritative and stern with these kids, I would really appreciate it!

Answer 1

i have nooooo clue. spank her!

Answer 2

What my teacher used to do is that any kids who behaved would get a fun prize out of the prize box at the end of class. The bad kids would not get anything. Did you try the clapping pattern? I used to enjoy that. With the three kids, you could sternly and kind of slow-like like-a threatening tone. That used to freak me out when one of my teachers did this to me

Answer 3

Ha!  Good luck with that.  The only way little kids pay attention to me is when I bribe them with jelly beans.

Answer 4

You can either develop a really threatening tone to your voice, I call mine 'the wrath of Ryan voice', or you can take privileges away from the entire class for the behavior of those few unruly kids. Doing the latter will sort of use 'peer pressure' to your advantage. The other kids in the class will not like being punished for what those few are doing, and at that age, will let them know.

Answer 5

bribe them with candy or something.

or you could give time outs.

or talk to their parents about this problem.

Answer 6

hit them if they don't.

Answer 7

I think if you try to make it fun for them to listen somehow, like make it seem like a guessing game or give them a gold star or something if they do listen, that might help.

Answer 8

bring in some thing bright and color ful so then they will ask about it and you can answer get of topic then go in to wwhat you want to talk about

Answer 9

time out or taking them aside coming down to their level and in a firm voice telling them what they did wrong is a good idea. dont waste your voice yelling if you can help it but dont be full of empty threats either.

Answer 10

I had a teacher that would throw her shoe.  Every body learned to duck.  I would just get a whistle.  That should do it.  Maybe some duct tape.

Answer 11

don't be mean, just say that you're going to do something fun and you could have them work in pairs of their choice.. that is a way to get them to cooperate and for them to make new friends! hope this helps and best of luck!

Answer 12

just be strict

Answer 13

1 good way is 2 try and make things fun so they listen

Answer 14

Put them in a time out for ten minutes in the corner and if they continue to be bad, Take them out of any fun activities and while the rest of the class is doing something fun, put them in the corner.  Or somehow, make what you're doing more fun so maybe they would listen better. That's all I could come up with....

Hope I've Helped!

Answer 15

They are probably testing you to see what they can get away with, which is completely normal and expected. You do not have to be mean but you need to be firm and mean what you say. Have a circle time and go over the rules of the class and tell them what you expect. Make a reward sticker chart. Maybe the misbehaving children are bored .see what their interests are and adapt those things into your classroom..good luck

Answer 16

You shouldn't be yelling anyway.  And you shouldn't have 20 of them by yourself the first time out.

There are tricks with "clapping" and turning the lights on and off that more experienced teachers can help you with, but you should not be by yourself, so go in tomorrow and speak up for yourself.

Do NOT yell.  You will be training them to yell louder than you.  Smile and be extra nice to the ones who are doing what they are supposed to be doing, but do NOT yell.  Do NOT threaten.  Ask your supervisor for help tomorrow.

Answer 17

If you reward the students who have been good wiht like a little sweet or toy, it will make the ones who arfe bad to want to be good so they too can be rewarded

Answer 18

Trick the other kids onto helping you discipline the bad ones. Offer treats with the stipulation that everyone must behave. When nobody gets treats because of a few? You get the picture. Or set up really fun activities that the bad kids have to sit and watch. The best concept is to somehow make them feel they have to impress you.

Answer 19

Just start counting like

3.. 2.. 1.. .. then if they dont stop talking detention!!

they hate detention!

or u can just bribe them with candy.. like ppl who get the most point in a week get some sort of reward and if u talk u dont get any points?

Answer 20

Talk to them & their parents. If you have snack time, don't let them have a snack if they're being bad. You can raise your voice, but make sure they know that you're going to follow through with actions. Don't just threaten to take privileges away, actually do it. You could start a system where good children get stars at the end of the day, and bad children don't. At the end of the week, you should have to have say 3 or 4 stars to get a special treat.

Answer 21

Im not a professional or anything..but i have aLOT of expierience.

-play the 'quiet game' (whoever talks last gets the prize)

-try to isolate the troublesome four, so thier not encouraged by the group

-show obvieous praise to the good ones

-set some sort of example: read a story where the "cool" Older boy (around 7) sits and does what he's told, and thats why he's so cool

hope this helps

Answer 22

-get a bullhorn

-microphone

-give prize to good kids

-make them have a time out

-give them a sad face sticker :(

-tattle to their parents

-kick em out your pre-k class

Answer 23

Don't raise your voice - lower it and they will me more likely to listen.

Be consistant. If they get in trouble for doing something make sure they get in trouble for it EVERY single time. It will wear you ou the first few days, but they will get it.

If you give these kids more attention when they are acting good - like talking to them and hugging them that may work.

Answer 24

Try to be stricter and if that doesnt work talk to the parents and tell them that they are not being very good.

Answer 25

taser. I JOKE!

you can bribe them, though it is not looked upon, i suppose it is the only solution

Answer 26

if they dont listen get down on your knee, firmly hold down their arms with your hands (not hard just gently or course) and make sure they make eye contact with you. nicely but firmly tell them they need to listen to you and tell them what they did wrong. also make sure you punish them if they misbehave, its the only way they will start listening to you. You'll have to become a little more agressive to teach them that YOU are the boss not them.

Answer 27

give them consequences. such as time out, and splitting them up/spreading them out in the room facing the wall. its a little old-school, but it works. and if they dont listen, pull them to where you want them to be. if not try talking with their parents and see if they can help you in any way. if all else fails, just ignore the student. they obviously want attension, or for them to start something.

Answer 28

Space them apart from one another. Let them know their will be consequences if they don't pay attention especially during play time. Making someone listen to you isn't you yelling at them. Just take away what they get enjoyment from.

Answer 29

You could make a star system (which my son's headstart teachers did and it works very well) make a chart with everybody's name give them 5 stars take one away for each time they were bad.  If they keep all their stars then at the end of the day they get to pick out of a treasure box.  For the treasure box get a big box put little toys (that are safe for the 3-5 year age range to play with) they can be cheap or you could use candy instead.  But make sure they all understand about the system.  It took kids at my son's headstart a few weeks or so to get used to it some even a month if they are stubborn enough(and yes there were 3-5 year olds in headstart as well).  My son's headstart class was the better behaved headstart class, the other one always had the teacher yelling (she didn't use the star system btw)and the kids were all over the place at times.

Answer 30

Prepare for it to get worse. Kids are being weaned on the internet and video games (leapster counts). They've never learned to interact or show any sort of respect or deference to other human beings. They tune out of everything while they play, text, etc.

Add in a "me first, me only" mentality, courtesy of current parenting philosophies, and you have a room full of monster brats.

I feel for you.

Answer 31

I've never been a teacher but I plan on being one in the future...

1) Try to do the counting technique. I've noticed this works really well when a chlid won't do what you tell them to. Be like, "I'm going to count to ten and whoever isn't in their seat will have to..." or something like that. By the time you get to "0" just look at the kids who aren't doing what they're told. They'll probably get the hint.

2) Threaten them with a "time-out." It's the least aggresive way to physically deal with a bad student. If they don't listen to you once or twice. warn them that they will have to have a time-out, and remind them that you'll tell their parents about it and they're not gonna be happy! If you actually have to give them a time-out, have a designated area which they are sent to for a short period of time.

3) Tell their parents. Even if it seems like the parent just ignores you when you tell them what went on, they should start to get the point after a while. Explain to the mom/dad that their child doesn't seem to understand the rules... this way the parent can help to "train" the kids for you.

Hope that I helped and goodluck! I know how it feels to be un-aggressive haha =]