This may or may not work, depending on the culture of the class and school you’re teaching at, however this was my approach to a class. From day one, you need to be very strict and stern, as the behavior gets better, you can start to relax. But if you give a student an inch, they will take a mile.

Have the class rules written out big on a poster board and hang them up in the front of the class. Have these rules numbered and make the class read aloud the rules. When a student is breaking one of the rules during the period, all you have to do is say their name, the number they are breaking, and point to the board. Eventually it will get to a point where you just have to say the number and they know what they’re doing wrong and how to correct it. This avoids a power struggle. Don’t give them a chance to argue with you, don’t give them a chance to say “but miss I wasn’t doing anything!” Just point to the board and move on. Don’t stop to argue, it will just escalate the situation.

Next, have ORDER in the room. Set up a system in which they must follow every day. The come in the room and know their bell work is on the board in the upper right corner every day. They know they then turn it in on the red basket in the back of the room, ect. Just having a system of order settles them down.

Also, use choice language when disciplining and have a set of known consequences, such as a warning system. They know that if they misbehave, they get 1 warning. If they misbehave again, they get a phone call home, ect. Using choice language will remind them of the consequences and give them a choice in their own fate. “You have two choices, you can continue to talk and get a phone call home, or you can stop talking.”

Make sure your communication is good with the parents; it makes a world of difference.