Sometimes your options for disciplining students are limited by the school. The school may have its own discipline policies to which you must adhere if you need to discipline a student. Depending on the school, failure to use these guidelines may result in your termination. Confirm whether this is the case before you begin teaching, and make certain to review the guidelines so that you can use them effectively. For example, the school might wish you to refer all students to the administration no matter the infraction.
Essential to any discipline method is knowing who your students are. If you can't name the student acting out, your authority is undermined in the eyes of the classroom. Take attendance and have all of the students write their names in large print on a piece of paper which can then be displayed on the desk. You can also try creating a seating chart of the room for your use. You can also try creating your own seating plan for the day before class starts. This can then be changed as you wish in order to move disruptive students to other areas of the class.
Deal with specific disruptive students by turning them into your assistants. This method is most useful on younger students. Rather than letting them act out in a negative manner, this allows them to channel their energy positively. Ask your assistant to help you with tasks like putting away supplies after a project or fetching items from your desk. They can be your partners in discipline if you ask them to quietly let other students around them know they are being disruptive to others. This fosters a team atmosphere, letting the students be part of their education.
Students have fewer chances to be disruptive if you keep them busy. The teacher for whom you are subbing may have left you a lesson plan for the day. Write all of these down on your blackboard before the start of class in the order in which they should be completed. If there aren't enough activities for the day, create some and add them in. Have the students begin work as soon as class starts, with instructions to move onto the next assignment once they finish the last one. Should a student ask you what to do next, direct their attention to the board.