Treat every defiant encounter with an encouraging solution. Never yell at, physically discipline or label students, even if your labels are positive. Positive labels can make them feel as if they must live up to a certain standard without ever making mistakes and they may receive constant physical or verbal discipline at home, so you may be the only encouragement they receive all day.
Give positive time-outs. Rather than putting them in a corner to think about what they did wrong, remove them from a group activity, explain to them how they affected others and ask them to come up with a way on their own to make the situation better. You can use simple phrases, such as, "When you took Johnny's crayon, he felt sad. How can you make Johnny happy again?" Give the student a few minutes to think about all of the possibilities, even if they have an immediate answer.
Help the children to feel accepted in the classroom. Many defiance issues arise because some kindergarteners have never been in school and are frightened by the new environment and miss their families. Find out what they like and group them into different interest areas for a project that will make them feel comfortable around other boys and girls with similar fascinations.
Explain instructions in a different way. If a young child is confused about a craft or project, they may not verbalize their feelings, but rather become frustrated and act in anger. If you can help them to finish a project or understand how to do it independently, their minds will become focused on the project rather than on getting their way.
Alert parents to the behavior of the child. Although, you may not know what type of role models they have at home, children and their behavioral patterns are ultimately the responsibility of parents.
Be wary of how you alert the parents. Some parents are prone to anger and may make the situation worse, so you may need to be gentle and encouraging in your wording to them. Other parents have the belief that their child is perfect and you might need to be stern and stand your ground, providing evidence if necessary.
Talk about tough days with a friend or family member. Keeping stressful emotions bottled up inside can strip you of your patience and make dealing with kindergartners much more difficult.