Designate sections in the classroom by using color schemes that stimulate appropriate levels of activity for the area. Warmer colors promote activity, whereas cool colors instill calm and focus. Request and obtain permission from your school's administrator to paint your classroom. Using assorted paints, rollers and brushes, paint the reading area blue and paint art areas green. Paint play spaces in vibrant colors to denote energy --- like yellow or orange. Include warmer brighter colors in areas where you want to draw particular attention like the blackboard.
Prepare a work station in each "subject section" of the room by stocking a work table, colored carpeted space or counter with supplies --- like books --- that students will need for that day's lesson. Make sure that you have sufficient supplies for each student before class starts.
Create engaging lesson ideas that will instill a positive love for learning. Ask other teachers who have been successful in their classes for suggestions. For example, you can create a setting or perhaps different settings or scenes reflective of the assigned book's content with the assistance of your students. Their creations can be in the form of posters or story boards. After this art project, you can branch out into an interesting discussion about the book. You can pose several questions to stimulate thought and invite students to present their opinions.
Draw every child's attention in an energetic and entertaining fashion. You can teach the class a routine where you clap once, and they respond by clapping twice, or you can play a quick round of "monkey see, monkey do." If they are extremely rowdy, turn the lights off and back on again --- this sudden and surprising action will divert their attention to you.
Recite classroom rules, using a series of hand motions to accompany each rule. Change the way you speak the rules aloud on a weekly basis by altering the emotion, pitch or tone of your voice and encourage your students to repeat the rules, using the same emotion, pitch or tone to make the recitation more interesting and entertaining. Most children will enjoy this approach to reciting rules, although some kids may prefer to recite the rules their own way. Rules should specify your expectations for sharing, quiet time, play and cleaning.
Instruct the children to write their names on their papers and check to make sure they have all written their names before you proceed with the class assignment.
Break your lessons and instructions into small chunks. Teach a few steps at a time in 10 minutes or less. At this level, kindergartners have short attention spans.
Divide the kids into groups and assign each group to a different work station. Monitor their progress. Continue with the lesson after the children have successfully carried out the first steps.
Group absent children together to tell them the details and instructions of the lessons that they missed.
Create a visual aid to help the children learn how to carry out the desired clean-up procedures for each work station in the room. Make a treasure map on poster board with numbered instructions and pictures showing the kids what they should do at each stage of the clean up, leading up to an "X" at the end. Cut "X" shapes out of adhesive backed paper and hand them out for the children to stick on the final step after finishing clean up.
Allow only one child to go to the bathroom at a given time, whenever possible, and limit children from going to the bathroom while you are giving directions for lessons --- unless it is an emergency.
Send well-behaved students up to the front of the class first when you are organizing the children into a line. Direct the children to sit down on the floor in line formations until you are ready to direct the lines of children to the playground or to the cafeteria.
Implement a reward chart system to help control classroom behavior. This reward system may motivate the disruptive children to pay attention and modify their behavior to work toward a reward.
Avoid getting frustrated or upset when your students make mistakes or fail to follow your instructions. Instead, reiterate the correct methods to use and show them the right way to do things until the information sinks in and they successfully carry out the instructions properly. Offer praise to the children who are following instructions and give struggling children encouragement and attention to help them learn the procedures.