How to handle an out of control kindergarten class
Constant talking, physical boundaries being crossed, and chaotic fights make it impossible to establish classroom control without yelling or waiting for an injury to occur. This leaves teachers feeling unsupported by low staffing, deeply ashamed, and ready to walk away entirely.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from October 2026.
- This comes up 15.6× more often in r/Teachers than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Trying being short and seriousDid this help you?
- 2Repeating procedures until students get it rightDid this help you?
- 3Being super firm with consequencesDid this help you?
- 4Reading professional development books like Conscious Classroom ManagementDid this help you?
- 5Banning them completely from the classroom or schoolDid this help you?
- 6Allowing them only as tools rather than toys with strict rulesDid this help you?
- 7Confiscating them and holding them until the end of the school yearDid this help you?
- 8pulling the child out of the class and waiting until they are olderDid this help you?
- 9switching to alternative activities like soccer or gymnasticsDid this help you?
- 10practicing sitting and listening through library story timeDid this help you?
- 11using home video playlists or practicing redirection techniquesDid this help you?
- 12Build in quiet time with dim lights where students look at books individually as a survival tactic.Did this help you?
- 13Practice a silent hand signal that students can use when they need help to cut down on screaming and calling out.Did this help you?
- 14threatening to bring the child home from schoolDid this help you?
- 15withdrawing home privileges after school for poor behavior during the dayDid this help you?
- 16relying on the preschool to establish incentive systems and handle disciplinary actionsDid this help you?
- 17teaching routines repeatedlyDid this help you?
- 18modeling behavior expectationsDid this help you?
- 19using positive reinforcement and consequencesDid this help you?
- 20calling parentsDid this help you?
- 21contacting special education teachers for adviceDid this help you?
- 22Taking the student out of the room with a paraprofessional to calm downDid this help you?
- 23Sending the student to administration to receive snacks and toysDid this help you?
- 24Documenting incidents repeatedly and asking parents of other students to complain in writing to the principalDid this help you?
- 25Calling child servicesDid this help you?
- 26Using 3 to 4 adults in a single classroom to keep students safeDid this help you?
- 27Trying to fast-track data collection for interventionsDid this help you?
- 28Implementing highly structured daily routines as soon as students walk inDid this help you?
- 29Setting high expectations paired with high rewards and active listeningDid this help you?
- 30Enforcing clear consequences like lunch detentions and parent emailsDid this help you?
- 31Reading specialized books on conscious classroom managementDid this help you?
- 32Leaving the room or walking away to make the aggressive behavior stopDid this help you?
- 33Using a "big voice" to get immediate complianceDid this help you?
- 34Having two adults manage difficult routines like bath time togetherDid this help you?
- 35Spending a lot of time outside to burn off excess energyDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Our school is dealing with a kindergarten class that is completely overwhelming the administrators, any aides and support staff.”source ↗
“It is often taking 3-4 adults in those classrooms to keep everyone safe and in the building”source ↗
“the school psychs and other specialists are already cancelling on our observations to deal with other schools.”source ↗
“I’m completely depleted after just a few hours. I used to teach teens and adult learners, but this academic year, I’m working with much younger kids and teaching phonics.”source ↗
“The constant noise of kids calling, “Miss! Miss!” every single minute, the fact that they can’t do most things on their own, like opening their water bottles, and having to force them to write the alphabet because it’s part of the curriculum are all so energy-consuming and never fail to give me a headache.”source ↗
“Some days, I even end up crying when I come home because of sensory overload.”source ↗
“Every teacher has a para but the inclusion classes get an extra ESS para. We have one student who is violent several times a day. He hits, kicks, scratches, pulls hair, throws/slings objects and spits on others at least once every fifteen minutes.”source ↗
“I am at my wits end on what to do and the other students are terrified of him.”source ↗
“Is there a support group for kindergarten teachers who are stressed out and burnt out this year with the amount of behaviors in their classroom?”source ↗
“I started having panic attacks because I feel so overwhelmed.”source ↗
“I have tried everything. Nothing works!”source ↗
“A lot of the class management strategies that I used on my 8th grade class and proving to be ineffective with a younger 5th grade class, and I feel stuck.”source ↗
“We are still early in the school year, and I feel like I am already experiencing burnout from the constant interruptions and disrespectful behavior.”source ↗
“It was constantly an issue. Some kids would bring 5+ to class. They would share them, trade them, then fight over it. They would pop/tear them and make a mess.”source ↗
“A second one popped on the carpet in my classroom this week. I am making everyone leave them at home”source ↗
“I’m teaching kindergarten (14 kids) and they are feral. I am struggling so bad with blurting, kids talking non stop, not keeping their hands, feet, or anything to themselves.”source ↗
“I can’t seem to get control unless someone actually gets hurt then they finally shut up for a minute.”source ↗
“I’m at a loss and just want to walk away. I’m embarrassed and ashamed.”source ↗
“I stopped allowing them in class because they were popping them at least once or twice a week and making a huge distraction out of it. They also messed the floor up so bad the janitor had to spot clean it with a paint scraper.”source ↗
“They dont listen to us unless we rise our voices and taht gets tiring quickly.”source ↗
“We feel like we don't have any support from the director because we are soo slow staffed.”source ↗
“This week alone there was so much fights just chaos.”source ↗
“I’m went from 7th to 6th and thought “it’s one grade, can’t be THAT different” Oh boy! It was like walking into a different universe. Took me a few years to fully adjust.”source ↗
“By the third day more than have of the class were had them and they were a super distraction that I halted all use of them.”source ↗
“Our kids started slicing them open with scissors. Hard ban school wide.”source ↗
“The sensory overload from the constant noise and being touched is a huge part of it that nobody warns you about.”source ↗
“Ive been in this situation before. Schools will not expel kids for this. They are to afraid of lawsuits to manage anything efficiently anymore.”source ↗
“this is the THIRD year in a row in which one of the kindergarten classes I teach as a specialist has a small group of boys who literally laugh at nothing and cannot stop.”source ↗
“In each case it's 2-4 boys, usually one who always cracks up first and the others kinda cannot help following. This goes on for a full 44 minute period.”source ↗
“My 2 year old started preschool recently. The first few weeks she behaved very well. Now that she's more comfortable, she's misbehaving”source ↗
“She does similar things at home. However at home we correct her behavior with consequences. For example, if you take your shoes off you have to go in the playpen. This leads to her quickly agreeing to put on her shoes. She's very strong willed and I would like to encourage her to behave better.”source ↗
“How do we help her behave when she's at school?”source ↗
“Our consequence here is that we will bring her home if she's not behaving well at school. However, I think this might not be enough to lead to "good" behavior at the moment at school.”source ↗
“I’m going through the same thing with my 4 yr old in Karate.”source ↗
“I am exhausted and I want to have fun again with my daughter.”source ↗
“She never stops even when I tell her to and I have to get away for it to stop.”source ↗
“Bath time is literally an exorcism. We have to be two adults holding her and even then it’s hard.”source ↗
“She fights through almost every hygiene tasks.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 4Kids fighting on the school bus and admin doing nothing
- 4My child is constantly loud but their hearing is fine
- 7Why is getting kids out the door in the morning so hard?
- 17What to do when your 7-year-old defies teachers and disrupts class
- 58How to handle violent behavioral outbursts and fighting in class alone
- 16How to handle a chaotic last period elective class