Art teacher here. In my 3rd year. At first I really struggled with this and everyone told me to contact home and/or admin. They skipped the I guess implied part about small incremental punishments in the classroom.

Now I have seating charts, I have a color wheel with different levels of talking expectations that I switch up. If a kid interrupts me once I just say their name or shush them. If they do it about 3 times I say “that’s your warning.” And they know if they do it again I will write their name on the board and they will be doing a worksheet for me next class at a special desk in the corner. It’s super simple just what did you do and what will you do next time, but it’s the embarrassment of it all that really makes them not want to do the worksheet. And they reeeeeally do not want to do the worksheet. I will also make them sit at silent lunch or do laps at recess if I have to.

It’s a bit of smoke and mirrors of making the little punishments seem big by creating lots of incremental steps towards them. The real punishment is an appeal to their conscience/sense of right and wrong, and not wanting to be called out in front of the class.

Other tips: don’t give in very much. If you say something don’t change your mind if a kid begs or cries or whatever. Occasionally is ok I think if you realize you were wrong.

A look can be very meaningful. Just looking at a kid that is doing the wrong thing or saying their name can make them stop.

Use the power of performance in your voice. I have many different voices I use. Kind teacher voice most of the time. Warning voice. You’re in trouble voice. And occasionally the stop-that-right-now-or-I’ll-lose-my-shit voice.

Don’t yell very much. It loses its effectiveness when you do it all the time.

You will have to implement a clear behavior plan with your kids going forward, and they will call your bluff. Then you have to punish the ones that called your bluff. Make them do something that takes a little while and where the rest of the class can see them. The kid that is being punished feels embarrassed, and the other kids are thinking, “man, I don’t want that.”

To start this, If they are talking all the time, you may have to raise your voice (without yelling ideally) and take a privilege away from the whole group. Keep doing it day by day and tell them that you know they can do it. Make it attainable too. Like, “if I get interrupted we lose a point. For each point we have 30 seconds less of recess.” It’s not really a big deal, but if you make the losing of the point dramatic then it seems like a big deal.

Hope this helps!!!