Set a tone of authority from the beginning.

• Don't be overly friendly, especially at first. Establish that you are in charge. It is always easier to let up a little later than to tighten up after things get out of hand.
• Dress professionally (especially for the first few weeks of class).
• Have them call you by your last name (Mr., Dr. Jones).
• Have a firm attitude in front of the class, polite and pleasant.
• Start on time and end on time.

Hand out written, explicit ground rules of what you expect from the class. The ground rules might include:

• I expect mutual respect.
• I will be on time and start the class on time, and I expect you to be in your seats and ready to go at 10 minutes after the hour.
• When students are presenting their work everyone listens.
• When I am speaking, everyone stops what they are doing and listens.
• This class ends on the hour. I will do my best to finish at that time and I expect everyone to stay in their seats and to be attentive until that time.
• I will be at every class, and I expect you to be here also. Casual attendance is one of the major causes of poor performance.

Reinforce the punctuality rules.

• Start the class on time. If someone comes in late, stop what you are saying and wait until he/she is seated and then quietly say, "Please be on time tomorrow" then continue on with what you are saying. (They will be on time if the ground rules are set, the instructor starts on time, and important stuff is covered in the first few minutes of class.)
• Do not cater to students who arrive at class late. For example, don't stop talking and hand back a paper to a late coming student.
• If students start to pack up early, stop what you are doing and say, "This class ends at 9:00, there are still five minutes before it is time to pack up to go."
• If a student is frequently late, you may want to say (after class) that you are bothered by the disruption.

Reinforce the "no conversation" rules. Talking and whispering, even when they concern the topic at hand, disturb both the class and the instructor.. As a general rule, the students are more likely to start to whisper when the discussion is not pitched at the right level. If it's too easy, they feel that they don't have to listen, and if it's too incomprehensible, they try to explain it to each other.

• When you are talking to the class (lecturing, explaining something) do not allow others to talk too (those old ground rules). If someone starts to talk, stand still and look at them until they are quiet and then go on with your lecture.
• If someone talks to another student while you are trying to explain something to the class, quietly remind them of the rule and wait until there is order.
• If a student keeps talking even when you have called for attention, or have said that you are going to make a really important point, ask that student (by name) a question about the point that you have made.
• When a student starts to answer a question, and there are others talking, say, "Wait a minute, I want everyone to hear." Say to the class that <student's name> is about to speak and you want everyone to hear it. When the talking stops, ask the student to answer the question, and thank him or her.
• Have students build on each other's comments, "John, do you have anything to add to Mary's answer?" If this is done enough students will start to listen to each other's answers. · When you think that a student really understands a problem, ask him or her to explain the problem at the board. Tell the other students that <student's name> is going to explain the problem, and that they should all pay attention.

Control the in-class cooperative learning activities. Don't give the impression that you 're not watching the whole class even when you're walking around attending to individuals.

• When starting a group exercise, count the students off and have them move to their group for the exercise. Students tend to sit with people they know. Moving them will make it more likely that they will get right down to business. (Try to avoid having them work in their homework groups except on special occasions.)
• During a group exercise, watch out for groups that are talking about something other than the problem you have assigned. Following are some possible actions to take if they are not staying focused on the problem:
• Ask the students who are talking about something else to tell you where they are in the problem.
• If they are finished, ask them if they all understand it well enough to present it to the class. If not, have them explain it to each other.
• Have them go up to board and put up the solution.
• Have an extra group activity to give to groups who finish early.
• When you want to make a point or clarify something during a group activity, tell the class in a loud voice that you need their attention to make an important point. Wait for the talking to stop, and then make your point.
• When you are ending a group exercise, go to the front of the room and loudly ask for everyone's attention. Repeat yourself until the talking stops. One instructor who had a quiet voice used a bell to signify the end of a group exercise.

Don't let a few students dominate the class. Make sure everyone gets equal time.