Teaching a preschool class of 3- to 5-year-olds is both rewarding and overwhelming. With so many little voices calling your name, small hands tugging for attention, and constant energy filling the room, it’s easy to feel overstimulated and stretched thin. But with patience, clear expectations, and God’s guidance, it is possible to create a peaceful, joyful classroom where everyone thrives.
1. Set Boundaries with Love
“Let your ‘Yes’ be yes, and your ‘No,’ no.” Matthew 5:37
Children need clear boundaries to feel secure. If one child is allowed to climb on your lap, soon everyone will try. Instead, calmly explain: “You may sit on the floor next to me, but my lap is not for sitting.” Use phrases that state what you do expect instead of only what you don’t. Boundaries protect both you and the children, helping them learn respect and self-control.
2. Teach Attention-Gaining Skills
“Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” James 1:19
Young children often interrupt because they don’t yet know how to wait. Take time to teach them how to politely get your attention. For example, they can place a hand gently on your shoulder or knee, and you place your hand on theirs to show you see them. This way, they feel acknowledged without pulling focus from the child you’re already helping. These small routines give structure to what feels like chaos.
3. Use Simple Attention Signals
“Let all things be done decently and in order.” 1 Corinthians 14:40
Preschoolers respond well to visual and verbal cues. Simple strategies like holding up a finger, clapping a rhythm, or using call-and-response phrases (“1, 2, 3—eyes on me!”) quickly redirect the group. Adding songs, chants, or freeze games can also transition noisy moments into calm ones without raising your voice.
4. Structure Small Groups for Success
“Two are better than one… if either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Rather than managing large groups of children all at once, divide them into smaller groups of three or four. While you give focused attention to one group, remind the others you’ll visit them shortly. This not only makes the classroom more manageable, but it also teaches children independence and problem-solving as they learn to work with peers without constant teacher direction.
5. Model Calmness and Tone
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1
The energy you bring to the room sets the tone. If your excitement becomes too high, children may mirror it and slip into chaos. Learn to wind down the group with soft songs, freeze dances, or quiet moments. Model calm, kind communication, even when you’re overwhelmed. Children learn as much from your tone and body language as from your words.
6. Preteach and Reinforce Skills
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
Take time at the start of the year to teach and practice the little skills that make classroom life smoother: waiting turns, keeping hands to themselves, or solving problems with words. Reinforce these skills by praising and rewarding the positive behaviors you want to see more of. Even something simple, like a chart that shows who gets a turn to sit by you during story time, can help reduce competition for attention.
7. Give Yourself Grace
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
Teaching preschool isn’t about perfection. Some days will feel messy no matter how prepared you are. Remember that 3-year-olds and 5-year-olds have very different developmental needs, and you can’t meet them all at once. What matters most is that you remain present, consistent, and loving. Trust that God is using even your hardest days to shape both you and the children for His purpose.
Final Encouragement
A class of active little ones doesn’t have to feel like constant chaos. With firm boundaries, clear expectations, and calm redirection, you can create an environment where children learn and grow joyfully. And when the day feels overwhelming, remember this truth: “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9
You’re not just managing a classroom, you’re shepherding hearts.
