Keeping order starts with consistently following the rules. And saying that you are 'best' or 'reasonably' consistent clearly indicates that you are not consistent. However, just being consistent is easier said than done.
As a teacher you are an example for students. You see this very clearly in kindergarten, because children imitate their teacher in everything. It is therefore very important for a kindergarten teacher that she hangs her coat on the coat rack and peels her apple with care. Be aware of your role model, even if you do not have toddlers in your class. A teacher who finds tidying up important has a tidy desk. Practice what you preach.
Being consistent also means that you behave in a recognizable and predictable manner. With the toddlers everything therefore happens in a fixed, ritual order. For example: after the activity, each child will tidy up their own things and then look for a place in the circle. By doing it the same way every day, they become habits. During free play, many kindergarten teachers always sit in a fixed place, so that the toddlers know where to find them. This provides security and therefore children thrive. All students expect this predictability, also in the higher classes. Also, be predictable in your feedback. See a student who needs help? Then have a chat with him regularly, and not four times one week and then not for weeks. Make sure students know they can count on you.
Many teachers are Good Samaritans. “I like it,” they say to their students, which immediately gives them a good feeling about themselves. Teachers who help students with an emergency plan at the last minute to still achieve a pass, also benefit from psychological advantage: the feeling of being needed and liked. In this way, as a gentle healer, you will make smelly wounds, because students will not learn to solve their own problems. It can be scary to take off that role because you are liked in this role. And what if you become stricter? You don't know what you will get in return. Recognizable? Consult yourself. Why are you doing this job? What do you want to achieve with the students?
Follow the agreed rules from the first to the last day. Always have a late student get a late note. Even if he has a good excuse. Don't accept any excuses, because after the first time it will become a sliding scale.
To be inconsistent is often to choose the way of least resistance. Realize that it doesn't stop at once. If you let a situation get out of hand, the tone is set and things can get further out of hand. If you insist on being consistent, the order problems will ease on their own.
Set goals and stick with it. For example, "I consistently stand at the door for six weeks to welcome the students or take off their hats." After two weeks, evaluate how it went and reward yourself for your persistence instead of blaming yourself for not doing well. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time, including you. That you accidentally punish the wrong person, for example. Don't get stuck in this too long. In education, things seldom go smoothly either.
"You always have to have me too." Or: "others talked too." Try to avoid a discussion by not commenting on these kinds of statements. If you don't respond, a student will usually feel very stupid. Then tell in a calm voice what you want from the student. Even if the student says, 'I will not do that', you repeat your message. Do not argue. In pre-schoolers you mainly have these kinds of discussions with the parents. To prevent this, it is best to inform the parents in writing about the plans in advance. For example: 'don't bring dressing-up clothes to school, because we have enough at school.'
"If we all do our best now, we'll be watching a movie for the last half hour." Once you have established a bond with the students, you can safely deviate from the structure.