Standing my ground.

While teaching my math RTI class, my students were being extremely loud and talking over me. I began by giving them warnings, starting out my voice soft but affirmative. Next I tried giving them another warning just a little more loud and harsh. After, my students continued to talk and ignore me. I then made students clean up the game we were playing, right in the middle of it. Students seemed confused and began to give each other odd looks. As I walked around collecting student materials many of them tried to talk with me. As hard as it was I just ignored them (my mentor teacher had done this in the beginning of the school year). Students then got somewhat more quiet but some were still talking. I then went over and picked up the worksheets I had run off for "emergency" situations. I then passed these out and began doing something else. Students became very confused. Students began calling out "can we work with partners" and I just continued to ignore. At the end of time I explained to students that they needed to hand the worksheets to me on their way out. Many students handed me their worksheets and said "I'm sorry" and one student even said "it makes me sad to see you sad". At this moment I knew I had "accomplished" my goal. As much as it made me sad to ignore my students and to stop playing a game in which we were all having a good time, it was something I had to do. My students were not responding to me being nice and giving them gentle warnings so I had to take action. My mentor teacher even told me my actions were completely necessary. I'm truly glad that I was able to stand my ground... I have a feeling these students are going to be much more complient with what I am asking.