Behaviour on Supply

[insertcoolusernamehere]

I have been doing some additional supply work out with my contracted hours. It's a small class but behaviour has been pretty appalling!
On Tuesday I had to tell off two boys at home time as they began being very physical with each other- smacking each other with bags- as I was dismissing them to parents. Subsequently one of the boys parents complained, as did one or two others (I should say I wasn't "shouting and screaming" I used a firm voice at eye level). It's really knocked my confidence! I have been teaching infants for 5+ years and never had anything like the issues I have been attempting to deal with the last few weeks (hitting, spitting, throwing stuff across the room, crawling under desks plus the usual low-level stuff).
Please, how would you have handled the situation? Any obscure hints and tips on managing unruly behaviour solo? It's just me and a class of 15 5-7 year olds!

Are you doing the supply in the same school as your contracted hours?

I would ignore the parents, for one. What did they want you to do? Get your bag and join in? Idiots.

They sound wild! It's hard to know what anyone else would do, depends on the behaviour policy, what other staff members were there etc. Often supply teachers can't do the dismissals because of safeguarding.

I wouldn't go back. Where I am the schools are desperate for supply teachers so are very supportive.

First - talk to them about the behaviour policy - so they know you know

Then have a class reward system -

You should only need to say - 'stop hitting or we'll have to lose a sticker or what ever

What did the parent say?

Take no notice of the parents. I'm a parent not a teacher but some parents are just bonkers. They were probably egging each other on on Facebook to complain. That happens sometimes at dd's primary and the sensible parents just roll their eyes.