Ways to Quiet the Classroom
Managing a classroom takes time to learn and to refine. With younger children it often means a ton of repetition, modeling, role playing, and consequences that they understand. Sometimes even making it into a game can make a huge difference. Your principal is giving you time to get things under control at school so you will want to implement a few things to make a difference in what you are doing in your classroom.
The following ideas will help to get the students to quiet down and focus on direct instruction. Try different ideas to find one that works!
You can use a variety of "quieters" like wooden castanets, frog clicker, wind chimes, metal New Year's ratchets, bells, lights, timers, whistles, chants, and other methods in the room. The first few weeks we spend a lot of time practicing our quieting procedures; when I use my quieter they freeze their bodies and their voices. I will reward their exceptionally good response time with a marble in their marble jar. If they are unable to respond we will take a few moments to practice again. I will also stage a practice time right before recess. If the practice doesn't go well we take some of the recess time to practice. This saves my voice and my nerves! I love my desk bell to get them quiet! Use one, two, or three rings for different signals like one for attention, two for too noisy and need to work quietly, and three for whatever you wish! You can play a game like Simon Says or Copycat to get their attention and for fun!
I've seen teachers blink the lights as a signal that it's time to listen. In your loud, teacher voice say, "Everyone put your hands in the air." Not one hand, both hands. This way they aren't fiddling with something else and they are focused on the directions you have to give. The students like to make up chants something like, "1, 2, 3, eyes on me, 3, 2, 1 until I'm done". You can clap out a pattern, the students clap that pattern and you continue until you think you have everyone's attention. You can use a "hands up" signal. It is a universal signal at our school so when an adult raises their hand, the students are to do the same thing and stop, look and listen. No class of kids is ever quiet and studious all of the time, no matter what you see when you walk by other classrooms. Try some of these ideas to help get the students to quiet down and focus. You can sit the kids in table groups between 4-6 members each and have them come up with a name. They should make signs that hang over their group. Make a laminated chart with those names and another column in which you will make tally marks. You call this "Group Points." You use it every week as a way to make transitions as well as monitor talking, cleanliness, and attention. If I am needing the children to put something away and clear their desks, I will count 1-2-3-4-5 and award a point or tally mark to that group.
http://www.proteacher.com/030000.shtml Classroom Management Ideas
http://www.pacificnet.net/~mandel/ClassroomManagement.html Resources and Ideas to Try
At the beginning of the year they brainstorm what good listening looks like, then what it sounds like, what does a good line, look like? sound like? They do this for every situation used in the class and outside the class at school.
Use "give me three" which stands for stop, look, and listen.
You can use the "Give me Five" program campus wide. You have a large poster of a hand. Each finger starting with pinky: eyes on speaker, mouth quiet, body still, ears listening, hands free. Anytime an adult holds up their hand and says "give me five" the children stop and look at them. There are always the few that you have to wait to get their attention.
If I say "Give Me 5" and put a hand up. They follow by putting a hand up and I go through each finger and use a poster:
Eyes are looking.
Ears are listening.
Lips are closed.
Hands are still.
Feet are quiet.
Eyes are looking.
Ears are listening.
Lips are closed.
Hands are still.
Feet are quiet.
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