The hubbub of an excited crowd always makes my heart beat a bit faster with anticipation. Like magic, lights going dim in the theater or a spoon clinking against a glass in a banquet hall will reduce a noisy group of adults into instant calm. Like a kennel full of dogs trained by Pavlov himself, we have been conditioned to respond to these signals. In teaching children, a few simple signals can be utilized to quickly and effectively silence the yips and yelps of your young ones as you call them to order.
Signals to Avoid:
Bribes
Rewarding acceptable and expected behavior is rarely a good idea. Give your budget a break, and reserve treats and privileges for behaviors that go above and beyond what is expected.
High Energy Sounds or Movements
If you rely on a big explosive sound or excessive movements to gain the student’s attention, the lesson following will only appear anticlimactic and uninteresting to the pupils. Save those high-energy intervals of activity as breaks between long periods of instruction to keep students motivated.
Pleading and Crying
This never works! Children seem to have underdeveloped feelings of empathy and this tactic only results in ruining a teacher’s make-up. Your mascara will run all over your face.
Signals that Work:
Music Signals
Simply striking a chime softly will often be enough to command attention. A short chord progression played on the piano or guitar will also work well once children are trained to listen for it.
Echo Clapping
Clapping a rhythm for children to repeat as an echo is a common technique used in most school settings. The teacher will clap this 4-beat pattern: (ta ta ti-ti ta) and students will repeat. I like to extend this activity to encourage a higher level of attention and clap more difficult rhythmic patterns for students to echo. (ti-ti ti-ti ti-ti ta, ta ti-ti ta ti-ti) Clapping softer each time also helps lower the energy level in the room.
An easier variation is to say, “Clap one time.” Since you will be speaking in a low tone, only a few children will respond at first, but the class will hear a few scattered claps. The next time, alter your command. Say, “Clap two times.” Repeat this action and lower the volume of your voice each time.
Quiet Questions
Stand in front of the group and in a normal voice tone, say, “If you can hear my voice, put your thumb on your nose.” Continue with a variety of silly, but calm commands. Say, “If you can hear my voice pat your head, or touch your pinky to your earlobe.” As you gain the attention of the group, lower your voice each time and finish with a final command saying, “Fold your hands and put them in your lap.”
These signals can be used anytime you notice attention is lagging and the room is starting to “buzz” with the talking and movement that accompanies inattention. If you feel a more direct approach to gain attention is needed, try to avoid commands that begin with the words “stop” and “don’t.” Children often hear a command starting this way and almost immediately internalize it to mean, “Hm, I have a decision to make here; do I want to stop or not.” If they are in a particularly oppositional mood, it’s a given that they will choose the option that will not make you smile.
Beginning a sentence with a gerund doesn’t offer an unspoken option for the child to make a choice or to feel defensive or shamed. Rather, this type of verbiage simply reminds the student of acceptable behaviors.
Instead of: Stop running! Say: Walking feet.
Instead of: Don’t Talk! Say: Turning voices off now.
Instead of: Stop poking your friends! Say: Keeping your hands to yourself.
Periods of exuberance and high energy sprinkled throughout the instruction period are a joyous break for students and teachers alike. I highly recommend providing movement and variety in every lesson, yet calling your group back to calm order is necessary for children to develop appropriate listening skills. These Signals that Work have served me well in my teaching career. And I’m embarrassed to say that the Signals to Avoid have been strategies that I unsuccessfully attempted during my novice teaching days. I wish someone would have given me these tips earlier; it would have saved me from having to buy so much mascara.
