{"id":3668,"date":"2015-03-30T10:36:52","date_gmt":"2015-03-30T06:36:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/englishbookgeorgia.com\/blogebg\/?p=3668"},"modified":"2015-03-30T10:36:52","modified_gmt":"2015-03-30T06:36:52","slug":"15-techniques-to-quiet-a-noisy-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/englishbookgeorgia.com\/blogebg\/15-techniques-to-quiet-a-noisy-class\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Techniques to Quiet a Noisy Class"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you fallen into the trap of saying \u201cNo talking!\u201d or \u201cI need quiet!\u201d all day long? It\u2019s exhausting to keep repeating your requests for silence, and after the hundredth time, kids just tune you out, anyway. There have been some great discussions about how to get students to quiet down and we want to share what\u2019s worked for teachers in their classroom. Teachers\u2019 names are written in parentheses where applicable.<\/p>\n

1. Sing a song. <\/b><\/p>\n

For the youngest students, use finger plays like the Itsy Bitsy Spider and Open, Shut Them. Students of any age will respond to simple tunes and call-backs, such as \u201cDadadadadada\u2026Da da!\u201d and \u201cBum, bada bum bum\u2026Bum, bum!\u201d\u00a0 Since Scott R. loves sports, he starts singing the ESPN tune and has the kids finish it. Bianca G.\u00a0 sings the Wada Wada Bing Bang song with her class, and says, \u201cIf they are singing they can\u2019t be talking. The goal is not to sing it more than once.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Play a song.<\/b><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not comfortable singing with your class, try playing music on your computer or CD player. You can use kids\u2019 songs, popular music, classical or jazz songs you want to expose the kids to, songs related to your unit of study, etc. I like to use clips of shorter songs\u2013just thirty to sixty seconds. Use the same song daily for several weeks, and teach kids that when the music stops, instruction begins.<\/p>\n

3. Use a special sound. <\/b><\/p>\n

Bethany M. uses a zen chime with a long sustain. She told her students to listen quietly to the chime and raise their hands when it stopped ringing. It became like a game: \u201cThe students would strain to hear it\u2013no one wanted to be the first to raise their hand. Within two seconds, it was so silent you could have heard a pin drop.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here are some other ideas for sound signals:<\/p>\n

a)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 bells<\/p>\n

b)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 wind chimes<\/p>\n

c)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 buddha bowls<\/p>\n

d)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 tingshas<\/p>\n

e)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 triangles<\/p>\n

f)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 rattles<\/p>\n

g)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 rainsticks<\/p>\n

h)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 harmonicas<\/p>\n

i)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 train whistles<\/p>\n

\"instruments\"<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Clap out a rhythm. <\/b><\/p>\n

Leigh E. says, \u201cI will walk over near a few students and in a calm, normal-volume voice say, \u2018Clap twice if you can hear me.\u2019 The few students will clap. Then, I repeat it again. Now, more students are quiet and listening. I will calmly repeat (changing the number of claps) until I have the attention of the entire room. Typically, this will quiet a classroom within 20 seconds, and an auditorium or cafeteria of hundreds of students in less than a minute. I have been using this for years, and it still works!\u201d<\/p>\n

5. Get kids moving. <\/b><\/p>\n

Call-and-responses that include some kind of physical movement are especially effective. Marina T. uses this one: \u201cDrop it [they have to actually drop what’s in their hands], Zip it [mouths are closed], Lock it [all eyes are locked on the teacher.] Then we all clap once together.\u201d Stephanie W. uses this: \u201cTake a seat, take a seat\u2026Take a load off your feet, whoop whoop [raise arms on the whoop whoop].\u201d Another idea is to play a Simon Says-like game: \u201cIf you can hear me, put your hands on your head\u201d and so on with different directions to get kids moving.<\/p>\n

6. Do a countdown.<\/b><\/p>\n

For example, you could say, \u201cWhen I get to zero, I need you the room to be completely quiet. 10, 9, 8\u2026\u201d When time is up, move on to the next activity just like you said you\u2019d do, and let stragglers catch up without acknowledging them except to help as needed. If you\u2019re consistent with this, students will learn you mean what you say and they have to keep pace! Diana S. trained her third graders in what she calls the Five Finger Technique: \u201cAny time I held my hand in the air, any child who saw it started counting to 5, and by the time we got there everyone should have stopped, faced me, closed their mouths and opened their ears.\u201d Since she taught on a reservation, sometimes she did the countdown in her students\u2019 native language, as well.<\/p>\n

7. Try a hand signal. <\/b><\/p>\n

Jenni S. shares this tip she uses with her eighth grade class: \u201cI say, \u2018Teaching in 5, teaching in 4, teaching in 3,\u2019 all the way down to 1. We rehearse this in the beginning of the year. I hold up my hand and use my fingers as I talk. By the middle of the year, I don\u2019t even say it anymore, I just put my hand up and the kids quiet down by 1.\u201d<\/p>\n

8. Use sign language.<\/b><\/p>\n

I like to teach students the signs for quiet, stand up, sit down, line up, and other basic directions. It\u2019s much gentler (and less exhausting) to show a sign all day long than to keep repeating yourself! When you want quiet, simply show the sign for quiet and have students mimic it back. Here\u2019s an article on various sign language signs for the classroom and how to use them.<\/p>\n

9. Fill the room with quiet sprinkles. <\/b><\/p>\n

This is a great one for the PreK-2 set, especially if you have a dramatic flair. Decorate a small container with glitter and sparkles and label it \u201cQuiet Sprinkles.\u201d Tell the class, \u201cWhen I sprinkle these imaginary sprinkles on your head, you will become quiet and freeze, just like magic! Watch how it works!\u201d and pretend to sprinkle some on a child\u2019s head. Make a big show of gliding around the room and sweeping the sprinkles over your students. If you use this technique more than once or twice a month, it will lose its effectiveness, but it\u2019s a lot of fun!<\/p>\n

10. Try marshmallows and bubbles. <\/b><\/p>\n

Beth O. tells her students to \u201cpop a marshmallow in.\u201d Right after she says the words, she puffs up her cheeks and taps them, and the kids do the same with their own cheeks (which stops them from talking.) She then makes eye contact with individual children as needed and taps one her puffed cheeks as a reminder. Elizabeth D. calls does something similar, but calls it \u201cputting bubbles in your mouth\u201d and says, \u201cRemind students to have bubbles before you leave class and whenever needed! Works amazingly, and they are so cute when they do it!\u201d<\/p>\n

11. Get playful.\u00a0 <\/b><\/p>\n

There\u2019s not much time in the average classroom for play, so attention-getters can be a quick and easy way to incorporate some FUN in your classroom!\u00a0 Elissa S. says, \u201cSometimes I have a code word. At the moment it\u2019s BANANA BREAD and when students hear it, they grab their ears with the opposite hand crossed in front of them.\u201d Christopher O. uses a microphone and walks around like a talk show host. Lynda P. says, \u201cAvengers, assemble for further instructions!\u201d\u00a0 Sharris H., who teaches English in a computer lab, says \u201cJazz hands!\u201d to get students\u2019 hands off keyboards\u00a0 so she can have their attention.<\/p>\n

12. Get sneaky. <\/b><\/p>\n

JulieAnn S. says, \u201cTalk softly to one group of students\u2026the rest will want to hear what you are saying.\u201d Lori S. advises, \u201cSpeak in an accent they don\u2019t normally hear. They will all look to see who came in the room.\u201d Barry G. \u00a0tells his high schoolers, \u201cPlease don\u2019t listen to what I\u2019m about to say because I\u2019ll probably be fired if they find out I said it. It gets concert-hall quiet!\u201d<\/p>\n

13. Use a concrete reminder. <\/b><\/p>\n

Tracy C. uses a visual. She tells us, \u201cI have a wand and attached a big check mark at the top (printed from the computer). I trimmed the check mark in red sparkly garland. I teach the kids on the first day of school when I hold the sign up that they are to \u2018check in\u2019. Whenever someone is chatty or not paying attention, I hold the sign in the air. The good listeners will inform the student who is breaking the rule by pointing to the sign. I never have to say a thing. The \u2018check in\u201d sign has been one of my classroom management tools for years.\u201d Toni L. uses a wind up music box: \u201cI wind it on Monday. Every time the class is noisy, I open it. If there is still music left on Friday, the class earns a treat.\u201d If you don\u2019t like to give tangible rewards to students, make the reward a class dance-off: play a favorite song for 2 or 3 minutes on Friday afternoon right before dismissal and let the kids have some fun!<\/p>\n

14. Make it educational. <\/b><\/p>\n

Robert B. teaches math, and tells his students, \u201cGive me a factor of ___\u201d and the kids hold up the correct number of fingers (i.e. \u201cGive me a factor of 36\u2033 and the kids hold up 6 fingers.)<\/p>\n

15. Change techniques once a month or quarter to keep things fresh. <\/b><\/p>\n

Anne P. advises, \u201cPractice one attention grabber for two weeks, and praise, praise, praise when students respond as requested. Introduce another grabber once they have mastered the last, making it a treat to learn something new.\u201d<\/p>\n

Remember there is no \u201cmagic bullet\u201d that will get all students\u2019 attention all of the time. Don\u2019t get frustrated! Constantly having to refocus your class is a normal part of teaching. Take a deep breath, smile, and keep encouraging your students. You can do this!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you fallen into the trap of saying \u201cNo talking!\u201d …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3670,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[1575,193,182,199,1460,1576,196],"class_list":["post-3668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-teachernews-trainingconferences-didyouknow-facts-interestingwords-interestingpeople-onthisday-interestingwordsandexpressions","tag-1575","tag-elt","tag-english-book-in-georgia","tag-for-teachers","tag-march-2015","tag-noisy-class","tag-teaching-english","cat_34"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/englishbookgeorgia.com\/blogebg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/englishbookgeorgia.com\/blogebg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/englishbookgeorgia.com\/blogebg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/englishbookgeorgia.com\/blogebg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/englishbookgeorgia.com\/blogebg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3668"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/englishbookgeorgia.com\/blogebg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3668\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3671,"href":"https:\/\/englishbookgeorgia.com\/blogebg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3668\/revisions\/3671"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/englishbookgeorgia.com\/blogebg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/englishbookgeorgia.com\/blogebg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/englishbookgeorgia.com\/blogebg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/englishbookgeorgia.com\/blogebg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}