How To Get Your Students’ Attention Fast

The ability to get your students’ attention anytime you need it is critical for good teaching.

Because . . .

It saves time.

It allows you to give further instruction.

It’s a sign of a well-behaved class.

The signal you use is unimportant. It can be a sound like a gong or train whistle. It can be a word or phrase. It can be an animal noise if you have the talent.

I don’t recommend silent signals like holding fingers in the air and/or placing the index finger over the lips because it takes too long for students to respond.

I also advise against having students answer back via clapping or “one, two, three, look at you!”

Personally, I prefer “Can I have your attention please” because there is no confusion. It’s simple and communicates exactly what you want.

The key is to have something auditory that signals to your students that they need to stop what they’re doing and silently look at you.

This takes practice.

Not a lot, mind you. An initial lesson at the beginning of the school year and refreshers here and there will do the trick.

It can also be fun. What follows is the method I’ve used for many years.

Step One

Explain the importance of having a signal. The ‘why.’

Step Two

Introduce your signal and model how you’re going to give it.

Step Three

Model how you want them to respond—getting quiet and looking at you.

Step Four

Set your expectation. For example, you want them silent and facing you within one second. (Yes, this is doable.)

Step Five

Practice. (See the following steps.)

Step Six

On your “go” signal, have your students turn to each other and pretend to be in discussion. You can also have them move around the room.

Step Seven

A fun way to mimic discussion is to have them repeat “murmur, murmer,” “hey, hey, whaddya say,” or “blah, blah, blah.”

Step Eight

Practice each phrase once and then have them choose whichever they want on the last practice repetition.

Step Nine

Vary the amount of time they “discuss” before giving your attention signal.

Step Ten

Praise, of course.

Step Eleven

Use your attention signal for real within ten minutes of practicing.

When it Won’t Work

I’ve used these steps dozens of times over the years to get my students to drop everything in an instant and look at me.

It works perfectly and visitors are always impressed. It’s like a party trick. Besides the classroom, I’ve given my signal at the zoo, the beach, and while hiking in the San Gabriel mountains.

However, in the absence of good classroom management, it’s unlikely to work very well. You’ll have to wait and repeat yourself again and again.

This is a clear sign that you need to start over and reestablish your classroom management plan, routines, and expectations.

Take care of this first. Learn and apply the basics of SCM before teaching your signal. In this way, it will work as it should.

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