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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How about a demo on video.
I’ve seen this request on numerous articles….I would think the legality/privacy issues involved in recording videos of these strategies would be huge if they were done in a real classroom with real students, which is the only way in which they’d be meaningful.
I have done this since forever and it truly works. It is amazing. I also use lights off and a chime in particular settings. Never used the call back method. I think it gives off the wrong energy when you need the students to be quiet.
I’ve done this. I can verify it works very efficiently, esp if you use it when necessary and not at every whim. Thank you for your work. You can have fun AND teach with solid management skills.
You mention that using a silent attention grabber isn’t the way to go but I find, writing on the board, “I am waiting” works wonders.
I like to do the countdown method, and it has always worked for me. I announce, “I am talking in 5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . and 1.” It works for me because I explain to the students that I am counting down as a courtesy to them. I’m giving them 5 seconds to finish their conversation with a friend, but I can do no more than that. I work with 7th-graders, and most can understand the logic behind this technique. The only problem I have had with this is some kids want to count down with me. Then they want to get out in front of me on the counting just to hear themselves and I find it irritating – similar to the person in the galley at a golf tournament who wants to hear themselves yelling “You’re the man!” first when Tiger Woods hits the ball. When a student counts with me, it also is usually in a mocking manner, and I remind them that I am not playing a game, and I am giving them the countdown as a courtesy, so when they count with me and in front of me, they are interfering with my attempt to be kind. They usually understand that and those who don’t may need a consequence to make a different choice.
As recommended, if you train your students from the beginning and explain to them about the expectations of not counting along with the teacher, then it’s usually all good – although they are 7th-graders, so it’s never going to be a perfect world.
It is magic! I have an exceptionally scattered class. My attention getter: class, class: They respond yes, yes: I say: show me focus
and
they
do.
They quit talking. Turn to face me. Fold their hands.
In class. In a lunch line. The beginning of the day.
They have also trained me. When I try other attention getters for variety or out of habit, they don’t work. However, class, class. Always works.
It works, even in preschool.
I’m retired now, three years out, but learning and using this phrase, “Can I have your attention, please?” was the most courteous and professional expression for gathering the kid’s attention back into what we were doing. I had seen, and tried most all the other cues, and I didn’t feel comfortable copying any other teacher’s jingle, so this proved to be the best way to get their attention. On the other hand, if for some reason they were too intent on what they were doing or discussing, and couldn’t respond to my normal voice, I would just whisper – yes, whisper – and it works like a charm every time! (I even do this at family reunions when everyone is having a great time around the table – I just whisper, and it cuts through the conversational fog in a snap, and everyone immediately gets quiet to see what’s up! 🙂
I just say ” I need your attention, please”.
I get it .
Even if I am a relief teacher.
I stay calm and I wait.
My callback works amazingly. I’ve used it on a school bus, in the hallway, in our class and it always works. I just say Waterfall and they respond with ssshhhhh. It gets them quietsnd facing me waiting for my direction.
I say “Flat Tire” and they “shhhh” 😊