“QUIET! QUIET! QUIET!”

Recurring nightmare for a teacher:  Standing in front of a group of students asking them to be quiet and they totally ignore you!  Have you had that one?  I have… and even as an experienced educator, I wake up from this nightmare at the beginning of every school year.

Getting the classes’ attention is sometimes the scariest thing about being a new teacher.  What am I going to do if they don’t… well, listen to me?  What if they totally ignore me?  Even experienced teachers need to give some thought to how ‘make the kids listen’ (flickering lights, talking louder doesn’t work in the long run!).  Here are a few tried and true tricks of the trade:

1.       Find a quiet signal that will work for you.  You might have 2 – for different situations.  Ideas include:

·       Soft Noisemaker such as a chime (this is the perfect tool), rainstick, maraca,  tambourine:  Teacher instigates the noise.  Hold up your hand in a stop sign type mode.  Wait.  If you need to, make noise again. Wait.  Might need one more time.  Teacher is silent during this procedure.

·       Call – Response: Teacher has a set call, and Students have a set response.  For example:

T: Sh’ma  S: Yisrael; T: Chitty Chitty S: Bang, bang; T: Am Yisrael, Am Yisrael  S: Chai  For more ideas (secular):

http://thecornerstoneforteachers.com/2014/01/50-fun-call-and-response-ideas-to-get-students-attention.html

·       Clap or Hand Snap Call Response:  T:  claps a simple rhythm S: claps rhythm back (this repeats with slightly harder rhythms).  Some teachers do this and speak: “If you can hear me clap once” 

·       Hand Up:  T: without talking raise hand as if to indicate Stop.  Wait quietly.  S:  as they see the QUIET HAND SIGNAL, raise own hand and become still and quiet.  T: Continue to wait with QUIET HAND raised.  S: more and more will realize the room has grown quiet and raise hands.

2.       Teach and Practice the Quiet Signal:  In the first few class sessions, establish your quiet signal by teaching it to your class.  Have them practice.  This means you tell them you will practice, and what your quiet signal will be. Direct everyone to be ‘noisy’; use quiet signal.  Discuss.  Do it again.  And again.  Acknowledge appropriate behavior.  “I noticed that it didn’t take long to get quiet.” 

3.       Wait until everyone is quiet before talking…. Really, everyone… ALL of the students, the madrich, the visitor in the back of the room.  #1 mistake teachers make is talking while the students are talking.  You might use a quiet voice and say, “I am waiting to see that everyone is ready.”

4.       NEVER… I don’t like to use negatives, but really NEVER raise your voice.  Instead get softer and softer.  I promise, the class will get quieter.  It might take a few minutes, but students will slowly get quieter than you.  Try it.  Once the room is quiet, resume a normal speaking tone.

And finally, use your quiet signal.  Again and again.  Soon you will look like a pro!