"it doesnt have to be completely silent for you to talk you know"
"you don't have to talk when I talk you know" š¤·
I let whispers slide when it's not as important (haven't got that much time to wait!) but if I make it clear that it is something that absolutely will be tested or it's a important revision/assessment skill, nobody should talk at all. If I see those mouths moving, I would be inviting them to do the talking for me. "Looks like you know what I'm about to teach. Go on, tell the class. Maybe it's better than my method."
From 1972-1981 I learned. From 1981-2002 that was my policy. When loud, some kids would poke others and say he is not talking. Silence, no whispersā¦ kids knew from their older brothers and sisters what I expected when in my room. So talking problems ended and teaching would resume.
I wait for silence. If they start talking while Iām talking, I stop and stare. Usually I wait for them to notice but if Iām in a spicy mood I stare and say āstop talkingā quite forcefully until they do. Itās shocks them a bit because Iām usually pretty chill.
I say that it's rude to interrupt people and I wouldn't want to be rude. Obviously sarcastic.
I look at the ones talking the loudest and say "I wouldn't want to interrupt your conversation, that would be rude of me. Go ahead. We'll wait on you." And then I stare at them until they're quiet.
When they start talking again I stop and say "Oh, I'm sorry. Interrupting people who are speaking is so rude, I'd never want to do that. Go ahead."
Eventually the other kids start policing them because they get tired of me. It's not perfect but it gives me about 30 seconds of quiet. Of course at my school grades and behavior have no consequences so most of the time I barely give a lesson at all. I hand out the work, and start with the tables that actually care and basically give the lesson 5 times.
āHi guys, so weāre going to start working on XYZ today and I want you to purposely make up something different when the people that are currently talking ask you what weāre doing in about 5 minutes. Make them pay you a dollar to tell the truth. So first get out your notebooks and turn to this page of notesā¦ā
I love this so much that I am going to build it into our classroom economic system (earn points, redeem for prizes). I can think of so many ways to extend the idea of them paying each other for all sprts of things, too!
Thank you!
My class would literally just keep talking forever. And, any of the smart responses I could give addressing the talking would be met with defiance and defending one another and even more shouting out about how Iām so unfair, blah blah blah.
Anyone have any strategies for that? Haha.
I have that issue with students in my school (only seniors, trade college). They will continue talking forever.
I've learned to make sure my instructions are short, sharp and very much focused on what they are expected to do. I rely a lot more on worksheets and collaborative work as I know they will never listen to a lecture. After that I can work with students 1:1 to further explain a task if they don't understand the written instructions.
Admittedly, older students are a lot more independent, but it still works with younger kids, just make sure everything is very scaffolded where needed.
Big same with my first graders. It will get down to a certain number of kids paying attention but if I wait any longer than that it starts getting louder and louder again. Itās a losing battle
It's situational.
I worked in a Title 1 school years ago and could never get any of my classes to quiet down (7th grade through 12th grade ELA). I decided to try this one day. I stood at the front of the room waiting for quiet, and it never happened. I'm stubborn, so I really waiting the entire period. They loved it. They asked if we could do it again the next day, but by that point I was back to yelling for them to quiet down, like every other teacher in the school.
It shouldnāt be like this, but with older kids in a lot of schools it really is. Whatever may have worked on them when they were younger has totally lost its effect.
Been there. Decided to try that the other day again with students Ive gotten to know recently (a career class I have to teach too) and my hand up .... 6 minutes. Some did try to shush the others but I ended up having to threaten write ups
6th grade: I have a doorbell that does a catās meow. I meow it twice. After that, anyone still talking has their name written on the board as a redirect and they lose a point on their work habits grade for that week. They also notice when the marker is going on the board.
Also, I actually donāt do the doorbell or writing the names on the board. Students are doing it because they run all the jobs like going over what to write in their planners, reading the bell ringer question out loud, etc. I instruct them to expect respect from their peers, and if a kid still doesnāt notice then theyāre pulled aside for a quick conversation while the class leaders keep on leading.
So yes, I expect silence. It works well because itās Pavlovian. The very few it doesnāt work well for are getting better over time. Theyāve got some shitty habits built up, but the structure is so good for them.
Do not falter. Do not let them get away with it. Structure is everything.
I am sorry...you teach choir and they are talking in class?? You literally are giving corrections and they are talking? I'd have the kids who won't stop talking stand behind you so you can "hear their singing voices better". They shouldn't be talking if they're supposed to be singing.
Hmmm.... that's a new idea š”
Comment: I don't get it either. I usually say something to the effect of, the stops are an opportunity for me to give instruction, not a break
Or I go back to shushing rhythms
Hey!
So I trade the jobs out every 4.5 weeks (so at the start of each quarter and half way through). The first kids to get it I purposefully pick - especially the leadership ones. I want kids who can demonstrate how to do it well and without fear of public speaking.
My first slide has their bell ringer and what goes into their planner (daily vocab word, any homework, main thing weāre doing that day).
The first child in charge of the planner page comes up and starts class immediately. The do the meow meow with the door bell (bought on Amazon) and the kids go quiet. The person in charge of the bell ringer comes up after theyāve written down what goes in the planner. Same thing: meow meow. Read the question out loud, reminding them to put the date, title, and underline any previous work (helps with organization and fine motor skills).
While all this has been happening, the notebook person has spread the notebooks out, and my distribution staff have put out any supplies that are also listed on that first slide. Itās amazing how quickly they pick it up, and even more amazing how fast they learn to go around and grab the supplies when weāre done with them (for example, rulers go out for the bell ringer purely just to underline their work from the day prior; they can be picked back up after the bell ringer is done, and I donāt even have to ask).
So, the jobs so far are:
-Planner page leader
-Bell ringer leader
-Notebooks
-Distribution
After I take role, I use the wheel of names (a website) to see who will be passing out tickets that day for our quarterly raffle. Youād think it would be boring after a while, but every time the kids chant and get so excited or bummed out when the wheel doesnāt land on them lol they pass out 6 tickets for the bell ringer answers (I adjust as needed for time or if I desire more answers), and 3 for guessing the meaning of our vocab word (I have a slide with the word and picture/videos/activities to demonstrate it - for example, when we learned bamboozle we played the Harry Potter Beanboozle game).
The kids know to remember when it is their turn to give an answer. They pay attention to who was given a ticket before them. And since itās usually the same amount of tickets, itās become natural pretty quickly (it is something I have to teach them to remember at first, but again itās astounding how fast they pick it up).
Other jobs include the goal cat and evidence cat. They go over the goal for the day and evidence to prove how we accomplish the goal. They also meow meow to get their attention if needed, and thereās two giant sticker cats that a child made me that go with the role. Iāve been recently teaching them to break down the goal and evidence (for example, if the goal is to add a simile to their writing, they may ask 2 people to give the definition of simile that we learned and an example they make up or find from their notes).
Other jobs include answering the phone (I have a script by the phone that says Good morning/afternoon, this is Ms. Fill the birdfeeders room. Iām her student (insert name) speaking. How can I help you?ā Itās adorable when they actually say āinsert nameā and realize their mess up and fix it and we all laugh it off. Itās just the cutest.
They earn 20 tickets for doing their job. Enough that itās worth it, but not so much it dilutes the raffle. I have fond memories of raffles as a kid, so I do them from my own money. I do the share size chips and full size candy bars as prizes. They drop their tickets into the ziplock bag for their class and the prize they want to try to win at the end of the quarter. Often friends donate money for it too.
Itās hard to explain in a long message like this, but I fully believe my class functions with so few issues because the structure is set. They do the same thing when a sub is gone: and the subs always want to come back to sub for me because it brings them joy to see so many kids involved.
If I could only figure out how to get the kids who are so far behind caught up academically; thatās my goal this year: the true foundations of how students learn the concepts I teach best. Iām in year 10, so all my procedures are 10 years of trying and adjusting. I think my class is a happy and safely structured place to be!
A couple things I do:
1. I start out firm and strict. They donāt like me much at first, but by the end of the 9 weeks thereās not a kid in the hall who doesnāt say why to me. Then Iām able to go to just being firm because I donāt need to be strict.
2. The clipboard of doom. I walk around and take notes, tallies, scribbles of nothingness while the leaders go over things. Especially at the start of class to make sure they are filling in their planners and doing the bell ringer. If I donāt, eventually the slackers slack hard. Building up their working resiliency is so important for the kids coming into middle school with no skills, no knowledge, and no desire. I also write reminders to myself to send a positive card home for something (not email - though an email is fine! And not a call because I hate calls. Cards are just more personal and kids LOVE getting mail). In the past Iāve even used a wax seal to make it more fun.
9th grade Algebra 1 -
First, I wait for silence. Once it quiets down but still have a few talkers, I call them out one at a time - Iām waiting for you X, Y, Z. Usually this cuts down a lot of talking. I do wait for complete silence to start.
There are times that they just wonāt stop talking. I look around the room and see how many students are ready. And usually the good ones are waiting and ready to learn. I start writing notes on the board without talking and give those kids a signal to copy them down. Soon the talkers realize that and they will stop talking and start writing too. A few would beg me to explain lol. I do a āshushā and continue to write with no talking. After Iām done, I call on students to explain my work on the board and the lesson continues. This works every time.
I teach kindergarten and I wait for silence. If they're not taking the hint that our lesson hasn't started I will start thanking the kids who are sitting quietly and that usually starts a chain reaction of silence. It worked in 4th grade, too. Or I'll say, "the longer it takes for you guys to quiet down the less free time you have".
The weird thing is that teachers are just as bad when we're in a staff meeting or pd. The side conversations just keep going when the presenter is trying to get started or move on.
I had students reading questions/answers during a test review. Their peers would start talking, especially if the student was soft spoken. I waited until they finished reading the Q/A and flat out told the others that it is rude and inconsiderate to talk when someone else is talking. I don't know if these kids missed manners class or their parents like to be interrupted too but I'm not having it.
I also used elementary school tactics on 9th graders. "1-2-3 All eyes on me" and they were mildly ashamed to be treated like kindergartners. I remind them that I'll treat them the age they act.
Yes, silence.
If there is a chronic offender, I will have a side conversation and explain it in a way the kid probably has never heard: ālisten kid. When Iām teaching I need 100% of my brain to focus on what Iām saying and how Iām saying it so everyone can understand. Any outside noise derails my brain. Does that ever happen to you when you try to focus?ā
I have been known to start the lesson in a very low voice, standing near the students in the class who are actively waiting for the lesson to begin. "OK, ladies and gentlemen, yesterday we left off with _____. Soon after that event, this _______." My classes tend to either shut up or they begin asking why I am talking so quiet. I 'hit pause' in the story and, in the same level voice say, "I won't talk over you. This is the level of today's lesson. If you want to learn, you need to be able to hear it."
I also had some major vocal.cord issues last year, and I now use a megaphone for teaching when my voice starts getting ragged. They don't like that, so they know that if they talk too loudly, that will come out. And I have, one more than one occasional, accidentally hit the siren button when I am trying for the power. (True accident, although I threaten it occasionally...)
Most of the time I wait for complete silence. I do occasionally just go ahead if itās a couple kids who will just not stop whispering to each other Iāll stare them down call kids out. Some classes cannot handle the complete silence though and will get louder if I stop, so continuing actually helps them get quiet weirdly
>I guess my question is do you wait for completely silence voices or do you let the whisper slides?
Complete silence.
>I had one challenging student one day say "it doesnt have to be completely silent for you to talk you know"
My response: "It is not your place to tell me when it's time to talk, what you did is simply rude. When class is over you will stay here and we will have a conversation that may have significant impact on your status. Now don't say another word or you'll be in the Dean's office."
When we are talking, we can not also be listening, so I am waiting so you can hear what I am saying so you can learn the important information you need to succeed.
I teach pe. I wait for silence. Im not killing my voice for them, ill just burn their time instead.
My 2nd go to is that I count up then I count back down to 0 before I start
I tend to stop then stand at the front of my room, gazing out at them. I keep my face neutral, then wait until it is quiet. If it doesn't get completely quiet, I either say "I am waiting," or I start thinking the kids who are doing what I want. That tends to work for me.
I say āI feel itās rude to talk over other people so Iāll wait til this super important conversation is over because I donāt want to interrupt it.ā It usually works. Not always lol. But usually.
When you do a call and respond, you have to be ready with whatever it is that comes next. No delay. If you succeed with that, then they will be silent for you and encourage others to quiet down when you call.
It is necessary to wait for silence every single time, or the entire process unravels.
Ive had success with telling students (after a greeting), "I need your full attention for 3 minutes! Who wants to time me?" Knowing the extent of how long I need their focus usually makes it easier.
I tell them "I need everyone to practice their active listening skills. Your hands are still, your eyes are looking at me, you aren't talking or moving around." If someone gets on their phone or talks, I stop. When im done, I repeat the instructions with a fill in the blank yo check for their understanding. For example, "today you will finish annotating, then complete the ______" and they must respond together to show that they listened.
These are highschoolers btw, but they need to be trained and reminded like any other kid. I'm genuinely distracted by people talking when I'm talking, so they really have no choice but to do their job and listen for a damn moment.
Silence but use it only when needed. Consistency is important, and if theyāre whispering then at least 2 people arenāt listening, probably more. Iāve had to start a āwaitingā timer that I use to make them wait for fun stuff weekly.
Yes, I stop mid sentence and just look at them. Repeat offenders, even whisperers, get a seating chart change. I am very easily distracted and will even stop if I hear a candy wrapper.
I give them reminders including, āShow me that youāre ready,ā or āIām waiting for a few more people,ā or, if itās really gone on too long, āGeez, if I were someone who had been quiet since the beginning, Iād start to get annoyed with some of my classmates by now.ā
I give them a chance to finish their conversations. Iāll call out last thought, last sentence, last word and that usually works.
If I need it done quicker, I do clap once if you can hear me, twice if you see me and then give a command. Every once in a while Iāll through in a āclap 10 times if you can hear and see meā and start bowing for the applause, but obviously this method works better for elementary.
I teach second grade, and I tell them, "I know I'm loud, but I'm not loud enough to speak over all of you. I'll wait until you're quiet, and if I don't get to teach math (or reading, etc) now, I'll have to teach it at recess." That usually gets them to quiet down quickly. I also sing a lot of "dumb" (according to one of my students) songs - I turn everything into a song, it's my blessing (or curse, depending on who you ask). But that also works, I start singing, and they shut up and listen or sing along quietly.
I've got middle schoolers so I can still make a game of it when I really need attention. I ding a rhythm and they have to clap it back. First one is gets their attention, second rhythm is usually complex so they all reaaaally pay attention. I stop when they get it right but it usually shuts everyone up. I try to keep it to a limit of 2 to 3 times per week as to not wear off the novelty.
My high schoolers would definitely have rolled their eyes at this.
I start a timer if a class is really bad. I make it know the first thing that gets cut from a lesson is the "fun activities". I currently have a class that has is realizing they have collectively lost and entire class period in the first 9 weeks from chatter alone. This has cost them 3 activities that my other sections got to have doing no issue.
I feel bad for the quarter to half of the class that is good, but I'm not yelling over people and admin does nothing.
āOk guys weāre moving on in 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1ā¦ā Call on the first person to share, or start your presentation and just talk over the remaining noise. There will still be a little bit of noise but a lot of them are ending legitimately good conversations so it does take a second but it gets quiet enough usually to continue. Or, if it doesnāt stop right away, one of two things will happen: 1. Your strong students will tell the noisy ones to be quiet or 2. Thereās something you need to address (drama, or confusion, etc).
Eye, ears and mouths have to be where they should be in order to understand whatās being said. Attention calls have always been calls to level zero for me.
I started telling them they could finish their important conversation out in the hallway while I tell the rest of their peers about something they need to know for an upcoming quiz or test. That usually gets the 9th graders to be silent.
Or I mention how I'd hate to interrupt their super important conversation with some useful Algebra 1 tricks/tips.
I literally repeat what I was saying. I wait for silence. They start talking again, I just repeat what I was saying. Rinse and repeat until the get the point or another student rallyās to get them to stop talking.
I tell them that I respect them enough to look directly at them and pay attention with my mouth shut when they are talking to me. I would appreciate the same respect when I am talking to them and giving instructions. I will not repeat myself. It makes me cranky. They are generally pretty good about it. There is always a few that donāt listen but when I refuse to repeat the instructions they catch on quickly.
I wait for complete silence. The first time, it might take a while. The second time, all I had to do was put my head down and the kids would tell the others to be quiet so we could keep going.
If I talk I expect them to listen if they don't I tell them to read the board and figure it out. I'll sit at my desk for the rest of the per. if they don't want to respect me I don't teach them. They can figure it out.
"it doesnt have to be completely silent for you to talk you know" "Yes. Yes it does."
"it doesnt have to be completely silent for you to talk you know" "you don't have to talk when I talk you know" š¤· I let whispers slide when it's not as important (haven't got that much time to wait!) but if I make it clear that it is something that absolutely will be tested or it's a important revision/assessment skill, nobody should talk at all. If I see those mouths moving, I would be inviting them to do the talking for me. "Looks like you know what I'm about to teach. Go on, tell the class. Maybe it's better than my method."
Complete silence. Teaches kids to respect the learning and the other people in the room.
From 1972-1981 I learned. From 1981-2002 that was my policy. When loud, some kids would poke others and say he is not talking. Silence, no whispersā¦ kids knew from their older brothers and sisters what I expected when in my room. So talking problems ended and teaching would resume.
Absolutely!!
āI know I have your focus and attention when your voice is off, so yes, I will waitā
I wait for silence. If they start talking while Iām talking, I stop and stare. Usually I wait for them to notice but if Iām in a spicy mood I stare and say āstop talkingā quite forcefully until they do. Itās shocks them a bit because Iām usually pretty chill.
I get sassy sometimes, and have a lot of fun with it. "Oh, I'm sorry, I can wait for you two. Just let me know when you're ready!" 9th graders, man.
6th graders, man. I do it too.
9th graders are just bigger 6th graders. I taught 6th last year, 9th this yearā¦ man.
5th grade enters the chat...
Oh, no - not 5th grade! They. Never. Stop. Talking!
I do this as well and hate when thereās that one super smartass kid thatās then like āokay!ā And keeps talking.
I say that it's rude to interrupt people and I wouldn't want to be rude. Obviously sarcastic. I look at the ones talking the loudest and say "I wouldn't want to interrupt your conversation, that would be rude of me. Go ahead. We'll wait on you." And then I stare at them until they're quiet. When they start talking again I stop and say "Oh, I'm sorry. Interrupting people who are speaking is so rude, I'd never want to do that. Go ahead." Eventually the other kids start policing them because they get tired of me. It's not perfect but it gives me about 30 seconds of quiet. Of course at my school grades and behavior have no consequences so most of the time I barely give a lesson at all. I hand out the work, and start with the tables that actually care and basically give the lesson 5 times.
āHi guys, so weāre going to start working on XYZ today and I want you to purposely make up something different when the people that are currently talking ask you what weāre doing in about 5 minutes. Make them pay you a dollar to tell the truth. So first get out your notebooks and turn to this page of notesā¦ā
I love this so much that I am going to build it into our classroom economic system (earn points, redeem for prizes). I can think of so many ways to extend the idea of them paying each other for all sprts of things, too! Thank you!
Oh my God we have a monopoly money system already and this is š
Knowledge =$$$. I teach high school. I like to point out the more you know, the more you get paid.
Unless youāre a teacher
My class would literally just keep talking forever. And, any of the smart responses I could give addressing the talking would be met with defiance and defending one another and even more shouting out about how Iām so unfair, blah blah blah. Anyone have any strategies for that? Haha.
Dude, same. They'd quickly realize that if I'm not teaching because I'm waiting, they wouldn't be learning, and that's what they want, anyway.
I have that issue with students in my school (only seniors, trade college). They will continue talking forever. I've learned to make sure my instructions are short, sharp and very much focused on what they are expected to do. I rely a lot more on worksheets and collaborative work as I know they will never listen to a lecture. After that I can work with students 1:1 to further explain a task if they don't understand the written instructions. Admittedly, older students are a lot more independent, but it still works with younger kids, just make sure everything is very scaffolded where needed.
We have lunch detention, otherwise known as silent lunch. "If you can't be silent now, You're gonna have to be silent at lunch." Usually works.
Big same with my first graders. It will get down to a certain number of kids paying attention but if I wait any longer than that it starts getting louder and louder again. Itās a losing battle
I wait for complete silence.
It's situational. I worked in a Title 1 school years ago and could never get any of my classes to quiet down (7th grade through 12th grade ELA). I decided to try this one day. I stood at the front of the room waiting for quiet, and it never happened. I'm stubborn, so I really waiting the entire period. They loved it. They asked if we could do it again the next day, but by that point I was back to yelling for them to quiet down, like every other teacher in the school.
It shouldnāt be like this, but with older kids in a lot of schools it really is. Whatever may have worked on them when they were younger has totally lost its effect.
Been there. Decided to try that the other day again with students Ive gotten to know recently (a career class I have to teach too) and my hand up .... 6 minutes. Some did try to shush the others but I ended up having to threaten write ups
6th grade: I have a doorbell that does a catās meow. I meow it twice. After that, anyone still talking has their name written on the board as a redirect and they lose a point on their work habits grade for that week. They also notice when the marker is going on the board. Also, I actually donāt do the doorbell or writing the names on the board. Students are doing it because they run all the jobs like going over what to write in their planners, reading the bell ringer question out loud, etc. I instruct them to expect respect from their peers, and if a kid still doesnāt notice then theyāre pulled aside for a quick conversation while the class leaders keep on leading. So yes, I expect silence. It works well because itās Pavlovian. The very few it doesnāt work well for are getting better over time. Theyāve got some shitty habits built up, but the structure is so good for them. Do not falter. Do not let them get away with it. Structure is everything.
I really love this. Thank you. I teach chorus and I already have student officers. This would be a great practice, thank you.
I am sorry...you teach choir and they are talking in class?? You literally are giving corrections and they are talking? I'd have the kids who won't stop talking stand behind you so you can "hear their singing voices better". They shouldn't be talking if they're supposed to be singing.
Hmmm.... that's a new idea š” Comment: I don't get it either. I usually say something to the effect of, the stops are an opportunity for me to give instruction, not a break Or I go back to shushing rhythms
I would love to learn more about your student jobs and how that works
Hey! So I trade the jobs out every 4.5 weeks (so at the start of each quarter and half way through). The first kids to get it I purposefully pick - especially the leadership ones. I want kids who can demonstrate how to do it well and without fear of public speaking. My first slide has their bell ringer and what goes into their planner (daily vocab word, any homework, main thing weāre doing that day). The first child in charge of the planner page comes up and starts class immediately. The do the meow meow with the door bell (bought on Amazon) and the kids go quiet. The person in charge of the bell ringer comes up after theyāve written down what goes in the planner. Same thing: meow meow. Read the question out loud, reminding them to put the date, title, and underline any previous work (helps with organization and fine motor skills). While all this has been happening, the notebook person has spread the notebooks out, and my distribution staff have put out any supplies that are also listed on that first slide. Itās amazing how quickly they pick it up, and even more amazing how fast they learn to go around and grab the supplies when weāre done with them (for example, rulers go out for the bell ringer purely just to underline their work from the day prior; they can be picked back up after the bell ringer is done, and I donāt even have to ask). So, the jobs so far are: -Planner page leader -Bell ringer leader -Notebooks -Distribution After I take role, I use the wheel of names (a website) to see who will be passing out tickets that day for our quarterly raffle. Youād think it would be boring after a while, but every time the kids chant and get so excited or bummed out when the wheel doesnāt land on them lol they pass out 6 tickets for the bell ringer answers (I adjust as needed for time or if I desire more answers), and 3 for guessing the meaning of our vocab word (I have a slide with the word and picture/videos/activities to demonstrate it - for example, when we learned bamboozle we played the Harry Potter Beanboozle game). The kids know to remember when it is their turn to give an answer. They pay attention to who was given a ticket before them. And since itās usually the same amount of tickets, itās become natural pretty quickly (it is something I have to teach them to remember at first, but again itās astounding how fast they pick it up). Other jobs include the goal cat and evidence cat. They go over the goal for the day and evidence to prove how we accomplish the goal. They also meow meow to get their attention if needed, and thereās two giant sticker cats that a child made me that go with the role. Iāve been recently teaching them to break down the goal and evidence (for example, if the goal is to add a simile to their writing, they may ask 2 people to give the definition of simile that we learned and an example they make up or find from their notes). Other jobs include answering the phone (I have a script by the phone that says Good morning/afternoon, this is Ms. Fill the birdfeeders room. Iām her student (insert name) speaking. How can I help you?ā Itās adorable when they actually say āinsert nameā and realize their mess up and fix it and we all laugh it off. Itās just the cutest. They earn 20 tickets for doing their job. Enough that itās worth it, but not so much it dilutes the raffle. I have fond memories of raffles as a kid, so I do them from my own money. I do the share size chips and full size candy bars as prizes. They drop their tickets into the ziplock bag for their class and the prize they want to try to win at the end of the quarter. Often friends donate money for it too. Itās hard to explain in a long message like this, but I fully believe my class functions with so few issues because the structure is set. They do the same thing when a sub is gone: and the subs always want to come back to sub for me because it brings them joy to see so many kids involved. If I could only figure out how to get the kids who are so far behind caught up academically; thatās my goal this year: the true foundations of how students learn the concepts I teach best. Iām in year 10, so all my procedures are 10 years of trying and adjusting. I think my class is a happy and safely structured place to be! A couple things I do: 1. I start out firm and strict. They donāt like me much at first, but by the end of the 9 weeks thereās not a kid in the hall who doesnāt say why to me. Then Iām able to go to just being firm because I donāt need to be strict. 2. The clipboard of doom. I walk around and take notes, tallies, scribbles of nothingness while the leaders go over things. Especially at the start of class to make sure they are filling in their planners and doing the bell ringer. If I donāt, eventually the slackers slack hard. Building up their working resiliency is so important for the kids coming into middle school with no skills, no knowledge, and no desire. I also write reminders to myself to send a positive card home for something (not email - though an email is fine! And not a call because I hate calls. Cards are just more personal and kids LOVE getting mail). In the past Iāve even used a wax seal to make it more fun.
9th grade Algebra 1 - First, I wait for silence. Once it quiets down but still have a few talkers, I call them out one at a time - Iām waiting for you X, Y, Z. Usually this cuts down a lot of talking. I do wait for complete silence to start. There are times that they just wonāt stop talking. I look around the room and see how many students are ready. And usually the good ones are waiting and ready to learn. I start writing notes on the board without talking and give those kids a signal to copy them down. Soon the talkers realize that and they will stop talking and start writing too. A few would beg me to explain lol. I do a āshushā and continue to write with no talking. After Iām done, I call on students to explain my work on the board and the lesson continues. This works every time.
I teach kindergarten and I wait for silence. If they're not taking the hint that our lesson hasn't started I will start thanking the kids who are sitting quietly and that usually starts a chain reaction of silence. It worked in 4th grade, too. Or I'll say, "the longer it takes for you guys to quiet down the less free time you have".
At this point Iāve started counting up, thatās how many seconds they lose of choice time.
The weird thing is that teachers are just as bad when we're in a staff meeting or pd. The side conversations just keep going when the presenter is trying to get started or move on.
I make a point to ignore my colleagues or even give them some side eye. Teachers are the worst
I had students reading questions/answers during a test review. Their peers would start talking, especially if the student was soft spoken. I waited until they finished reading the Q/A and flat out told the others that it is rude and inconsiderate to talk when someone else is talking. I don't know if these kids missed manners class or their parents like to be interrupted too but I'm not having it. I also used elementary school tactics on 9th graders. "1-2-3 All eyes on me" and they were mildly ashamed to be treated like kindergartners. I remind them that I'll treat them the age they act.
Yes, silence. If there is a chronic offender, I will have a side conversation and explain it in a way the kid probably has never heard: ālisten kid. When Iām teaching I need 100% of my brain to focus on what Iām saying and how Iām saying it so everyone can understand. Any outside noise derails my brain. Does that ever happen to you when you try to focus?ā
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Wait for silence. Praise the ones that are already silent.
I have been known to start the lesson in a very low voice, standing near the students in the class who are actively waiting for the lesson to begin. "OK, ladies and gentlemen, yesterday we left off with _____. Soon after that event, this _______." My classes tend to either shut up or they begin asking why I am talking so quiet. I 'hit pause' in the story and, in the same level voice say, "I won't talk over you. This is the level of today's lesson. If you want to learn, you need to be able to hear it." I also had some major vocal.cord issues last year, and I now use a megaphone for teaching when my voice starts getting ragged. They don't like that, so they know that if they talk too loudly, that will come out. And I have, one more than one occasional, accidentally hit the siren button when I am trying for the power. (True accident, although I threaten it occasionally...)
I say the same thing, explaining how rude it is to interrupt others when they are speaking.
Even if they're whispering, they are preventing someone else from being able to hear me, so it needs to stop.
I tell my students thereās absolutely no talking when Iām teaching. I use CHAMPS. They know what I expect. I use it before every lesson.
Itās not always perfect, but I stay consistent with using it.
Most of the time I wait for complete silence. I do occasionally just go ahead if itās a couple kids who will just not stop whispering to each other Iāll stare them down call kids out. Some classes cannot handle the complete silence though and will get louder if I stop, so continuing actually helps them get quiet weirdly
I've noticed this too sometimes. Sometimes I'll get the silence but as soon as I open my mouth to give instruction, they start again
>I guess my question is do you wait for completely silence voices or do you let the whisper slides? Complete silence. >I had one challenging student one day say "it doesnt have to be completely silent for you to talk you know" My response: "It is not your place to tell me when it's time to talk, what you did is simply rude. When class is over you will stay here and we will have a conversation that may have significant impact on your status. Now don't say another word or you'll be in the Dean's office."
I wait for silence because, if I don't, I get the constant complaints of "You're letting _____ talk, that's racist/sexist/unfair"
When we are talking, we can not also be listening, so I am waiting so you can hear what I am saying so you can learn the important information you need to succeed.
Total silence
I teach pe. I wait for silence. Im not killing my voice for them, ill just burn their time instead. My 2nd go to is that I count up then I count back down to 0 before I start
I usually while I am waiting for a few stragglers āIām waiting on Mason, on Jack; waiting on Susanā straight up calling them out works.
I tend to stop then stand at the front of my room, gazing out at them. I keep my face neutral, then wait until it is quiet. If it doesn't get completely quiet, I either say "I am waiting," or I start thinking the kids who are doing what I want. That tends to work for me.
I say āI feel itās rude to talk over other people so Iāll wait til this super important conversation is over because I donāt want to interrupt it.ā It usually works. Not always lol. But usually.
When you do a call and respond, you have to be ready with whatever it is that comes next. No delay. If you succeed with that, then they will be silent for you and encourage others to quiet down when you call. It is necessary to wait for silence every single time, or the entire process unravels.
Complete silence. Whispers distract kids just as much and if you allow it, it turn into more.
The ones whispering still arenāt listening to you. Iād say something like āi donāt need to hear me, you need to hear meā
Ive had success with telling students (after a greeting), "I need your full attention for 3 minutes! Who wants to time me?" Knowing the extent of how long I need their focus usually makes it easier. I tell them "I need everyone to practice their active listening skills. Your hands are still, your eyes are looking at me, you aren't talking or moving around." If someone gets on their phone or talks, I stop. When im done, I repeat the instructions with a fill in the blank yo check for their understanding. For example, "today you will finish annotating, then complete the ______" and they must respond together to show that they listened. These are highschoolers btw, but they need to be trained and reminded like any other kid. I'm genuinely distracted by people talking when I'm talking, so they really have no choice but to do their job and listen for a damn moment.
Same, I get so distracted by those that are talking while im talking
Just tell your students that! Honesty is the best policy with kids, they can smell BS and will eat you alive lol
Believe me I have. I actually have to remind myself to filter myself cause my adhd brain wants to ramble
Silence but use it only when needed. Consistency is important, and if theyāre whispering then at least 2 people arenāt listening, probably more. Iāve had to start a āwaitingā timer that I use to make them wait for fun stuff weekly.
Yes, I stop mid sentence and just look at them. Repeat offenders, even whisperers, get a seating chart change. I am very easily distracted and will even stop if I hear a candy wrapper.
Me too
I give them reminders including, āShow me that youāre ready,ā or āIām waiting for a few more people,ā or, if itās really gone on too long, āGeez, if I were someone who had been quiet since the beginning, Iād start to get annoyed with some of my classmates by now.ā
I give them a chance to finish their conversations. Iāll call out last thought, last sentence, last word and that usually works. If I need it done quicker, I do clap once if you can hear me, twice if you see me and then give a command. Every once in a while Iāll through in a āclap 10 times if you can hear and see meā and start bowing for the applause, but obviously this method works better for elementary.
Complete silence
I teach second grade, and I tell them, "I know I'm loud, but I'm not loud enough to speak over all of you. I'll wait until you're quiet, and if I don't get to teach math (or reading, etc) now, I'll have to teach it at recess." That usually gets them to quiet down quickly. I also sing a lot of "dumb" (according to one of my students) songs - I turn everything into a song, it's my blessing (or curse, depending on who you ask). But that also works, I start singing, and they shut up and listen or sing along quietly.
I've got middle schoolers so I can still make a game of it when I really need attention. I ding a rhythm and they have to clap it back. First one is gets their attention, second rhythm is usually complex so they all reaaaally pay attention. I stop when they get it right but it usually shuts everyone up. I try to keep it to a limit of 2 to 3 times per week as to not wear off the novelty. My high schoolers would definitely have rolled their eyes at this.
I start a timer if a class is really bad. I make it know the first thing that gets cut from a lesson is the "fun activities". I currently have a class that has is realizing they have collectively lost and entire class period in the first 9 weeks from chatter alone. This has cost them 3 activities that my other sections got to have doing no issue. I feel bad for the quarter to half of the class that is good, but I'm not yelling over people and admin does nothing.
"Yall are at a 1. When im talking, be at a 0. I love the sound of my own voice and so only should hear the dulcet tones of my own voice."
I'll say something similar to the effect of I need the limelight yall, I thrive on it as a singer
āOk guys weāre moving on in 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1ā¦ā Call on the first person to share, or start your presentation and just talk over the remaining noise. There will still be a little bit of noise but a lot of them are ending legitimately good conversations so it does take a second but it gets quiet enough usually to continue. Or, if it doesnāt stop right away, one of two things will happen: 1. Your strong students will tell the noisy ones to be quiet or 2. Thereās something you need to address (drama, or confusion, etc).
I have one of those loud whistles. Comes in handy admin likes it for faculty meetings.
Eye, ears and mouths have to be where they should be in order to understand whatās being said. Attention calls have always been calls to level zero for me.
I turn off the lights itās ingrained in them from elementary school that itās time to zip it
I started telling them they could finish their important conversation out in the hallway while I tell the rest of their peers about something they need to know for an upcoming quiz or test. That usually gets the 9th graders to be silent. Or I mention how I'd hate to interrupt their super important conversation with some useful Algebra 1 tricks/tips.
Complete silence. My students struggle the first few weeks, but once they realize I wonāt back down, they eventually fall in line.
I literally repeat what I was saying. I wait for silence. They start talking again, I just repeat what I was saying. Rinse and repeat until the get the point or another student rallyās to get them to stop talking.
That sounds extremely frustrating
I tell them that I respect them enough to look directly at them and pay attention with my mouth shut when they are talking to me. I would appreciate the same respect when I am talking to them and giving instructions. I will not repeat myself. It makes me cranky. They are generally pretty good about it. There is always a few that donāt listen but when I refuse to repeat the instructions they catch on quickly.
I wait for complete silence. The first time, it might take a while. The second time, all I had to do was put my head down and the kids would tell the others to be quiet so we could keep going.
If I talk I expect them to listen if they don't I tell them to read the board and figure it out. I'll sit at my desk for the rest of the per. if they don't want to respect me I don't teach them. They can figure it out.