Get Your Students to be Quiet

How to Quiet Your Students Easily:

When you want your students' attention, you've probably tried every trick in the book. A flick of the lights, a ring of a bell, hands on your head, countdown 3 - 2 - 1, you name it. Are you ready to change it up?

Here's a method the students love. 

Listening Checklist for Students

Each month pick a new one AND it needs to be related to a favorite team, event or holiday. For instance, for the month of October, you would say loudly 'Trick or Treat', that's the cue to have your students stop talking and listen.

Or if you have a favorite sports team, you would say 'Go Jets, Go'.

The students love coming up with the phrase each month and it works quite well. And if all else fails, perhaps your students need to set goals about becoming better listeners. Try these goal setting worksheets.

Have a great teaching week.
Worksheets by

Too Many Hands? or No hands?

Pick Me! I Know, I Know, Ms ____ You Never Pick Me......Grunt...Ahhhh

Sound familiar? Read on, you'll see why popsicle sticks come in handy!
 When you ask a question you either get no hands up or too many hands up. Well, here's a strategy to ensure all of your students are listening.

1.  Get popsicle sticks and put your student's names on in permanent ink (on the ends).
2.  Stick the sticks in a can with the names down.
3  .Each time you ask a question, reach in, grab a stick and read the name.
4. That student is responsible for answering.

No tuning out anymore. All students are listening, they don't quite know when their name will be pulled out of the can!

This is another great tip I saw in a classroom, so once again, please try it and share it.

Student Voice

Student Voice Box

A Great Strategy To Give All of Your Students a Voice

I saw this in a classroom and was thrilled with how great of strategy it was. Great teachers always share, so please try this and share with colleagues.

Want your classroom to run smooth? Want your students to have better respect? Want to minimize the bullying and conflict? Do something different this year, give your students a voice by creating a voice box.

What you need: A cardboard box with an opening for submissions, placed conveniently near you.

Paper slips: I like to print and cut slips that have a heading at the top. (Some slips need the title Gripe, others need to be called Good Deed) You can determine the names for the slips, I've seen Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down, Cheers and Jeers, 1 Step Forward, 1 Step Back, Hits and Misses.

Now is the time to explain to your class that they have a voice. Each time they see something positive, they print it up on the slip and put it in the box. (For instance, I saw.........picking up litter that somebody else left.) If there is something negative, any student can put in the negative slip and it can be anomynous. (For instance, Thumbs down to a person who was teasing another student about wearing braces.)

Decide when you will have 'Student Voice' time. It should be for a few minutes each day or every other day. This is very important, you need to honor student voice and make it a regular happening. Read the notes and have a mini discussion. This also gives you an excellent strategy to focus on developing great character.

See more strategies for classroom management.

Have a great teaching tip to share? Please do!