[iteach4th]

I need your help.....

I have a student teacher this semester that needs an "attention getter" of her own! Could you all share what you do to get your students to stop an activity, freeze, and listen?? We teach 4th graders.

(I tried and tried to search for this info.....I know I've read it on here before!! Sorry, it just wouldn't work for me tonight!)

[rebeccav]

Let's see some of the things I have used...

I clap, they clap
"If you can hear me snap twice"
callbacks "crystal"/"clear" etc.
squeeky toys
chimes
"1, 2" "eyes on you"

I teach 5th and all of these things have worked. Hope it helps.

[tammynj]

I count back from five (five, four, three...) Everyone must be silent before I get to one.

[TeacherCarrie]

I say "Give me 5." I have a poster that asks for 1) Mouths closed. 2) Eyes on me. 3) Hands folded. 4) Ears listening to me. 5) Bottom in chair. Some times I don't even say it, I will just stand in front of the room and hold up 5 fingers. Once one student sees me they all start telling each other to stop and give me 5.

I also do a verbal call I got off of here:
Me: "Ba da ba ba ba."
Them: "I'm lovin' it!"

In the past, I've done:
Me: Spongebob
Them: Squarepants!

[dolmansaxlil]

I do Spongebob/Squarepants with my grade 8 kids, and they think it's hilarious! But it does work.

[jsfowler]

Cute ideas everyone! I am going to try some of them.

In the past I have done, "If you can hear me clap once..."

This year we have a chant that I learned at a teaching conference:
I say (THEY SAY)

Good, better, (BEST)
Never let it (REST)
Untill the good is (BETTER)
And the better is (BEST)

By the time we get to the end, everyone knows to stop what they are doing and listen.

[Jenagain]

I've done different ones over the years. This year I do a sing song one Hey (me) Ho (them). My teacher friend does the shave and a haircut song without the words: Bum budda bum bum (her) Bum bum (kids). At a conference I heard a spelling one that goes like this: L - I - S (teacher) T - E - N (kids).

[Bertie]

"One two Three, Eyes on me" (me)
"One, two, eyes on you" (them)

"I'm on one, the counting has begun
I'm on two, where are you?
I'm on three, where should you be?
I'm on four, just one more -
FIVE!
(counting down seems to work better than counting up)

Put hands one either side of mouth and do stage whisper "freeze please"
(simple but it works)

touch a wind chime, ring a bell, turn on a music box, or use a cordless doorbell (button's in your pocket)

[cheri]

All I do is say in a normal (sometimes very quiet) voice "If you can hear me, please be quiet." I usually say it about 3 times and the whole room will be silent, even if they had been very noisy! I'm always amazed at how well it works!