Translate

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Daily Assignment #15: Getting Students' Attention and Keeping it

We all have so many strategies for getting students' attention and keeping it.  It would be great if you could sit with your colleagues and list the many strategies used.  Most teachers are not even cognizant of how many strategies they use within a 30 minute block of time.

Here is a list of some attention strategies that I have used and some I know other teachers have used:

Clapping patterns
Switching lights on and off
Hands on head
Stop and Stare
Name dropping
Reprimand
Voice variety
Ringing a bell
Chimes
Hand signal
Standing close to disruptive student
Using a threat
Removing student
Knock it off/Stop moves
          Whole group: "Okay folks, let's settle down."
          Individual:  "Richard, you need to focus on our discussion."
Using a student's name in an example
Calling on a student
Music
Being dramatic
Humor
Questions
Make a student a helper, either for the teacher or another student

There are so many more strategies.

After reading the list of strategies above, I hope you will take an opportunity and list strategies you use. Ask a colleague to come in and check off, or write down, which ones you use during a lesson or period.   Then reflect on the data.  If you find that you are using more "Knock it off" moves than engaging moves, consider this an opportunity to experiment with new more positive strategies to getting student's attention.

I hope you will share this blogsite with colleagues and friends.  If you haven't already, please become a "Follower."

Thanks so much and Best Effort,
Linda103

No comments:

Post a Comment