Clapping for silence

[thechillandthedamp]

SLTs latest

We clap three times. The students clap back three times then fall silent.

Fucking get me out of here.

This always makes me chortle. Loads of people swear by it, and I'm sure it's great in primary, but in secondary, I've never come across a group who can't clap and continue being noisy at the same time, thus achieving nothing.

I've always found a loud "can I have everyone quiet please" works. To be fair, I teach 6th form only now, so don't need it but KS3 and KS4 drama could get very loud. I am very good at projecting my voice though so much so that friends used to ask to me shout their toddlers in from across the park when our kids were little

Yep, it was 00s for me. And times tables clapping patterns. It's cyclical in education, except the government give whatever it is a new name.

I think it's fine.

So long as you don't expect me to do it.

Ever.

Ha ha ha if I stood in front of my classes (secondary) and did this they would laugh in my face 😂 In primary I can see it working.

Ah we do hands up.
They finish their conversation and then put their hands up. Apparently this magically silences even the most rowdy yr 9 class.
One day when I was trying to make a point about how it doesn't work I waited 13 minutes for silence and then lost my shit which resulted in 8 detentions from that one class and no break for me.
It's such fun.

I teach secondary. When they are too noisy, l wack something hard on the desk.

That shuts ‘em up😂

I suppose it might work for my year 7s. Years 8-11 would think I'd gone insane. And there'd always be the smartarses who just kept on clapping. I find "and focus now" works. With the raised eyebrow/pursed lips combo directed at stragglers.

Kids' school have windchimes. Works OK (infants so they're still generally eager to please) except the dangly bit has fallen off the windchimes in DD2's class... teacher's fine - she's really tall, but they have a really really short TA in there and she's going to injure herself one day desperately jumping to try to reach them to get them to jingle for attention!

Oh you are secondary. No. Just no. The oldest class I would do it with are y3 and that’s just because I forget that they are older. I was memorably once at a staff party where someone did it to get our attention. Mortifying 😳

Isn't this a Michaela thing?

We do this at primary, can't imagine it at secondary though!

Out of interest, how do you get unruly secondary school children to STFU stop talking?

A Uni lecturer (postgrad!) used to put her hand up at the beginning of lectures for us all to copy, I was

cliffdiver I stand at the front and glare whilst glancing at my watch in the style of Alex Ferguson. It usually only takes a couple of minutes first them to settle. If it's last lesson or lesson before lunch I make them stay behind to make up wasted minutes. Once this has happened a couple of times they shush each other the next time!

I just tell them to be quiet. Works for me

TheEmoji, how I miss an school where we had old-fashioned desks....
I used to tell everyone in a particular group to put their fingers in their ears, and then slam one of their desk lids - it worked like a charm!

Goose duck duck

DS Y1 teacher calls out Hands on top (of head) Everybody Stop. And all the kids put their hands on their head. He says it works.

But secondary...I vote for goose duck duck

back in the day, tapping on the board used to work (I'm so old it was a blackboard!) as did putting fingers to lips , folded arms or just looking a bit cross. These things all work less well nowadays....

I have seen teachers counting down from 5. They tend to raise their hand and use their fingers. it doesn't always work. I have seen an effective teacher actually doing it silently with just her fingers. Worked but wouldn't for everyone. These tactics are often used by drama teachers.

When I went to school it was “fingers on lips” 😆😆😆

Yes it works. First time I ever saw it was when I chaperoned DDs field trip here in the US and the kids immediately fell silent, I was gobsmacked, I remember my teachers screaming at us to be quiet back in my day (in the U.K.) and it never worked.

In secondary?? You're kidding?!

I used to have a string of cloth chickens with a bell on. It worked. rather too well as certain kids were always giving them a little shake and silencing the whole class. "Sorry miss"

Piggy I think Michaela uses 3-2-1 SLANT.

I use 3-2-1 Johnny you’re still talking. Emily. Now Reuben. FGS will you all just SHUT UP.
gasp miss you can’t tell us to shut up
Etc.

I think Michaela does a clapping thing at lunchtime so I may be conflating these things.

You put your hand up and smile (you get pulled up for lack of smile) and wait for the children to put their hands up and stop talking
We do this where I volunteer during training weekends with 20-80 adults. Works amazingly well and newcomers catch on quickly. Not so sure with kids...

Doesn’t Michaela do finger clicking to appreciate when a student has done something well? I’d find that excruciating.

Plus I can’t click my fingers.