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.

We used to have name on board once = warning, twice = some other sanction BUT kids could "work it off" so there were kids who were constantly on the board and off again. We were given laminated cards to stick on the board so we could just draw arrows. It was utterly ridiculous. When they changed the system to a blunt "2 strikes and you're out" thing, it took some kids months to stop asking "can't I work it off?"

Now I only teach 6th form and don't have to deal with any of this nonsense. Can't recall a single incident where they would have got onto the board...

Oh, but the amount of attention that can be gained (and time off task too) by a child having to go to the board to move their name down from the green zone to the amber (or red if they've already had a warning) is just appealing to some.

For quiet I have chimes for lessons that should be noisy - drama/music/big discussions etc. The rest of the time I do a countdown from 5 getting quieter. Or I just say "Right, stop and listen please." After a repeat of stop and listen for those that didn't hear it the first time I reward the first few to stop, then tell any that still haven't that they need to shut up. Although I can't say 'shut up' obviously, or there would be parental complaints. I do reference my 'teacher voice' as my interrupting voice, as it reinforces the fact that when I talk I expect them to listen.

Back on call and respond, my absolute favourite is
T- Macaroni cheese
C- Everybody freeze

Cracks me up every time

We do "manos arriba". They hear it, put their hands up, and call back "boca cerrada". It's nearly literally the Spanish equivalent of "the hand goes up, the mouth goes shut" lol. I teach them Spanish.

Then in my Maori classes I call 'tamariki ma!" and they call back "we'll go far!" Tamaraki ma means "all children (here), and it rhymes, so it's fairly catchy and also kind of uplifting lol.

When I'm teaching them in English, I either fall back on manos arriba, or I use an animal sounds app on my phone in lieu of a bell. I have always hated dinging for silence like I'm calling the bellhop. I vastly prefer having the dulcet tones of a clucking chicken or a trumpeting elephant get their attention and make them giggle a bit.

Tamariki, darnit lol.