One of the biggest challenges teachers face is getting (and keeping) their students' attention. Learning to do so takes time and practice, but effective teaching requires it.
Tips for getting students' attention
- Praise students for getting (and doing) the signal correctly.
- Make it fun! Change it up and say (or do) the signal fast, or slow, soft or loud.
- Practice, practice, practice! Go over your attention signal until your blue in the face.
Here are some ideas to try
- Attention signals
- Timer or a count down
- Using proximity
- Precision commands/requests
- Do not talk over students
7 ways to keep students’ attention
- Use the 10:2 method: (2 min process/respond for 10 min of instruction)
- Incorporate movement into your lessons
- Pick up the pace
- Provide effective feedback
- Allow 5-7 seconds of “think time” when asking a question
- 3-2-1 method of summarizing: (Write 3 things they learned, 2 interesting things, 1 question. Share in small groups.)
- Periodically pause mid-sentence
Resources:
https://www.teachingchannel.org/video/student-attention-getting-tip