Classroom management wise my favorite tool is the microphone. It is amazing! We have a very loud room, even when students are not trying to be noisy, the hard wood floors and chairs make everything extra loud. It is wonderful to be able to use the microphone because I can call for attention without having to raise my voice.
The microphone alone is of course not sufficient, so I also do a countdown from 5 to zero when we are transitioning or when I am trying to get everyone's attention after a period of worktime. The countdown allows kids a few seconds to finish what they are doing, find a good stopping place and perform the necessary tasks to be ready for the next thing (ie clearing off desks, getting out new materials).
When students are really squirrely or testing me I make sure to wait until everyone is calm, quiet and looking at me. As I do this I remind them I am waiting and that the more time we spend waiting for people, the less time we have for recess or read aloud. It helps that they absolutely adore the read aloud time.
A few things~First, a confession: I have to admit, it's hard for me to get used to seeing teachers using microphones! I've seen Julie use one, too, and it's just a new tool for me to adjust to. I know it's useful, and the kids don't seem to miss a beat, but my old-fashioned brain is still catching up :-)
ReplyDeleteCount downs and "eyes on me" are the tricks I'm used to, and one thing I can say about your use of these strategies, having seen you teach, is that you are great about following through. If you expect all eyes on you, you wait until you get what you've asked for. And when you count down, you're not just going through the motions, moving ahead when the class has quieted a little bit. You hold kids to the expectation that they'll be where they need to be by the time you get to zero. Being firm and consistent is the key to management, don't you think?