Do you dream of having a peaceful and quiet class? Of pupils who work in silence? Do you dream of not having to constantly tell them to calm down? If so, this is the article for you.
Steps
Step 1. Make it a game
Especially if they are elementary school students, they will calm down immediately if you do "The Silence Game". Allow a few seconds for them to stop chatting, making a lot of noise, etc., then start playing "The Silence Game": students must be quiet for as long as possible. If you want, you can use a timer or you can tell students that you want them to be silent for 5 minutes. If they make noise or talk, the 5 minute count starts over. If the students don't cooperate you can make things more interesting by offering a small prize / reward / sticker, etc. to be given to the person or group who is silent for the longest time.
Step 2. Play some music, but only if the students are silent
Depending on the type of music, this tip can also work with middle school students. Tell the students that if they are quiet you will turn on the radio / CD player / iPod, etc. and they will be able to listen to music. If they start making too much noise again, turn off the music. If you decide to use this method, make sure the music is what the students like. For example, if you teach in a first grade, play their favorite children's CD. If you teach in middle school, tune the radio to a station followed by young people their age. If you play music they don't like, the students won't shut up.
Step 3. Turn off the lights
If the class is so noisy that students can't even hear you when you ask them to calm down, turn the lights on and off a couple of times to get attention, then ask them to calm down.
Step 4. Take their time
You must tell the students that if they make you waste your time (what you have to dedicate to the lesson), you will waste theirs. Whenever they get too noisy look at the wall clock or your wristwatch and count the seconds / minutes that pass before they calm down. Explain that they will have to make up those minutes at recess. You can also make lines on the board whenever they go overboard. Each row represents 1 minute to recover before you can do the recreation.
Step 5. Raise your hand
In most schools, the raised hand of the teacher means that students must be quiet. If that's not enough, you might want to add an incentive - for example, if they manage to be quiet in less than five seconds you'll give them a sticker.
Step 6. Make noise
This is another tip that will grab students' attention. Make noise with a bell, kazoo or other instrument, and you will have their attention. You could use this as a symbol of the request for silence. You make that noise and the students have to be quiet. This way you avoid losing your voice.
Step 7. Have them stand with their hands raised
Try to get them to be silent, then ask "If you are listening to me, raise your hands". You will then see who was listening and who was distracted and you will know that you have their full attention because they will not be able to fiddle with pens, pencils, etc. Once you have verified who was distracted, you can call students individually and make sure they pay attention.
Step 8. Use the rewards
Many teachers use reward systems, such as jars of marbles - when the children are quiet quickly, put a handful of marbles in the jar. If the children are noisy and don't listen to you when you ask them to calm down, take a handful of marbles out of the jar. You can also remove a marble for every minute it took them to calm down. When the jar is full, give the class a treat, such as watching a movie in the afternoon, going to the yard, etc.
Step 9. Clap your hands
Clap your hands with a certain rhythm and ask students to imitate you. Continue until the class calms down and everyone listens to you. This is an excellent idea for elementary school, but it also works in middle school if used infrequently (otherwise they will feel treated like small children).
Step 10. Reward the groups
Divide students into groups and prepare a score table with the names of the groups. Ask students to be silent and the group that is silent longer / faster gets a point. You can also give a reward for every minute of silence for each group, so that they are encouraged to be silent for a long time. Students become very competitive when there is a points competition and they will urge each other to be quiet. At the end of the week or month, give a prize to the group with the highest score.
Step 11. Stay calm and don't shout
Ask them to be quiet by speaking in a calm, cold, composed voice. If you stay calm the students will follow your example and will be calm and quiet as well. A quiet atmosphere in the classroom makes students feel comfortable.
Advice
- Praise students individually for good behavior, especially if their peers were not listening. This way they will understand that you realize that it is not always easy to behave well and that you appreciate their efforts.
- Be authoritative. Students won't listen to you unless you speak firmly.
