Classroom Management Tip #1: Getting Students Attention

Who has had problems with getting students to refocus after a change of activity, while giving instructions, or presenting new material?  <<raises her own hand>>

We all know that talking over the students talking only adds confusion and questions later on.  Here a few tips to use to get students attention during a presentation or while giving instructions.

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The Clap
The Clap consist of a pattern that the teacher claps and the students must repeat.  The teacher stops talking and claps.  The noise brings the students attention back to the teacher and to show they are paying attention they must repeat the pattern.  The pattern can be the same every time or the teacher can change it up.  

The Whisper
Dropping your voice to The Whisper makes the students stop what they are doing and listen intently hear what you are saying.  This method can be used with just saying what you have to tell them about new material/instructions or be offering a quick reward/praise to those who demonstrate that they are listening the first time.

The Watch the Clock (with the Stance)
The Watch the Clock is a stance that you take without saying anything.  When you notice students not focusing on you, the teachers stops and starts looking at the clock/watch. All you do is take note of how long students take to get ready or refocus and take that time away from them.  Such as in recess/break or after school.  Once the students have refocused, you stop keeping time and go on with the lesson/instructions.  The take time away part can be from the whole class or from specific students.  This is up the teacher's discretion.  

The Give Me (with the Hand Raise)
The Give Me is a count of sort.  The teacher chooses what they want to students to do when they refocus on the lesson.  For example: One finger represents closing their mouth, then Two fingers represent sitting the correct way in their desk, and Three fingers represent putting their hands on top of their desk clasped.  Teachers are encouraged to use three to five fingers.  Teachers show the fingers (in order) and watch until each one is completed before moving to the next one, or they can do the before mentioned things while explaining what is expected.  

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To ensure the success of any of these methods, you must show and tell your students what you expect them to do when you get their attention.  For example: When you clap your hands you also turn to sit correctly in your desk and mouth is closed or When you see me at the front of the room watching the clock you must sit with your mouth closed, eyes on me, and sitting correctly in your seat.  

A good thing to do is as you see students doing what they are supposed to is: Say their name and thank you for sitting correctly in your seat/looking at me/not talking/be ready with _____________.  

Another method to help one or two students focus is look at them specifically and ask or remind them of what they should be doing when you use one of the methods above.


These methods work best after practiced and described multiple times.  Students learn from repetition.  Be consistent!  

Illness, symptoms, and treatments (advanced learners)

Illness, sickness, treatment, disease.  These are things that 10th and 11th grade students in Costa Rica must learn in the second language.  More advanced learners in any country can learn these as well.  These things can be hard to comprehend in your first language, much less your second.  Here are some vocabulary (some specific to Costa Rica), grammar structures, and activities to make learning these topics easier and more fun.

Vocabulary

• Diarrhea
• loose stools
• bloating
• cramping 
• urgent bowel movement 
• rehydrate
• Stomachache 
• nausea
• vomiting  
• Headache
• aspirin 
• cloth soaked in hot water 
• Common Cold
• germs 
• sneezing
• sore throat
• stuffy noes
• coughing 
• Flu 
• virus
• body or muscle aches
• chills
• cough 
• fever 
• headache
• sore throat 
• Dengue
• spread by mosquitos 
• virus
• fever
• joint and bone pain
• nausea 
• vomiting 
• headache 
• fatigue 
• rash 
• not treated with medicine 
• Malaria 
• spread by mosquitos 
• chills
• headache
• high fever 
• treated with medicine 
• Cancer 
• HIV/AIDS
• spread through sexual contact or sharing needles with an infected person
• swollen glands
• flu-like symptoms 
• blood test is used to tell if someone is infected 
• use of condoms can reduce exposure 
• Allergies
• allergic
• sneezing
• stuffy or runny nose
• itching eyes, nose, mouth
• Pneumonia 
• chills
• high fever 
• respiratory illness
• rapid,shallow breathing
• cough
• chest pains
• More illnesses for Costa Rica (click here)

Grammar

• What is the matter?
• How do you feel?
• Have you seen the doctor?
• What are your symptoms?
• You need to _________ (drink more fluids, eat, rest,etc.)

Presentation Ideas

• Flashcards
• Show flashcards with symptoms on them and label them.  
• Students can draw the picture representation and the words in their notebook
• Translation
• Teachers can use the native language to define the English version of the illness
• Graphic Organizer 
• Students can use a graphic organizer to describe the disease with the causes, symptoms, and treatments 

The illness in the middle. Causes, symptoms, treatments, 1st language translation, and illustration/use in sentence on the sides.

Brainstorming Graphic Organizers

Practice Ideas

• What do I have?
• Procedure:  Students have a illness taped to their back WITHOUT THEM SEEING WHAT IT IS.  Once everyone has an illness they must talk to as many other students as possible to ask YES or NO QUESTIONS to find out the illness on their back.  

Click HERE for free download

 Click HERE for free download

DonnaYoung.org

• Dialogues with the Doctor
• Procedure:  Students write a dialogue that they would have at a doctor's office.  They must tell their symptoms and get the name of the illness with its treatments.  
• Modification: 
• Students can read various dialogues that would be discussed between a patient and doctor.
• Students can read their dialogue to the class.
• Students can read their dialogue to the class while they or other classmates act it out.

Click HERE for free download

• Commercials for Treatments 
• Procedure: In pairs or small groups, students are given a type of medicine.  Students will then write a short (30 seconds to 1 minute) commercial telling the class what this medicine treats or prevents.
• Modifications:
• STudents can make a public service announcement on how to avoid various illness (for example: malaria, dengue, STDS, HIV/AIDS, etc.) 

Production Ideas

• Matching illness with symptoms
• Procedure: Students are given a worksheet with the list of illness on one side and the symptoms together.  The students write the symptoms that go with each illness under it. {MULTIPLE CHOICE OR MATCHING}
• Listing illness with symptoms/treatments
• Procedure: Students will be given a list of illness and they must write out the symptoms and treatment underneath the illness. {SHORT ANSWER}
• Students are the Doctors 
• Procedure: Students are given a scenario of a patient with certain symptoms.  The students then write what they think the illness is and how to treat (as if they were the doctor).  {SHORT ANSWER}
• Comparing
• Procedure: Using a Venn diagram, students compare two different illness. {LISTING}

This image is from here

Teaching Numbers (all learners)

Another post that I cannot believe I forgot to start with, numbers!  Numbers are something any level of learner can start.  It does not need much background knowledge of the language and can used to scaffold with later on in the learning.

Vocabulary

• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13,14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
• 20, 30, 40, 50 , 60, 70, 80, 90
• 100, 2o0, 300, 400, 500,

Presentation ideas

• How much is this?
• Procedure: Using flashcards (look here for some), teach each number by point to the amount displayed on the cards and saying the English number. 
• Choral repetition: 
• Procedure: After you say the number have the whole class repeat the number.  You can count up to a certain number using this method as well.

Practice ideas

• Number Line Up
• Procedure: Students are in small groups and each group has a set of cards with numbers that they have learned on them.  Teams race to put the cards in numerical order.  

• Number Scramble
• Procedure: Students are in small groups and each group has a set of cards with numbers that they have learned on them.  The teacher says a number or draws a set amount of circles on the board.  Then the teams race to find that number first.  
• Modification: Teacher has all the numbers learned on the board and students are divided into two/three teams.  Each team is lined up (one behind the other).  The teacher says a number and the first team to cover the number said wins that point.  The first person then goes to the end of the line and the game starts over with the next player.  
• Number Statue
• Procedure: Students work as a whole class or two groups.  The teacher says a number and the class must build the likeness of that number with their bodies.

Only instead of letters, build numbers

Beech Hill Blogs

• Bingo
• Procedure: Students play bingo in pairs or individually.  They match the letter and number called to the letter and number on their card (if they have it).  Students get a bingo by have a line of the numbers called diagonally (/), vertically (|), horizontally (-), or in the four corners 

Production ideas

• You tell me
• Production: Teacher says a number and students write that number on their own paper or draw that number of circles.  
• How many is this?
• Production: Teacher draws a specific amount of circles on the board. Students write out that number in letters and as the numerical representation.  

Letters (beginner learners)

I can't believe this was not my first post!  Before students can learn to read, write, speak, or listen, they have to know the letters of the English alphabet!  Let me share some fun ways to teach the letters of the English alphabet so we can go on to other things!

Grammar:
Upper case- A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Lower case- a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Presentation Ideas:
Flashcards: As you teach the names of the letters tape the flashcard with the letter and picture representing the letter on the board.  Refer back to these when doing the practice activities.  HAVE THEM REPEAT THE NAMES  OF THE LETTERS AFTER THE SPEAKER!

   Mr. Printables Alphabet Flash Cards

Free ABC Flash Cards Above 

Compare: Write the Spanish and English letters on the board and show how they are similar (in the way the letters are written) and then erase the Spanish letters to teach the English names.  HAVE THE STUDENTS REPEAT THE NAMES (and pronunciations) AFTER THE SPEAKER.  
Video: Show a video teaching the names of the letters.  


Practice Activities:
Singing:

• Procedure: Students sing the letters of the English alphabet in order.  
• Modifications: 
• As students sing, someone points to the letter (best to have a poster with the letters or have them written on the board).  
• Teach the song without music so that you can start slow, then add music (if using).  
• Start with the names of the letters (you can use this song The ABC song) then move on to the pronunciation of the letters (you can use this song for names and pronunciation of the letters The Alphabet Song)

Letter Line Up:

• Procedure: Students can work in small groups or whole class.  The group is given a set of cards where each card has a letter written on it.  Mix up the cards.  Then have students put the cards in alphabetically order.

• Modifications: 
•  To help students can sing the alphabet song.
• Teacher can give hints (ex. The capitol letter A is point at the top and has two "legs" coming from the point).  

Letter Show and Tell: 

• Procedure: Each week is "sponsored" by a different letter.  Students are encouraged to bring an item from home that starts with the week's letter.
• Modifications:
• Students can bring an item from home that starts with the week's letter in English or Spanish. 
• Students can show an item from around the classroom or school that starts with the week's letter.  

Letter Scavenger Hunt:

• Procedure: When the students can identify a group of letters or all letters in the English alphabet, they race to find an item in the classroom, whole school, or outside that starts with A, then B, the C, then so on.  

Munchkins and Mayhem

• Modifications: 
• Students can work together as a team.  
• Students can be given hints to find items.
• Teacher has multiples of the same items hidden so all groups can complete the scavenger hunt.  
• Have students make the letters out of different materials around the classroom or using their body.

Play Activities


• Have them spell a simple word with various materials.
• Upper and lower case letters are written on individual cards/popsicle sticks/post its and students must match the upper and lower case cards.  

Motherhood On a Dime

Shaving Cream Writing: 

• Procedure: At the students desk, a small amount of shaving cream is sprayed on their empty desk.  The teacher calls out a letter and students write in the shaving cream.  Teacher walks around and confirms/corrects students.

Copying: 

• Procedure: Students are given a piece of paper with the alphabet on it to copy over.
• Modifications: 
• Put paper in a plastic cover sheet or cover with contact paper, so students can write on it with a white board marker and reuse them.  

Production Activities: 
Letter connect the dots

• Procedure: Using a connect the dots, students draw lines starting at A ending at Z in order to create a picture. Click HERE for Connect the Dots
• Modifications: 
• Students draw lines from upper case letters to lower case letters 

Alphabetically order: 

• Procedure: Students write all the letters in alphabetically order.
• Modifications: 
• Students write the letters they know
• Students write the upper and lower case letters (in order)
• Students write the groups of letters they have learned

Everyday Classroom Language (all learners)

A good method for using English in your classroom everyday is to teach classroom language (commands, vocabulary, grades, subjects, basic activities, basic questions and answers) early on.

Here are some vocabulary and activities to engage your students in learning these things.

Vocabulary: 

• Commands:
• Listen
• Sit down
• Stand up
• Clear your desk
• Line up
• Please stop talking 
• Get out your notebook, pencil, pen, etc.
• Look at me 
• Vocabulary:
• pencil
• notebook
• pen
• backpack
• desk
• chair
• marker
• crayon
• glue
• scissors 
• board
• eraser
• Grades:
• first
• second
• third
• fourth
• fifth
• sixth
• seventh
• eighth 
• ninth
• tenth
• eleventh 
• twelfth 
• Subjects:
• English
• Math
• Science
• Spanish
• Social Studies
• PE
• Art
• Music 
• Basic Activities:
• writing
• coloring
• cutting
• studying
• listening
• looking
• Common Questions and Answers:
• May I go to the bathroom?
• May I sharpen my pencil?
• Can I leave?
• Can I throw this away?
• Yes you may _______/No, you may not ___________
• What page? 

Activities to reinforce Everyday Classroom Language:

• Hand Gestures:

• Procedure: Explain commands to your students (translate into 1st language to explain if needed) and assign a hand gesture for each command.  
• Simon Says:
• Procedure: A leader (teacher or student) tells the class to do a command (sit down, listen,etc), find one of the vocabulary words (pencil, notebook, etc.), pretend to do an activity (coloring, writing).  If they do not do it or find it correctly, the student has to sit down.  This is down until time runs out or there is a winner.  
• Poster:

• Procedure: Write out any of the above mentioned words on posters to hang or bring into the classroom.  The posters can include pictures, drawings, and translations to explain the words. 
• I don't understand: 
• Procedure: When a student asks any of the questions or says any of the above words in their first language.  Just tell them you don't understand them (tell them in English).  To get them to use those words in English have them use the hand gesture, look at the poster, show you the object, etc.  The student cannot be given permission or told the answer until they use the English words.