BONUS REPORT: 55 Ways to Get Silence from a Noisy Group · PDF fileTitanic watch, for example,...

www.behaviourneeds.com Bonus Report: 55 Ways to Get Silence from a Noisy Group

© Rob Plevin behaviour Needs Ltd 2013 Take Control of the Noisy Class

BONUS REPORT: 55 Ways to Get Silence from a

Noisy Group

If you struggle to get your students’ attention during lessons here’s a

nifty collection of ideas which may help....

#1: The unexpected

Done correctly this idea never fails. All you have to do is present them

with something they’re not expecting and then hold back on the explanation. Kids are naturally very inquisitive creatures and will be

desperate to know why you’ve arranged the classroom differently, switched on coloured lights, set up some weird equipment, arranged

some party food on the main table, or walked in backwards with your underwear on your head.

This puts the power ball very much back in your court...

“I’ll explain everything as soon as you’ve all stopped talking.”

#2: Present them with a prop

Props are a great way to keep the attention of your students; they have

two main uses. They can amuse and entertain (Elvis wig, clown's nose) by

keeping the mood upbeat and helping to break the monotony of teacher-

talk and demonstrations. Or they can be used as a learning aid to make

explanations easier to understand, focus attention and demonstrate

abstract concepts in a visual and concrete way.

Without doubt the best prop I ever had the privilege to use in a lesson

was a genuine relic from the Titanic. It was a broken pocket watch

belonging to a young boy who had been working as a bellboy on one of

the lifts before he tragically drowned. My pupils had been working on their

research project for a few weeks and were fascinated by the whole Titanic

story. To see this piece of living history up close and tangible, after

previously only having access to pictures, videos and reference books,

was simply amazing for them. They had already discovered the exact time

the ship was documented as taking her final plunge - 2:20am – and had

filled this time in as the last entry on their time lines. When they saw that



the watch had actually stopped at precisely 2:20am, they were,

understandably, completely spellbound.

Obviously this was a one-off. The chances of getting your hands on

priceless relics are slim and any efforts to procure them from your local

museum may not be viewed favourably. I was lucky – not because I had

originally arranged to bring in Kate Winslet and a bucket of cold water,

but because a friend of mine knew the lady who owned the watch. She

had never shown them to anyone outside her home up to that point but

was thrilled to be able to enhance the children’s education by coming in to

school to display them. Like I say, I was lucky, but we all have friends

and relatives and it’s possible that one of them has, or knows someone

who has, a suitable prop for your next lesson.

Subject-related props can literally bring a subject to life. As an

introduction to a lesson they can grab attention like nothing else. The

Titanic watch, for example, was actually introduced to the group as part

of a simple starter activity - 'What’s in the bag?' – in which they have 20

questions to guess the contents of a bag or pillow case.

When the students entered the room, the bag (one of the original sacks

used by the authorities to hold passengers’ belongings retrieved after the

accident) was waiting ominously on the centre table. They were instantly

attracted to it and were desperate to find out what it was. Job done: we

had their attention!

On another occasion, prior to teaching a unit of work on WW2, we (my

teaching assistant and I) spent weeks sourcing as much WW2

paraphernalia as we could. Showing them pictures about the war was

interesting for them, sure, but offering them bullets, helmets, belts and

bombs (they weren't live, honest) to actually hold and examine was

different again.

For a list of other types of ’Must-have’ props for the classroom see our

teacher resource site at http://www.lesson-ology.com .

#3: Envelope tasks

It’s surprising how much intrigue can be built up with nothing more

expensive or creative than an envelope with ‘Mission Instructions’ or ‘Top

Secret’ written on it. We all love to receive an envelope and guess at the

contents which makes this humble but intriguing piece of stationery the

ideal delivery boy for a host of quick activities.

http://www.lesson-ology.com/



Example 1: Put a range of alternatives in an envelope, (in picture or

written form), and tell pairs of students they have to rank them from

easiest to hardest, best to worst, most important to least important etc.

Ranking exercises are a very student-friendly, accessible way of

introducing a new concept.

Example 2: Scavenger hunt - identify websites and offline resources such

as books, wall displays, relevant experts, newspaper articles etc. together

with one specific fact/answer relevant to each source. Questions are

constructed for each fact and written on a question/clue sheet and placed

in the envelope. An extra interactive dimension can be brought into this

by planting some clues around school.

#4: Challenge

I’ve often heard it said that there are two ways to get disinterested

students engaged – bet them or pay them. I don’t want you to be out of

pocket so let’s look at the first one. Challenge is a universal motivator and

as long as you get the level of challenge correct, you’ll find most students

are intrigued by the prospect of any kind of contest. Obviously, if the

challenge is too easy there will be no feeling of success and the student

will likely deem it too boring or childish to bother with in the first place. If

it is too difficult they will be put off from trying in future challenges. So,

make sure you set your task at the right level if you decide to use any of

the following challenge ideas…

Challenge ideas:

i) Tell them they can set the maximum number of mistakes they are each

allowed in a piece of work.

ii) Let them choose the question they can reach in a specified time.

iii) Bet them they can’t beat the last class – “they managed to be sat in

their seats with their mouths closed and their books open in 7.5 seconds!”

iv) Challenge them to count the number of letters in a ‘Concentration

Square’. A ‘Concentration Square’ is simply a 20 x 20 grid on a Power

Point slide filled with random letters. Students are timed to count “all the

B’s” or “all the F’s” etc.

v) Shape puzzles can be used in a similar way – students are timed to

count the number of triangles, for example, in a geometric shape.



vi) Behaviour challenges (younger students): “Who can show me how we

walk back to our desks?” “Who can show me how we sit like statues on

the rug?” “I can see three students sitting perfectly and the last group

got to twenty five. Can we get more than that?”

vii) Silent challenge: Get a timer and build up the time they can stay

silent. Start with 2 or 3 minutes of silent working, then 5, then 7... You’ll

be surprised how long they can build up to – 20 minutes plus is not

uncommon once they start to experience some success and actually start

seeing the benefits of silence. Reward those who meet your target.

#5: Your choice

Choices are powerful motivators. They give students a sense of autonomy

and a feeling of increased possibility of success. By simply changing our

language and offering a limited choice we take some of the pressure out

of our requests and create more willingness in them to take part. On test

papers, for example, the questions which give a choice - “answer two

from section A, two from section B, and two from section C” are less

threatening than those which offer no choice at all.

Instead of:

“Turn to page twenty and get on with the exercises; when you’ve finished

those you can complete this worksheet”,

try:

“I’ve written some choices on the board. You only have to do five from

the ten choices, and in any order you like.”

This small difference in the way the work is presented makes a world of

difference to the way students respond.

#6: Magic tricks

Magic is amazingly effective for capturing the attention and imagination of your students and for quickly changing the mood of a negative group.

Here’s an example of a great mind-reading trick to remind students that

you’re the boss and that they really have no choice but to follow your instructions!



The illusion:

You reach into your pocket or desk drawer and start pulling

out random objects – a pair of scissors, some keys, a whistle,

flux capacitor, the watch from your wrist, thumb screw etc.

You select three items (let’s say the watch, the keys and the

whistle) and place them on the desk.

“Daniel, you’re going to pick one of these items and I’m going

to make you pick the one I want you to pick using subliminal

messaging. The key here, I’ll say that again, the key here is

to focus on one item and pick the one that locks (looks)

right.” (You make it quite obvious that you are trying to

suggest the keys to Daniel by highlighting the words ‘key’ and

‘locks’.)

Daniel smiles a smile which says “I don’t think so, sir” and

picks the watch.

You look surprised but then say “Well, that’s very interesting

Daniel, you obviously think you can ignore my instructions

completely but you underestimate the power I have over you.”

You point at a blank piece of paper on the desk and ask Daniel

to turn it over. On the other side it reads “You will pick the

watch – told you!”

How it’s done:

You are actually covered no matter what object the student

picks with this nifty little trick. If he picks the keys you

direct him to look closely at the keys and read the key fob.

On the key fob is written “Ha ha, I knew you’d pick the keys!

Don’t underestimate me.”

By placing the keys with the fob facing down to the table, he

would not see this during the trick until he picks them up.

Similarly, if he picks the whistle, you ask him to look

carefully at the ribbon to which the whistle is tied. Written

clearly along it are the words “Ha ha, I knew you’d pick the

whistle! Don’t underestimate me.” Again, he would only see

these words when his attention is drawn to them – after he has

picked the item.

If you happen to have a Dictaphone in your drawer a nice

variation is to have a message pre-recorded... “Ha ha, I knew

you’d pick the Dictaphone...”



(Note: this trick is quite adaptable, and also works with

children not called Daniel.)

More mind reading tricks and simple illusions are available in our fantastic

lesson resource site for teachers: http://www.lesson-ology.com.

#7: Story time

Nobody can resist a good story.

It’s usually best if the tale has some humour in it – my students

absolutely love to hear any story about me making a fool of myself in public. I’m good at that so I have a wide range of stories to choose from.

#8: Puzzles & mindbenders

Riddles, puzzles and mindbenders are often used as fill-in or ‘early finisher’ tasks but they make great attention-grabbing starters too. It

goes back to what we touched on in #4 – kids love a challenge. Here’s one for you…

Q: An Arab sheik is old and must will his fortune to one of his two sons. He makes a proposition. His two sons will ride their camels in a race, and

whichever camel crosses the finish line LAST will win the fortune for its owner. During the race, the two brothers wander aimlessly for days,

neither willing to cross the finish line. In desperation, they ask a wise man for advice. He tells them something; then the brothers leap onto the

camels and charge toward the finish line. What did the wise man say?

Answers on a postcard please to the usual address.

#9: Get them on their feet with a physical energiser activity or

game

Energisers are generally quick activities designed to stimulate thinking,

raise flagging energy levels or to spark motivation in an activity. They can be used at the beginning of a group session or class, as well as in the

middle or at the end. They are also a wonderful way to build group cohesion and stimulate interaction because they depend on the group's

cooperation, participation, and interest to complete the activity. They are also significantly cheaper than drugs.

Dance Off is an example of a fun energizer and is a great way to add

hilarity to your lessons whilst injecting learning-boosting oxygen to your students’ bodies.

http://www.lesson-ology.com/



You’ll need a CD or MP3 full of ‘cheesy’ disco tunes – the type guaranteed

to get you on your feet and shaking your booty.

Announce to the group that they are about to take part in a dancing competition and that as soon as they hear the music they must get on

their feet and strut their stuff, throwing out the best moves they can muster. Tell them you’ll be playing a few seconds of various tunes

throughout the lesson and that this is their chance to practice. Tell them you’ll be allocating points for the best moves but only to table groups in

which all members of the team are on their feet.

Keep a record of points and award prize at the end of the week to the

winning team.

#10: Divide and Conquer

It’s much easier to deal with a small group of four or five rowdy students

than it is to try and control a large class of thirty-five. Issue numbered or colour-coded cards to students on their way in to the classroom to assign

them to groups or partners of your choice and then tell them that if they want to sit with their friends they have to earn that privilege.

Use a calendar to show the number of lessons there are left this term and

tell them that as long as they work quietly and respectfully, you will change the seating plan after another ten lessons. That way, as long as

they behave appropriately, they will be able to enjoy the majority of the

term’s lessons sitting with their friends.

#11: Be nasty

Take a deep breath, bang loudly on the desk and shout SHUT UP!!!

It has a place, occasionally.

#12: Be nice

When you consider that most of the students in a ‘challenging’ group will

feel less than enthusiastic as they walk into the classroom, particularly

first thing in the morning, it’s not difficult to see why this strategy works

so well. After all, many students come to school carrying all manner of

‘baggage’ that will have a direct influence on their behaviour in the

classroom environment. They may be hungry, lacking in sleep or

burdened with complicated emotional problems from home and these

pressures can often manifest as a student who is withdrawn and easily

upset, or one who is aggressive, disruptive and non-compliant.



If you could lift their mood on arrival at your classroom it would almost

certainly prevent the possibility of confrontational or challenging

behaviour and would give you much greater influence when you need to

get their attention. So how do you do that?

Here are a few suggestions…

i) Give them a warm greeting. A warm personal welcome (handshakes

and high-fives convey more feeling than words) sets the tone for the day

and gives you chance to assess each student's mood and head off

problems before they start. Their responses will tell you a lot about their

feelings.

ii) Have some welcoming or calming music playing as they walk in.

iii) Give them a cup of tea. Yes, I am serious. It’s difficult with a class of

thirty but with a small group it is the perfect way to create a supportive,

positive atmosphere. Stay clear of wheatgrass though.

iii) Help them put their problems to one side and write an organised plan

for the day.

iv) Let them have a few minutes to chat and catch up with their friends.

v) Give your room a good tidy or even a coat of bright paint. The positive

effects of environment and colour on mood have been well researched

and litter, graffiti and chaos can have a hugely demoralising effect on

behaviour.

#13: The calming routine

Turn the lights down low, play some calm music and project the

morning's brainteaser or ‘settling starter’ activity onto the whiteboard.

The bright board in the dimly lit room will help focus their attention and

will provide the basis for a calming ‘first five minutes’ routine which

students will find easy to settle into.

#14: Pictionary

An abstract picture sketched on the board with the words ‘Can you guess

what this is?’ will catch students’ attention as they walk in the room.

Don’t say anything but as soon as someone guesses what it is, give them

a card with a keyword related to the subject topic and get them to come

up and draw a sketch to represent the word on the card. The person who

guesses what it is swaps places with them and is given a new keyword.



You can formalise this game by creating teams, giving time limits etc. or

you may prefer it as a quick impromptu starter.

#15: Role play

Many kids love role play. A colleague of mine started a fantastic history

lesson on Henry VIII with an audition for ‘dead people’. “Right everyone!”

he boomed as he walked through the door. “I’m going to turn my back

and count to ten. When I turn back round I want to see your best

impression of someone who has died horribly.”

This quick audition grabbed their attention from the word go and led

perfectly into the subject of the lesson.

Often we start our lessons by writing down an objective because

consultants and education experts have told us we have to. In many

cases though, this can cause students to switch off there and then. As

soon as you finish saying “Today we’re going to learn about particle

theory”, they all groan and put their heads on the table - you’ve lost

them.

Instead, if the teacher was to get them on their feet standing closely

together in rows vibrating slightly (solid), then ask them to hold hands

and move apart (liquid) before finally ask them to walk around the room

freely (gas), he would be more likely to get some participation.

#16: Acrobatics

If you can do a cartwheel, flip nimbly across the front of the room and round off with a double somersault while juggling kittens, then:

a) you’re probably in the wrong profession;

b) you’ll definitely get their attention.

I tried this once. Once.

#17: Use a musical instrument/noise maker

Playing a musical instrument such as a tambourine, cowbell, guitar, piano

or kazoo gives a non-aggressive but very audible signal that you want

everyone's attention. And you’ll certainly get it if you walk into the room

carrying a piano.



You might also consider linking the sound to a particular activity so that

you have different signals/sounds for different actions such as sitting on

the carpet (for younger students), putting pens down, clearing away,

lining up, giving you dinner money etc.

Clapping: If you haven’t got an instrument you can use your

hands, but be careful if some pupils are prone to silliness. Rather

than randomly clapping every time you want them to listen, try

clapping out a rhythm that they then have to clap back to you.

Smoke alarm: Keep one of these in your drawer and ‘test’ it

whenever you want total silence. If you plan on doing this regularly

it might be an idea to issue ear plugs.

Bugle Horn: Taking the ‘noise-maker’ idea to its ultimate

conclusion I use an old bicycle horn during seminars/workshops and

also in schools when I’m working with students. It adds a bit of

humour (think circus clown) and cuts through chatter and classroom

noise like a knife through a custard pie.

#18: The Quiet Game - Somehow, when you just add the word "game"

to your request, the kids will generally snap right into line.

Get immediate attention of a noisy group by shouting (or writing on the

board if they’re already louder than you) “Let’s see how much noise you

can REALLY make.” Go on to tell them that they can have five seconds to

make as much noise as they want – but after the five seconds, when you

raise your hand, they are to be completely silent to see how fast they can

do it. Repeat the game a couple of times letting them have a few

seconds to shout and yell. This is surprisingly effective, but you may want

to warn staff in rooms nearby.

#19: Use the ring leaders

Many of the most challenging and difficult to manage pupils in school tend

to be those with leadership potential – the ringleaders. You can use this

to your advantage and get them on your side by giving them

responsibility for getting other students quiet at the start of the lesson.

Ask them quietly before the lesson begins and out of earshot of other

students:



“Ryan I’m going to need you this lesson. The other kids look up to you so

I’m counting on you to help me get their attention.”

Giving jobs to your students like this is a very positive strategy but

always make sure you give them clear instructions as to exactly what

their job entails. It would be counter-productive for you to award a

responsibility (such as getting the class quiet) to a student only to have to

then challenge them for doing something wrong (such as punching

anyone who talks out of turn).

You could give them a brief a list of ‘dos & don’ts’ for their particular job

or just spend a few minutes demonstrating exactly how you expect/need

them to behave in their particular role.

#20: Clearly ‘define’ their current noise level

Vague terms such as ‘quietly’ mean different things to different people.

What is ‘quietly’? To some it is talking in a barely audible whisper. To

others, perhaps those who come from a background where shouting is

part of normal communication, ‘quietly’ might not even exist - or even be

several decibels louder than you’d like.

Make your instructions very clear by putting them in context; eg explain

to them that 30cm voices (the length of a ruler) are fine for this lesson

and demonstrate a ‘30cm voice’ by talking very quietly.

“Only someone who is 30cm away from you should be able to hear you

when you use your 30cm voice. And put your phones away please!”.

#21: The Music Box - Buy an inexpensive music box and wind it up at

the start of the lesson in front of the students. Tell them that whenever

they are noisy or off task, or whenever you need their attention, you will

open the box and let the music play until they are silent. If, at the end of

the day, there is any music left, they earn a reward.

#22: Use visual reminders

If you struggle to make yourself heard in a noisy classroom, try writing

your instructions/requests on the board instead of shouting.

As an alternative, coloured cards on the wall can be used to represent a

simple ‘Noise Level Meter’ similar to a set of traffic lights. When green is

up the noise level in the room is fine. Orange – warning, level is too high



and needs to drop immediately. If it doesn’t drop after an agreed time,

red card goes up. Red. Stop the activity, take a minute off break and

insist on silent working for 5 minutes.

#23: Hands up!

“Next time I want you to be quiet I will put my hand in the air. The last person to put their hand in the air and stop talking will have their name

put on the board/will have to come and sit at the front for ten minutes (or some other appropriate consequence).”

You may also add:

“If you put your hand up but carry on talking, I find that even more disrespectful so will keep you in at break even longer.”

#24: I’ve got my ‘Eye' on you

Bags of toy plastic ‘eyes’ can be bought very cheaply in craft and hobby shops. They move, they look silly and your students will love them!

One eye on a table = “I am keeping an eye on you”.

Two eyes = “I've got both my eyes on you – be careful”. Third eye = a consequence.

If students are prone to play with them when you place them on a table

with a group, try a laminated chart on the wall with each group’s name and a space to add the eyes.

#25: Shhh you’ll wake the baby...

Have a baby doll in the corner. Designate a ringleader to pick it up and go to front of class and say “Shhhh, you’ll wake the baby!” whenever noise

levels get too high.

#26: Stop Clock

Whenever younger students start talking set the clock going. At the same time keep a record on the board of who is talking and apply a strike after

their name;

John / Kate /

Jacob /

The next time there is chatter you add an additional strike to those pupils who are talking. Then at the end of the lesson you take the time they

have wasted from the stop clock during the lesson and keep whoever has



their name on the board with three strikes back for that time over break.

Anyone who has four strikes gets an automatic detention.

#27: The Singing Horses

This is a fun strategy but it won’t work with all groups and it has a shelf life. If you type ‘singing horses’ into Google you will find it. It can be used

on the interactive whiteboard - when you press the horses they sing. You can start with all four singing at the start of a lesson (or during an

activity) while students get themselves ready. Stop the horses one by one so that by the time the last horse stops all students have to be silent.

Anyone talking when the horses have stopped is moved to a desk at the front of the room for five minutes.

#28: Rhymes with actions:

Example 1: You call... "Hands on heads, hands on hips, hands on shoulders, fingers

on lips” to get attention and then repeat it a second time along with the students whilst performing the actions.

Example 2:

You call… “One, Two, Three – eyes on ME!” Students respond with a loud: “One, two – eyes on YOU!”

#29: Gimme FIVE

Hold your hand up, palm facing outwards as you would to give a ‘High Five’ and say:

“Give me FIVE... Two eyes watching, two ears listening and one mouth

closed. Give me FIVE.”

#30: Countdown

“5; Okay it’s time to stop and look this way. Excellent, very quick on that

table. 4; pens should be down, books and mouths should be closed, very

good you two, you’re listening to me. 3; still too much noise over here,

that side of the room are perfect. 2; Just waiting for the last few people

now, all conversations should be stopped, hands on the desk in front of

you. Well done, you’ve got it. 1; Thank you! OK, this is the next part of

the lesson…”

#31: Call Backs

“If you hear me, clap your hands.”



(Those that don’t hear will stop to see why other students are clapping).

If the noise continues, add other actions:

“If you hear me snap your fingers, wiggle your nose, or wink, etc.”

#32: Sir Yes Sir!

If you've seen the drill scenes in 'Full Metal Jacket' or 'An Officer and a

Gentleman', you'll know exactly how this one works. You might also want to warn teachers in any adjoining classrooms!

You: Whenever I need you to listen really closely to me I'm going to say

one word: "atten-tion!"… and I want you all to respond by shouting "sir yes sir!" [John Wayne drawl] Okay?

Students: Okay sir!

You: Atteeeeeen-tion!

Students: SIR YES SIR!!

#33: Teach them a routine for giving you attention

Spend some time teaching a routine for giving attention quickly so that

students get into a HABIT of becoming quiet whenever you ask...

i. Explain the routine: “Whenever I say, ‘I need you to be quiet right

now’(insert a phrase of your choice – or use a noise-maker), I want you

to stop what you’re doing and look at me.”

ii. Model the routine: Show how this will work in different scenarios.

Make it fun by playing the role of a noisy student (with some eager

volunteers) while the rest of the class give you the instruction.

iii. Practice the routine: Get your students to start talking and then

give your signal for them to be quiet. Do this a few times until they do it

instantly. Practice when they aren’t expecting it – wait until they are

engaged in an activity and then give your instruction.

iv. Give them a score each time they practice: Giving them a score

adds a touch of fun to the routine and also appeals to students’ natural

urge to want to do better. Having the class work towards a common goal

also builds community.

v. Repeat if necessary: If they don’t manage to quiet down straight

away repeat the routine. Make them go back to talking with each other



and then give your instruction again. Repeat this until they get it right –

especially in the early stages.

vi. Praise them for getting it right: During the initial early stages of

teaching any new routine make sure you acknowledge the fact that they

are doing as you have asked. Give them plenty of verbal praise and

perhaps a class reward such as a video or early dismissal – they need to

know that their efforts are appreciated.

Variation: At the beginning of class, show them that when you want

them to stop, look and listen in a hurry, you will perform a certain action

or make a certain noise. For example, every time they see you put a

finger on your lip and a hand in the air, they will know to immediately do

the same. This is easier and usually more effective than raising your

voice or trying to talk over the crowd when they are busy or off-task. You

can also bring in a rain stick or a small instrument like a harmonica that

can be used in this way.

#34 : Settle Down Elvis

We had this created as an example of a fun attention grabber. It will wear

thin/drive you mad (delete as appropriate) with over-use but some groups will love it. You can download your own copy from our Lesson-

Ology site and play it on your whiteboard if you have one: http://www.lesson-ology.com/content/free-stuff

#35: ‘All Stand’

At the first sign of talking or murmuring, pause and say, ‘Stand up

please’. Have them stand behind their chairs while you continue with the

lesson. If anyone carries on talking while standing, write their names on

the board and tell them to move to the front desk.

#36: Reward quiet students

Praise quiet students throughout the lesson. Make a list of these students

and let them go slightly earlier than other students. Don’t make a fuss,

just let them go early while those who were talking are kept back for a

minute or two. A sanction doesn’t have to be particularly harsh in order

for it to be effective. In this case, two minutes stood behind a desk while

their peers trot out to the bus will be excruciating for some students. You

will only have to do it a few times for the message to get through - good

behaviour is rewarded.

http://www.lesson-ology.com/content/free-stuff



#37. I only ask twice

Give class a clear instruction: “Everyone stop talking and look this way

please.” Acknowledge and thank those who comply. For the rest, write

on the board the date and current time followed by: ‘Asked class to be

quiet’. Some more will settle; thank them. For those that don’t, write

the time followed by: ‘Asked class to be quiet for second time’. Then

announce: ‘I only ask twice’.

Then write down the names of any students who are still talking under

the heading ‘Still Talking’.

Tell them it’s a new system – explain that it is understandable for people

still to be talking after the first request (some people might not hear you)

which is why you ask twice. Carrying on after that however is

unacceptable and anyone who has their name on the ‘Still Talking’ list will

receive a two-minute detention at the end of the lesson (or other

consequence of your choice).

Follow up with them at the end of the lesson. Explain that you want them

to succeed and that if they are to get the best from the lesson they will

have to do as they are asked, that it’s not good for them and it’s not fair

on other students. Don’t shouting or display anger – you’ll lose them that

way. Instead try to give the impression that you want to help them but

also that you won’t tolerate them talking over you. They will see you as

fair if you approach them in this manner. Tell them that next time it

happens they will have to choose between full detention with a phone call

home or being shot into space without a helmet.

#38: Zero Tolerance

Give ONE warning and follow up EVERY SINGLE TIME with your stepped

consequences.

Calmly state the name of the student followed by "first warning".

If they continue talking or start arguing with you, calmly say, “(name),

you have chosen to carry on talking/argue with me. You have therefore

chosen to (insert consequence) ". For a full range of consequence

suggestions see Take Control of the Noisy Class:

www.takecontrolofthenoisyclass.com

http://www.takecontrolofthenoisyclass.com/



#39: Start the Clock

Write on the board: ‘This lesson is 60 minutes long and you won't leave

this room until you’ve had the pleasure of 60 minutes of my awesome

teaching. I’ll start the clock whenever you hold up the lesson and add

that time to the end of the lesson.’ Then stand with a stopwatch - start

the clock when they are quiet. When they interrupt stop the clock again.

#40: Whisper

When the classroom noise level is getting out of control, whisper

something along the lines of: ‘If you can hear my voice raise your hand,

and you’ll get 5 minutes of free time at the end of the day’. That way,

anyone who is listening will hear and will get the reward, but those who

were not will seethe with jealousy.

#41: B-R-I-L-L-I-A-N-T

Remember, it is better to focus on the behaviour you WANT to see rather

than that you don’t.

Tell the students at the beginning of class that every time they are

listening attentively, staying on task etc. they will get one letter of the

word BRILLIANT written on the board. If they get all of the letters by the

end of the day, they get a class reward.

#42: Secret Agent

Tell the class at the start of the lesson that you are going to secretly pick

one student at random to be the Secret Agent (you can put names in a

hat or, to save time, just by picking a number from the class

list/register). Important: none of the students must know the identity of

the Secret Agent. Tell the class that as long as this student has a good

lesson (you can formalise this by giving them a behaviour or work target

of some sort), the ENTIRE class will receive a reward.

#43: Remember - your class is your mirror

If you are lively and excited, your enthusiasm and energy will spread

round the room and your students will mirror your behaviour. Similarly if

you are calm and relaxed, you will help create a calm, relaxed

atmosphere in your room. I don’t need to explain what will happen in

your classroom if you like to talk…



#44: DJ

Play some nice relaxing music in the background (it’s amazing how many

students actually start requesting classical tunes once they’ve heard them

a few times). Turn the music off when you want their attention or to

signify the end of a period of work.

#45: Consequence Cards

Here’s how to turn a simple deck of cards into a behaviour management

tool that students’ attention right from the start of the lesson:

Get a regular playing card for each student in your class and write each

child's name on a different card. Shuffle them up and get ready to wave

goodbye to unresponsive students. From now on, whenever your students

come to class they are going to be like putty in your hands – at least for

the first few minutes. Why? Because you’re going to assign a nasty task

to the unlucky soul whose card you pick at random from your deck.

Kids love to see their peers suffer so this is a real winner. Don’t worry

though, I’m not suggesting you give them a painful or embarrassing

forfeit, just a challenging one.

As an example, I drink wheatgrass juice whenever I want to annoy my

partner, Sally. Despite its many health-giving properties, it has the most

disgusting, pungent smell (and taste) and turns our kitchen into a

hazardous area for several hours. A small shot glass of this dark green,

slime-like liquid is enough to send most students scurrying for cover so

the threat of ‘tasting’ it offers the perfect penalty. Indeed, any task which

is slightly unpleasant yet entertaining should get the desired response – a

classroom full of cheerful, wide-eyed, hopeful young people, all

enthusiastically waiting to see what happens next. All you need to do

whenever you want silence is to reach for the pack of cards. I’m not

kidding when I say this works beautifully.

Now, I’m not suggesting you turn your lessons into an amusement park –

so before I get accused of putting entertainment ahead of learning please

remember these ideas are to be used sparingly! Unless they work for you

as well as they do for me. ;-)

#46: Pictionary

An abstract picture sketched on the board with the words ‘Can you guess

what this is?’ will catch students’ attention as they walk in the room.



Don’t say anything but as soon as someone guesses what it is, give them

a card with a keyword related to the subject topic and get them to come

up and draw a sketch to represent the word on the card. The person who

guesses what it is swaps places with them and is given a new keyword.

You can formalise this game by creating teams, giving time limits etc. or

you may prefer it as a quick impromptu starter.

#47: Black Circle

Draw a circle on the board. Fill part of it in if they keep on talking after

you've signalled quiet. When it is filled, there is a consequence, e.g. 5

minutes’ detention etc.

#48: Anchors

This is a technique from those clever NLP people and it works like magic.

It takes a little time to set up an anchor but once established, they can

literally work wonders with challenging groups. Anchors can be locations,

pieces of music, body positions, props, actions etc. and can be used to

automate a variety of teaching processes. Here’s an example of how a

location anchor can be used to get attention from noisy students

whenever you want to tell them something:

Step 1: Stick a piece of tape on the floor to mark a location in the room

Step 2: Tell students that whenever you stand on this mark, you will tell

them something of extreme importance

Step 3: Rehearse use of the anchor by walking slowly and deliberately to

the mark several times over the next few minutes so that students get

into the habit of quietening each other down when they see you

approaching it.

Step 4: Before the end of the session, use the anchor to get student

attention as in step 3 but continue to give them a very important

announcement which includes information which is of benefit to them e.g.

“Important announcement everyone; because you’ve all worked so well

I’m going to let you all go two minutes early.”

Do this two or three times with similar messages throughout the lesson

and your anchor will be sufficiently embedded. From this poiint on, you

should only need to walk towards the mark on the floor and the students

will suspend talking to hear what you have to say. Protect the efficacy of



the anchor by giving occasional treats to students as you did when

embedding the anchor.

For a more in-depth tutorial on the use of anchors in the classroom, my

good friend and colleague, Pearl Nitsche, has produced a fantastic video.

You can watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKjzknWxLUo

#49: You can keep your hat on

As above but get yourself a crazy hat rather than a spot on the floor.

#50: Fun Routine

The beauty of this routine is that students get to make as much noise as

they want. It’s a bit of fun and I’ve always found fun to be one of the best

ways of getting a negative group on side in the shortest possible time; especially if it involves allowing them to make a lot of noise. Explain to

students that whenever you sing out certain words, they must respond as a group.

Example 1:

Teacher calls out: “Daaa da da da… “ (2 second pause) “Daaaa da da da…"

Students respond: “Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!” Example 2:

Teacher calls out: “Day-Oh, Daaaaaaaaaayyy-Oh!” Students respond: "Daylight comes and I wanna go home!"

#50: On Your Mark

First pick a spot where you are going to stand and can be seen by the whole class. Tell students that WHENEVER you stand on this spot they

must IMMEDIATELY stop talking and sit in silence. Try to make a game of this – have a few practices where you let them talk while you walk around

the room and then walk towards the mark. Look at them to let them know you will soon be on the mark and then JUMP with a smile. Do this a

few times to build it into a routine.

#51: Lights

This only really works in dark rooms or in winter. Switch the lights on

and off once or twice to signal silence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKjzknWxLUo



#52: Tangible reminders

Younger students will appreciate the tangible image provided by a

reminder to use their ‘30cm’ or ‘partner’ voices rather than just being told

to be ‘quiet’.

#53: The Silent Register Game

Turn reading/taking the register into a game: read their names in silence

by slowly mouthing each name. Students have to guess the name by

reading your lips. It gets everyone’s attention, and they love it.

#54: Teams

Put your students into table group teams. Get them to come up with a

team name and perhaps a logo, graffiti tag or coat of arms to get them

working together. Put a score sheet on the wall and keep a tally whenever

you ask for silence or need their attention. Whichever team is still talking

when the others are silent loses a point. Team spirit, peer pressure and

the element of competition tends to make this work quite well with some

more malleable groups.

#55: Get to know them

This is easily the most important strategy of all. The other 54 are, in the

main, ‘quick fixes’. What works with a tough group more than anything

else is to get to know your students and build positive, trusting

relationships with them. Once this essential piece of the teaching puzzle is

in place your ability to manage tough, noisy students will improve beyond

belief.

For a STACK of relationship-building ideas together with what is, in my

opinion, the greatest video tutorial on building the vital teacher/student

relationship with hard-to-reach students make sure to check out our

Behaviour-Ology classroom management suite. A month’s access is

available free to Take Control of the Noisy Class customers. To join Take

Control of the Noisy Class go here: www.takecontrolofthenoisyclass.com




I hope you liked those. For hundreds more ideas like these from our

teaching colleagues around the world, be sure to visit the following thread

on our blog: http://www.behaviourneeds.com/blog/2013/01/31/win-a-

free-copy-of-take-control-of-the-noisy-class/#disqus_thread

Good Luck...

Rob Plevin Director, Behaviour Needs Ltd

www.behaviourneeds.com

www.takecontrolofthenoisyclass.com

http://www.behaviourneeds.com/blog/2013/01/31/win-a-free-copy-of-take-control-of-the-noisy-class/#disqus_thread

http://www.behaviourneeds.com/blog/2013/01/31/win-a-free-copy-of-take-control-of-the-noisy-class/#disqus_thread

http://www.behaviourneeds.com/


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