Alan Hatter
Listen Up, Students! Attention Signals
How will you get your students’ attention when your classroom is buzzing? Will you sing, turn
lights off and on, use a call-and-response or a clap pattern? Will you stick with one attention
signal all year long, or will you use different signals at different times? How will you get your
students’ attention in “quiet-only” settings like museums or libraries?
Submit four attention signals that will be used in your classroom.
1. I will get my student’s attention when my classroom is buzzing by clapping to a familiar
beat that the students will know and counting down from ten. For example, “Clap, clap
10, clap, clap 9 and etc.” When I bring the countdown to an end, I will then lead off with
what the topic for the class will be that day.
2. I will get my student’s attention while the classroom is buzzing by playing music that
students know and are familiar with. The music will be an indicator of a timer for time
the students will have to complete the kickstart assignment the bell ringer that will be on
the board. For example, if a song is 3 minutes and 45 second and it plays after the bell
rings, that will be the amount of time the students get to complete the bell ringer
assignment.