Ready to Listen

This post is going to be short and sweet.  I just wanted to quickly share with you a trick that I tried that has really helped ensure that all of my students are ready to listen.  When I use "Class Yes" with my students, the attention getting signal used in Whole Brain Teaching, I expect all of my students to look at me and fold their hands.  This works well most of the time, especially if the students are not writing or working with something at their desk.  However, it doesn't work as well when they are writing or working with manipulatives or their white boards.  I have found that even when they answer "yes" and look at me, some will try to finish what they are doing, rather than follow directions quickly (rule one), by immediately stopping what they are doing and folding their hands.

We talked about this, practiced this, and even made it a team goal on the Super Improvers Wall, but there was still that group of students who did not immediately stop what they were doing and fold their hands.  My solution was "the hot potato".  I told them that when I say "class" anything that they are holding in their hands instantly becomes a hot potato, and they must drop it.  It worked like a charm.  Now they instantly stop what they are doing, fold their hands, and look at me.  We are now earning our team improver stars in this area easily.

To sum up, (Yes, we have been working on concluders this week.) if you are having trouble getting your students to instantly stop what they are doing and fold their hands, try the hot potato technique.  As I have learned, it truly works!