Class? Yes! Hands and Eyes!

Whole Brain Teaching: Classroom Management - Post #1

{Click the image above to download "The Big 7" WBT Classroom Management posters}

As teachers, we have a whole "bag of tricks" in our classroom management bag.  Today, let's talk about those "attention-getters."  Whether your students are playing learning games around the classroom or your in the middle of a class party with tons of visitors, there are always those times when you need to get their attention - and fast!

Some of the tried and true methods that most of us have used for years include:

1) {teacher} 1-2-3, Eyes on Me! {students} 1-2, Eyes on You!
2) {teacher} claps a pattern with hands {students} repeat the clapping pattern with hands
3) {teacher in a whisper} If you can hear my voice clap two times {repeat until all students are participating}

Those are all very effective, but let's face it.  Sometimes, you need their attention NOW, not after clapping three different patterns.

This is where "Class?  Yes!" from Whole Brain Teaching comes in.  It's purpose is the same as all of the above, but it's SUPER QUICK!  One word.  You've got them.

Here's a video from Coach B himself about the Class/Yes technique:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRyMI8jRCaI

Of course, there's room to have fun with it.  The whole trick is that however the teacher says "Class" the students have to repeat "Yes" using the same tone and expression.

Some of my favorite ways to use Class/Yes this year included:

Classity-Class-Class : Yessity-Yes-Yes
Classy-Pooooo : Yessy-Pooooo
Ohhhhh, Classss : Ohhhhh, Yesssss

Some of these super silly ones (classy poo) may not work as well with older kids, but you can come up with your own variations.  A 4th grade teacher at my school, Jennifer,  that went to the WBT conference with me shared her class favorite and I just may have to borrow it.

Think of Alicia Keys' song "That Girl is on Fire"....

She would sing, "Class Are you on Fire?"  and students would say, "Yes We are on Fire!"

Love, love, love that one!!  Do you use class yes?  If so, what is your favorite way to use it??

Now, once students understand Class/Yes, I'm all about throwing those variations back in while you have the time.  But remember, if you need them super quick, just a simple one word "Class" grabs their attention!

Here are some of the cute variations that we use throughout the school year once they've mastered the class/yes.

September {teacher} All Set? {students} You bet!
October: {teacher} Hocus Pocus {students} Everybody Focus
November (testing month for us) {teacher}Ready to Rock? {students} Ready to Roll
December  {teacher} Ho, Ho, Ho {students} Off to Work We Go
January {teacher} 10,9,8,7,6 {students) 5,4,3,2,1
February {teacher} Heart to Heart {students} We're Ready to Start
March (testing month for us) {teacher} Easy Peasy {students} Lemon Squeezy
April {teacher} Abra (students) Cadabra
May {teacher} Holy Moly! {students} Guacomole

When students are active in the classroom and I want them to settle and be seated, I use this one and they should be seated by the end...

{teacher} Criss Cross {students} Applesauce

When students are scattered around the classroom with learning games and I need to give additional instructions or make an announcement where I want their hands off of everything, I use one of these...

{teacher} Hands on Top {students} That Means Stop (students put hands on their heads)
{teacher} Macaroni and Cheese {students} Everybody Freeze (students freeze)
{teacher} Zip Your Lips {students} Hands on Hips (hands drop what they're doing and go on hips)

When I'm looking to have a little more fun, I'll use some fun animal action ones, such as these...

{teacher} Alligator, Alligator {students} Chomp, Chomp (with arms stretched in chomping motion)
{teacher} Mouse, Mouse {students} Squeak, Squeak (with hands on face as whiskers)

I would love for you to share any attention getters that you use in your classroom.  I will work on compiling these (above) and any you share in the comments of this post into a FREEBIE of cards to use in the classroom, so SHARE AWAY!!

 {Click the image above to download "The Big 7" WBT Classroom Management posters}

 If you find that your students are not fully focused on you when they say their response to your "class" (or other attention getter), immediately follow that with "Hands and Eyes."  This command prompts them to fold their hands in their laps and look at you intently (even leaning forward toward you).  All focus should be on you.  This prompt can also be used when you're teaching and have a very important point to make. 


These are probably the simplest of the WBT Classroom Management strategies to implement in your classroom and should be started on Day 1.  Hour 1.

More on the other "Big 7" later this week!