Getting attention is a critical piece of any lesson. It is where expectations are established and the tone is set. There are two gems that are especially beneficial to use during this phase.
Freeze Body
There are many ways for teachers to get their students attention (give me , freeze, eyes up here, boys and girls, etc.) Whichever approach you choose, the goal is for teachers to get students to STOP what they are doing and look at the teacher. The gem, Freeze Body, implies just that. You freeze your body and stand still. When a teacher is giving instruction while moving, the non-verbal message (moving) is contradicting the verbal message (freeze) and students will tend to go back to what they were previously doing. By simply being still when students are expected to be still, there is a dramatic difference.
Above (pause) Whisper
Teachers have many ways of getting student attention. Some may choose to echo clap, there might be a call/response, or the teacher may simply ask for the attention of the class. However the teacher goes about this, the volume should be just ABOVE the volume of the the group. The teacher should then (pause) and drop his or her voice to a whisper. Doing this creates an atmosphere that is quiet, receptive and productive.
Here is a video of a first grade teacher using Freeze Body and ABOVE (Pause) whisper together. She stands still in her "teaching spot" and uses a call/response as her ABOVE. She will then Pause waiting for the students to be ready to listen, then whisper the instructions all while keeping her body still.
Here is a video of a first grade teacher using Freeze Body and ABOVE (Pause) whisper together. She stands still in her "teaching spot" and uses a call/response as her ABOVE. She will then Pause waiting for the students to be ready to listen, then whisper the instructions all while keeping her body still.