October 26, 2007
Below is our newsletter for the week. Remember, we are not the end-all, be-all! We are just teachers sharing our thoughts and ideas with you. Feel free to modify strategies you receive from us to fit you and your classroom.
Weekly Tip: Eyes on Me - Time to Refocus
Here’s the scenario: You are teaching a lesson. Someone (maybe you) tells a great joke at just the right time. Everyone laughs. You are ready to move on. Your class continues to clown around as one student after another tries to outdo the other. How do you get them back so you can continue the lesson?
We all enjoy the occasional comic break. It relieves tension and helps us bond as a class. Laughing together feels good. Unfortunately our students don’t always know how to enjoy the good feeling and then move on. They want it to last forever. In our classrooms (and in life) this is simply not feasible. We would never get anything accomplished if we allowed every distraction to take over. Below are some tips to help your students learn how to transition back to work after a fun moment.
1.) Use verbal signals to help students refocus. “Whew, that was funny! Okay, it’s time to focus again. Who can tell me…(question related to lesson)?”
2.) Use non-verbal signals to help students understand that continuing the fun is not appropriate. The Quiet Signal is an excellent way to refocus the attention back to you. You may also have to adopt “the look” and shake your head at those students not focusing back on you.
The best strategy is to use a combination of verbal and non-verbal clues. I often start by saying, “Whew, that was great!” Then, as I raise my hand in the quiet signal, I might also say, “Okay, now it is time to get focused on the lesson again. Let’s quickly review…” From there I begin asking questions to get students back on track. If a few students are still laughing it up/clowning around, I’ll give the look and shake my head slightly.
3.) Talk with the class as a whole about how to handle those “fun times” that might happen during a lesson. Take some time to acknowledge the fact that the feelings we experience are good and that you know it is hard to stop. Discuss as a class and practice signals/clues for getting refocused after a fun moment. Explain that when the class takes the “fun” too far, it stops being enjoyable and is frustrating instead. That makes it less likely that you will encourage those fun moments in class.
4.) If students do not follow the non-verbal and verbal signals to get refocused after a fun moment, stop and review. “I think we’ve forgotten what it means when I…(state signal) Who can tell me what is supposed to happen? We all enjoy having fun in class, but it cannot last forever. After a little bit we need to refocus and move on to finish our lesson.”
I have found that by having a pre-determined signal for refocusing students and using it frequently helps everyone understand that no matter what is going on in the classroom it is time to stop and focus on me. This works for group activities, lab/learning stations, projects, and those fun moments that occur. Practice the signal(s) and use them in class so that students have a clear understanding of what you expect.
Do you have a special strategy or idea for refocusing students you’d like to share with us? Please respond to this email and we’ll post your thoughts in our Idea Share.
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“That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the task itself has become easier, but that our ability to perform it has improved.” ~Ralph Waldo Emmerson
Do you find it difficult to get your class refocused after a fun moment or activity in class? What kinds of strategies have you used in the past? Which, if any, have been successful? Have you used any of these strategies consistently (every time you refocus students)? Why is it important to be consistent in your use of a refocus strategy? What is the biggest problem you have with getting students back on task after a fun moment? Is there a student in particular who makes it difficult to move back to the lesson? What might you say to this student i n a one-on-one discussion of the issue? Why do you think this student is having difficulty moving past the fun and back to the lesson? What can you do to encourage this student to enjoy the fun and then move on? Have you had a discussion with your class about this issue? How do you think they would respond? What strategies might help your students transition from “play time” to “work time”?
Classroom Tip: Tips to Gain and Maintain Attention Classroom Article: Did I Mention I Need Your Attention?
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