It is hard to believe that I am already into my 4th week of school! and oh my goodness, my newest little darlings are just precious! They are all absolutely adorable but boy, oh boy, they are by far the most social chattiest group I have ever had! They seemed to become immediate friends with one another on the first day of school and have so much to share about their five short years that their conversations never stop...particularly when I am talking or teaching! Please help! I am running out of "attention getters" & I have had to raise my voice more than I like. I use Dr. Jean's All Day Long CD to help keep them under control during transition times but I need some new tricks to put up my sleeves. I'm not kidding...they can really talk! I already do the clapping patterns for them to repeat. I often whisper "if can hear me, touch your nose. If you can hear me, stick out your tongue, etc" until they are all engaged. My sticker box is already empty from rewarding those that I "catch" sitting quietly and/or doing the right thing.
Here are some of my other prized attention getters that I currently use all day long.
The big bell on the left has a variety of different sounds to choose from (alarm clock, bell, siren, clapping, chimes, etc). I got this gem last year for FREE just from sending home the Highlights magazine order forms. The green & ladybug timers signal that it is time to clean up centers & rotate to the next station during our small group time, and the white hand bell in the middle is the signal to "FREEZE". When using manipulatives at the table the kids know to put their hands in their laps & listen for instructions or if they are moving around the room, they know to freeze in place until I give further instructions. The wind chimes are used to signal time to gather on the rug for our Daily 5 time.
The next attention getter is my all time favorite (and the kids' favorite). It is our Oh No Puppet. It is just a wooden spoon that has been painted & some crazy hair added. On one side, the mouth is shaped like an O. Turn it over and the face on the opposite side has a smiley face.
When the kids are not sitting on the rug correctly, I pull Oh No out with the O side facing the kids and sing the following song to the tune "Its Raining, Its Pouring."
Oh No! Oh No!
Look What Oh No Sees!
Quick! Criss Cross, Hands in Your Lap!
Zip Your Lips Up Please!
We wait until everyone is sitting correctly and then I turn Oh No around to the smiling side and quietly sing the following to the same tune.
Way to Go! Way to Go!
Now You're Looking Good!
Eyes Up Here, Listening Ears,
Sitting Like We Should!
Now, please share some of your ideas!
