This idea is actually a gem that one of my students thought of a few years ago!!! One of my classes’ favorite Brain Break videos was this one… “If You’re a Boy” from Harry Kindergarten.
Well… my kids were chatty one day and I said “If you’re a boy zip your lips.” One of my girls said “If you’re a boy, a boy, if you’re a boy zip your lips!” And so a new tradition was born!
When my kids get chatty, all I do is start to sing the song!
If they’re extra loud, I have them do actions that will get the other students attention (e.g. ones that make them move more or make more noise) such as: pat your legs, jump up and down or clap your hands.
If there’s only one or two students chatting, I usually do more silent action, such as zip your lips, fold your hands.
I actually also use this to get my students to clean up at the end of their writing period. I break it down step by step for them (since they’re kindergarten), so I’ll say “If you’re a boy, a boy, if you’re a boy put your pencil away.” Then I follow it by fold your hands, push in your chair, and walk to the carpet.
How do you get your kids to quiet down?
That is hilarious! I doubt that would work for my 8th graders but if I ever go back down to lower grades I'll keep it in mind.
Special Teaching in the Middle
Haha! Definitely not! It's funny how teaching In the different grades is so different! All of your students would think you were crazy if you sang this song with them! Lol!
I am totally doing this with my after school art club of middle schoolers tomorrow…they already know I'm crazy!
I'm doing this with my fourth graders. They want to dance around and be silly, but they are afraid of what their friends will think. You getting up and doing it yourself is what it takes to make them brave enough to try it as well.
I LOVE this!!! I can't wait to try it. One of the tricks I use if my kiddos are talking and most haven't heard my quiet signal, I whisper, "If you can hear me put your pinky in the air." There are always a few who are listening and put their pinky in the air. I whisper it again, and a several more raise their pinkies. At that point there is usually a group of talkers that looks around and wonders why everyone else is sitting quietly raising their pinkies. I always love the expression on their faces when they realize they've missed out on something. 🙂 I whisper it one more time so they know why all those pinkies are in the air.
Griffith’s 3rd Grade Garden
I used to do that as well but totally forgot about it!! Will definitely be reinstating it if my class ends up being extra chatty this year!
For the older grades, if you have speakers hooked up to your computer, if you go to Dictionary.com and type in a word or phrase like, "Be quiet" or "back to work" then click the "read" button, it will read you word or phase as loud as you set the speakers. It works great with my 8th graders and did wonders when I taught Freshman.
Filyaw-8th Science
Sounds awesome for the older grades! For some reason it's always different when they hear someone else's voice saying it!
Where exactly is the word reading part on Dictionary.com? I know it can read the word it is defining, but when you type in a whole phrase, where will it read it?
I couldn't find it either, but I did find this site that allows you to type to talk.
http://www.naturalreaders.com/
I love this idea!
You can also just type "translate" in the Google search bar and choose English to English. I do this with my kinders!
I this song on a CD. I think my kids would love this song.
I teach 4th (have taught/subbed everything K-8)and I KNOW my kiddos would eat this up. We have the world's longest morning with no built-in break and this is perfect. THANKS!!!
A few years ago, I had a powerpoint slide that had a crazy voice that said, "BE Q.U.I.E.T." with the same words on the slide!!
I think it is the best teaching process improvements that would make your daily life easier or enhance your child's activities.
Thanks for same.
elitedecore.com
This is perfect! Thank you for sharing! My kiddos LOVE that song too so that should work really well as a transition for them.
The video no longer exsists?
Awesome