50 ACTIONS THAT WILL GRAB YOUR STUDENTS’ ATTENTION

From Discipline Survival Guide for the Secondary Teacher...

 

There are countless ways to wake up and shake up your students. Prepared teachers take the time in advance of the lesson to prevent their students from being bored in class. They combine various techniques and try all sorts of bold new approaches to get their students engaged in a lesson. Don’t be afraid to try as many as it takes to get your students in the fast lane to success when their attention begins to lag.

Although there are dozens of approaches to take, the following list includes some that are designed to meet the needs of just about every teacher. Mix and match and use these to experiment with the best ways to keep your students on task.

1.Put a humorous drawing on the board or on the overhead or give your students chalk and have them draw a sketch on the board of some of the facts of the lesson. You could also ask the right-handers to use their left hands and vice versa. Asking blindfolded students to draw some of the facts from the lesson also helps focus their attention.

2.  Stage a confrontation. Have another adult come in and fake a high-stress situation that relates to the material the class is preparing to study.

3.Use Christmas tree lights or other colored bulbs to spotlight a part of the lesson.

4. Hold up a box and ask students to guess what’s in it. Items can relate to the unit being studied.

5. Do you speak French? Pig Latin? Try speaking in another language for a sentence or two.

6.  Write on the board three quotations that don’t seem to be related to one another and ask not just how they are related to each other, but to the day’s lesson as well.

7.  Use music. Play raucous music or ask your students to identify sounds from a tape. Play bits and pieces of songs for students to put together to make sense of the lesson for the day. You can even sing to your students or have them sing to you.

8. Show a film montage.

9. Move the desks around or ask students to trade places with each other.

10. Hand out blindfolds and have your students put them on. Give them objects from the lesson for them to identify without peeking.

11. Hold a visualization session where your students imagine themselves as successful people, or on a deserted island.

12. Wear a costume to class or have your students wear costumes. Even simple accessories such as ties or hats can spice up a lesson.

13. Hand pupils a notice as they come in that says, “Today will be a silent communication day. No pupil is allowed to speak. All communication must be done through writing.”

14. Create a giant puzzle from poster board and magazine pictures you’ve collected and glued to the board. Assign each student a piece of the puzzle and then have them work together as a group to solve it.

15.Whisper or pantomime the directions you want your students to follow.

16. Pretend to be a talk-show host. Have props and procedures as close to the real thing as you can.

17. Ask students to identify the pieces of a word or sentence relevant to the lesson. Write the letters or words on construction paper. Then hand out these so that students can unscramble them to recreate the relevant word or sentence.

18. Promise a treat when the day’s work is done correctly.

19. Time as many activities as you can. Students work efficiently when they work to the clock. You can also put a student in charge of timing an activity or ring a bell or buzzer when the activity is over. Another way to keep students focused through timing is to announce that a change of pace is about to happen and then begin a countdown. Timing pupils almost always causes them to focus on the activity at hand and mentally prepare for the upcoming change.

20. Videotape your students in action. Even a mundane activity is more interesting when your students are given the opportunity to “mug” for the camera.

21.Give pupils a checklist of the high points of the material they will be studying and ask them to tick off the points that are covered in your presentation.

22. When you ask students to take notes on the day’s lesson, focus their attention with a list of the key words and phrases you want them to learn.

23. Announce that you intend to make deliberate errors on the board, on a handout, or in your speech and ask your students to catch you if they can.

24. Offer extra points for the first person to answer a question or for the person who can give the best answer.

25. Play a tape recording of yourself giving information or, even better, of your students giving information.

26. Show a videotape of other pupils modeling the same work you expect yours to do.

27. Get out the colors! Even older students enjoy using paints, crayons, and colored chalk to brighten a lesson.

28. Give your students soft play clay or other gooey stuff with a specific task to accomplish with it. It’s hard to be bored and to play with something gooey at the same time.

29. Plan an imaginary field trip to the place under discussion. Your students can brainstorm all sorts of information with this activity.

30. Hand out lengths of ribbon or string and have your pupils tie them together, make shapes with the various pieces, or invent other activities that apply to the lesson.

31. Make name tags for your students. There are many different ways you can use this strategy in your classroom. Your students could role-play the names they have been given. You could place the tags on your students’ backs so that they would have to work with other students to try to figure out the roles they have been given. You can also use name tags in group activities to assign various tasks.

32. Hand out pictures of people and have your students make guesses about the people in the photographs, match them up, notice specific details, or use them in other activities.

33. Revive that old game of telephone to get your students paying attention to the facts and figures in a lesson.

34. Have your students vote to respond to questions by signals, standing, holding up signs, or other ways that appeal to their sense of fun.

35. Counting down from 10 to 1 will alert even the most mature students that they need to focus on you, and not on their classmates or daydreams.

36. Ask someone to stand to answer a question. Be sensitive when doing this, however. Ask several students to stand—not just one child you want to single out.

37. Count off your students into teams.

38. Ask everyone to stand and do a series of silly movements such as touching their left elbows with their right hands or putting both hands on their heads. This will generally shake out the cobwebs.

39. Hand your students a newspaper or magazine with words missing and ask them to supply the missing information.

40. Show a cartoon that pertains to the lesson and ask students to create a caption for it.

41. Present a slide show. Even better, ask your students to prepare a slide show about a school event, a lesson in class, their interests, etc.

42. Present prizes for the best presentation, performance, answers, etc.

43. Hold a drawing for prizes.

44. Have your students make up signs or posters about the lesson.

45. Turn the lights low to signal a change of pace.

46. Ask riddles to stimulate interest.

47. Use computers in your classroom. Even the most routine tasks are more fun and are easier when students get to use computers to do them.

48. Give your students food to sample.

49. Put a list of words on the board and ask your students to determine what they have in common. Use this to change the pace of a lesson. Adding unlikely names or words to the list will force your students to stretch their minds.

50. Take photographs of your students in action during a lesson.

At Last! The Third Edition Is on Its Way!

For those of you who have purchased my books, read my blog, and Tweeted along with me over the last few years, I am very pleased to announce that the third edition of The First-Year Teacher's Survival Guide will be published next week! Although the book only took about a year to actually write, it contains about thirty-five years of classroom experience.

What I have here is two of the tables of contents for this book. The first one is just the titles of each of the seventeen main sections. The second one is a detailed listing of the contents of the printed material. You can probably see from the cover that there is also a DVD that accompanies the book. The DVD contains bonus material as well as all of the handouts in the book so that they can easily be electronically accesses for printing.

I've updated my Web site (www.juliagthompson.com) if you would like to learn more about the book. Just click on the links you’ll find there and you can find all sorts of useful information.

It was my goal to pack a book with just about everything that a first-year teacher would need to have the confidence to go ahead and have a great year.

 

Table of Contents One

CONTENTS AT A GLANCE

I. Assume Your Professional Responsibilities

Section One: Know What It Means to Be a Twenty-First-Century Educator

Section Two: Develop the Practical Skills You’ll Need to Manage a Classroom
Section Three: Collaborate with Others in Your School and Community

II. Establish a Learning Community

Section Four: Begin a Successful School Term

Section Five: Develop Positive Classroom Relationships

 III. Promote Student Achievement

Section Six: Control Class Time

Section Seven: Manage Your Classroom
Section Eight: From Reluctant to Engaged: Motivate Students to Succeed

 IV. Design and Deliver Effective Instruction

Section Nine: Choose Appropriate Instructional Strategies and Resources

Section Ten: Design Effective Instruction
Section Eleven: Deliver Engaging Instruction
Section Twelve: Meet the Needs of All of Your Students
Section Thirteen: Assess Your Students’ Progress
Section Fourteen: Level the Playing Field: Cover Basic Skills

 V. Maintain an Orderly Environment

Section Fifteen: Prevent Discipline Problems

Section Sixteen: Manage Discipline Problems
Section Seventeen: Learn to Solve Classroom Problems

 

Table of Contents Two

CONTENTS

About the Author

Acknowledgements
About This Survival Guide

 I. Assume Your Professional Responsibilities

Section One: Know What It Means to Be a Twenty-First-Century Educator

The Challenges of Our Changing Profession

You Can Manage Your Professional Challenges Successfully

Professionalism: The Powerful Force Underlying Everything We Do

Your Professional Responsibilities

Become a Reflective Teacher

Developing a Reflective Practice

Teacher Worksheet 1.1: Template for Professional Self-Reflection

Teacher Worksheet 1.2: Characteristics of Successful Teachers

Teacher Worksheet 1.3: Learning from Exemplary Teachers

Finding Role Models and Working Well with Mentors

Seeking Feedback on Your Professional Performance

Teacher Worksheet 1.4: Making the Most of Peer Observations

Teacher Worksheet 1.5: Lesson Study Observation

Using the Evaluation Process to Improve Your Teaching Skills

Teacher Worksheet 1.6: How Observers Will Evaluate You

Teacher Worksheet 1.7: Data Tracking Sheet

Maintaining Sustained Professional Growth

Teacher Worksheet 1.8: Are You in Charge of Your Career?

Teacher Worksheet 1.9: Track Your Professional Goals

Learning to Manage Your Stress

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Know What It Means to Be a Twenty-First Century Educator

 

Section Two: Develop the Practical Skills You’ll Need to Manage a Classroom

Arrange Your Own Work Area

Become an Efficient Teacher

Teacher Worksheet 2.1: Meet Your Classroom Priorities

Teacher Worksheet 2.2: A Teacher’s Daily To-Do List

Teacher Worksheet 2.3: Checklist of a Teacher’s Weekly Reminders

General Tips for Managing School Papers

How to Organize and Manage Student Information

How to Grade Papers Quickly

Tips for Managing Electronic Files

Tips for Managing E-Mail

How to Maintain Your Class Web Page

How to Save Paper

Optimize Your Use of the Photocopier

Prepare Your Classroom for Students

How to Protect School Resources

How to Request Repairs

Classroom Safety Issues

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Develop the Practical Skills You’ll Need to Manage a Classroom

 

Section Three: Collaborate with Others in Your School and Community

Your School Community: A Network of Teams

Communities of Practice

Where Do You Fit In as a New Teacher?

Building Trust: The Importance of a Reputation for Integrity

Strategies for Effective Collaboration

How to Handle Professional Disagreements

Quick Tips for Developing Professional Relationships

What Your Coworkers Expect from You

Working Well with Difficult Colleagues

Social Media Guidelines

The Importance of Perfect Attendance

The Support Staff

The Chain of Command

Collaborate Successfully with Administrators

Working Well with Parents and Guardians

What Parents and Guardians Expect from You

Prevent Miscommunication with a Transparent Classroom

Teacher Worksheet 3.1: How Effective Are You at Creating a Transparent Classroom?

The Importance of Keeping Contact Records

Teacher Worksheet 3.2: Home Contact Documentation Form

Be Positive with Parents and Guardians

Sample 3.1: Sample Positive Message to Parents or Guardians

Open House

Take Care to Interact Professionally

Class Newsletters

Conduct Successful Conferences with Parents and Guardians

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Collaborate with Others in Your School and Community

 

II. Establish a Learning Community

Section Four: Begin a Successful School Term

The First Day Is Important

Overcome Those First-Day Jitters

What to Do on the First Day: Your Priorities

First-Day-of-School Welcome Packet

Parent or Guardian Worksheet 4.1: Inventory: Please Tell Me About Your Child

Sample 4.1: Letter of introduction to Parents or Guardians

Activities for the First Day

Teacher Worksheet 4.1: Planning Template for the First Day of School

Teacher Worksheet 4.2: Checklist for the First Day of School

Student Information Records

Student Worksheet 4.1: Student Information Form

Learn Your Students’ Names Quickly

How to Get to Know Your Students

Student Worksheet 4.2: Inventory for Elementary Students

Student Worksheet 4.3: Inventory for Middle School Students

Student Worksheet 4.4: Inventory for High School Students

Additional Topics for Student Inventories

Create a Positive Group Identity

What You Can Expect During the First Week

Mistakes to Avoid at the Start of School

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Begin a Successful School Term

 

Section Five: Develop Positive Classroom Relationships

Develop a Positive Relationship with Students

Teacher Worksheet 5.1: How Appropriate Are Your Relationships with Students?

Teacher Worksheet 5.2: Are You a Good Role Model?

Help Students Learn to Relate Well to Each Other

Teacher Worksheet 5.3: Checklist of Social Skills All Students Should Master

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Develop Positive Classroom Relationships

 

III. Promote Student Achievement

Section Six: Control Class Time

You Control the Time Your Students Have With You

How Teachers Waste Time

Teacher Worksheet 6.1: How Well Do You Use Class Time?

Principles of Effective Classroom Time Management

Raise Your Students’ Awareness of Class Time

How to Handle Interruptions

Pacing Instruction

The First Ten Minutes of Class

Teacher Worksheet 6.2: Plans for Starting Class Effectively

Productive Transitions

How to Handle Requests to Leave the Classroom

Sample 6.1: Hall Pass

Teacher Worksheet 6.3: Student Sign-Out Sheet

The Last Ten Minutes of Class

Teacher Worksheet 6.4: Plans for Ending Class Effectively

How to Use Any Time Left at the End of Class

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Control Class Time

 

Section Seven: Manage Your Classroom

A Well-Managed Classroom

How to Focus Your Class on Good Behavior

The Importance of Clear Expectations

Procedures, Policies, Rules: When to Apply Each One

Policies You Will Need to Develop

Teacher Worksheet 7.1: Planning for Classroom Policies

Establish Procedures

Teacher Worksheet 7.2: Where to Find Help with Establishing Procedures

Suggestions for Establishing Three Necessary Procedures

Teach and Enforce School Rules

Creating Classroom Rules

Teacher Worksheet 7.3: Checklist to Determine If Your Rules Will Be Successful

Teaching Classroom Rules

Enforcing Classroom Rules

Enlisting Student Support for Class Rules

Positive or Negative Consequences?

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Manage Your Classroom

 

Section Eight: From Reluctant to Engaged: Motivate Students to Succeed

The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Be Positive If You Want Positive Results

Lay a Solid Foundation

Motivate Your Students with a Variety of Methods

Extrinsic Motivation

Make Sure Intrinsic Motivation Is a Classroom Constant

Make Success Attainable

Teach Your Students to Follow Directions

Purposeful Learning

Teacher Worksheet 8.1: Assignment Checklist

Take a Goal-Oriented Approach to Learning

Student Worksheet 8.1: Setting and Achieving SMART Goals

Use Frequent Smaller Goals to Motivate Students

Make Success Visible

Teaching Students to Track Their Own Mastery of Material

Student Worksheet 8.2: Progress Tracking Chart

How to Survive the Homework Debate

Sample 8.1: Homework Letter from a Teacher

Teacher Worksheet 8.2: Plan Successful Homework Assignments

Student Worksheet 8.3: Missing Homework Explanation Form

Student Worksheet 8.4: Class Log

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: From Reluctant to Engaged: Motivate Students to Succeed

 

IV. Design and Deliver Effective Instruction

Section Nine: Choose Appropriate Instructional Strategies and Resources

Take Advantage of the Advances in Educational Research

Why Small, Strategic Steps Are the Keys to Success

Overview of Just a Few of the Instructional Options Teachers Have

Socratic Seminar

Classroom Technology Resources to Aid Your Instructional Practices

Useful Web Sites for Educators

“There’s an App for That!”

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Choose Appropriate Instructional Strategies and Resources

 

Section Ten: Design Effective Instruction

The Benefits of Careful Planning

Backwards Design: Think Big, but Start Small

Cover the Curriculum or Teach Your Students?

How Prepared Should You Be?

Common Planning Problems

How to Find the Time to Plan

Your State’s Standards

The Common Core State Standards Initiative

Assess Your Students’ Prior Knowledge

How to Begin Planning Instruction

Teacher Worksheet 10.1: Format for a Course Overview

Teacher Worksheet 10.2: Format for a Unit Plan

What to Include in Your Plans

Teacher Worksheet 10.3: Easy-to-Use Format for Lesson Plans

Successful Learning for Nontraditional Schedules

How to Adjust a Lesson

Always Have a Backup Plan

Twenty-Five Backup Plan Options

Free Online Resources for Lesson Plans

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Design Effective Instruction

 

Section Eleven: Deliver Engaging Instruction

Guidelines for Improving Your Classroom Charisma

Pitfalls That Plague Too Many Teachers

Improve Your Oral Presentations

How to Make a Point Students Will Remember

How to Help Students Stay on Track during a Lecture

Conduct Class Discussions That Engage Every Student

The Power of Play: Using Toys to Capture Attention

Games Your Students Will Enjoy

Puzzle and Game Sites

Use Graphic Organizers to Engage Students

Provide Learning Centers for Enrichment and Remediation

Two Simple Techniques: Learning Cubes and Colored Dot Labels

Providing Models, Examples, and Samples

How to Make Seatwork Appealing

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Deliver Engaging Instruction

 

Section Twelve: Meet the Needs of All of Your Students

Differentiated Instruction to Support All Learners

 Teacher Worksheet 12.1: Individualized Instruction Worksheet

Teacher Worksheet 12.2: Questions to Determine Differentiated Instruction Strategies

Students Who May Need Special Care

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Meet the Needs of All of Your Students

 

Section Thirteen: Assess Your Students’ Progress

Use the Spectrum of Assessments to Your Advantage

Data-Driven Instruction: Summative and Formative Assessments

How to Use Formative Assessments

Teacher Worksheet 13.1: Tracking Formative Assessment Data

Types of Formative Assessments

How to Gather Baseline Data Before Beginning a Unit of Study

Using Review Sessions as Formative Assessments

A Useful Formative Assessment Strategy: Exit Tickets

Offer Helpful Feedback

Use Podcasts to Respond to Student Work

Encourage Students to Learn from Their Errors

Student Worksheet 13.1: Assignment Reflection

The Two Most Common Written Assessments: Tests and Quizzes

Create Useful Objective Questions

How to Grade Objective Questions Quickly

Conduct Rules for Quizzes and Tests

What to Do if Many of Your Students Fail a Test or Quiz

Types of Authentic Assessments

Sample 13.1: A Simple Rubric

Keeping Track of Grades

Student Worksheet 13.2: Grade Tracking Form for Student Success

How to Personalize a Grade Report

What You Should Do When Students Challenge Grades

What to Do When You Suspect a Student of Cheating

How to Manage Cyber Cheating

Extra Credit Dilemmas and Solutions

Success with Standardized Tests

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Assess Your Students’ Progress

 

Section Fourteen: Level the Playing Field: Cover Basic Skills

Why It Is Important to Cover Basic Skills

Media Literacy Skills

Listening Skills

Oral Presentation Skills

Writing Skills

Vocabulary Acquisition Skills

Critical Thinking Skills

Reading Skills

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Level the Playing Field: Cover Basic Skills

 

V. Maintain an Orderly Environment

Section Fifteen: Prevent Discipline Problems

Punishment Is Not the Way to Prevent Problems

Self-Discipline Is the Key

Be Aware of the Causes of Most Discipline Problems

Easily Avoidable Mistakes Many Teacher Make

Teacher Worksheet: 15.1: How Effective Are You at Preventing Discipline Problems?

Your Role in Preventing Discipline Problems

Teacher Worksheet 15.2: Preventing or Minimizing Discipline Problems

Be Positive: Nothing Creates Success Like Success

Become a Consistent Teacher

Become a Fair Teacher

Withitness: One of the Most Valuable Prevention Techniques

Teacher Worksheet 15.3: What Is Your Level of Withitness?

The Crucial Step in Developing Withitness: Monitoring

How Students Can Get Help Quickly

Earn Your Students’ Respect

An Unexpected Tip: Be a Good Listener

Early Intervention Strategies

When You Should Act

Harness the Power of Positive Peer Pressure

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Prevent Discipline Problems

 

Section Sixteen: Manage Discipline Problems

Myths about Discipline

Control Your Anxiety with Proactive Strategies

Behaviors You Should Not Accept

What Do Your Supervisors Expect from You?

Respond Instead of Just Reacting

Teacher Worksheet 16.1: Classroom Management Techniques to Avoid

How to Avoid a Lawsuit: A Teacher’s Legal Responsibilities

Teacher Worksheet 16.2: Behavioral Incident Report

Due Process Procedures

Cultivate Grace under Pressure

Great Advice: Don’t Take It Personally

You May Be the Troublemaker

Think before You Act

Don’t Give Up on Your Difficult Students

How to Deal with a Difficult Class

Cope with a Student’s Chronic Misbehavior

How to Hold Successful Conferences with Students Who Have Misbehaved

Put Detentions to Good Use

Manage Referrals to an Administrator with Confidence

Handling Four Common Types of Student Misbehavior

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Manage Discipline Problems

 

Section Seventeen: Learn to Solve Classroom Problems

Be Guided by Sound Principles

Questions to Consider When You Are Trying to Solve Classroom Problems

Take a Problem-Solving Approach

Teacher Worksheet 17.1: Work Through Classroom Problems

Problems Associated with Individual Students

Problems Associated with Enforcing School Policies or Rules

Problems Associated with Behavior During Instruction

Problems Associated with Students’ Relationship with Their Teacher

Best Practices Checklist

Time to Reflect: Learn to Solve Classroom Problems

 

A Final Word

Index