My room is so loud!

Falcon Flyer

Falcon Flyer

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My kids cannot seem to keep their volume below a yell. This is only getting worse as the holidays get nearer and the weather keeps changing. They're not acting horribly, I'm just getting really tired of all the NOISE, NOISE, NOISE, NOISE. (To quote The Grinch.) Any ideas to turn the volume down a little?
 
i use this for teaching my kinders at church
give the kids a warning, like "hey, settle down" or ' hey guys, it's too loud in here"
then i always do a one min NO talking moment, and if they talk,i add another min.
after a few times it usually works, the noise goes down alot!!!
just stay firm, and after the first warning do it :)
 
Mine, too!!! My only complaint from this lovely group is they all talk at a bark. I hate it! I've given a reminder, then had "whisper time," and occasionally had to do "silent time."
 
try to use reverse psychology... tell them the benefits of having a quiet class, praise them on things that are worth noting :)
 
I have a visual on the board, a green square for "inside voices" yellow for "whisper voices" and red for "no voices." I have the kids "calibrate" by saying "yadda, yadda, yadda" and changing their volume as I switch the cards. Generally, I keep it on "whisper voices". I also train them so when i say "What's a whisper?" they all respond "whisper, whisper, sounds like this." in a whisper tone.

MAGIC: if we are doing an art craft while I am doing assessments or something, I have "police officers." I pick two kids to be the police officers who tap kids on the shoulder that are not using their whisper voices. If they get tapped they cannot argue and have to go put their heads on their desks until told they can try again. It is SILENT when I employ this technique. I LOOOVE it.
 
Visual & whistle

A good way is to try the visual idea already posted. If that doesn't work you might try these: play music they like at a low level - they will have to be quieter to hear it. Another, that doesn't take long for the kids to plead for you to not use is a P90 whistle. That would be the type that coaches us & has a really loud sound that students do not like. Practice with it first at home so that you'll know how much breath to give it. Mine is on my key ring & all I have to do is pull it out & the kids let each other know they are too loud.
 
I use a bell (the kind that you sometimes see at the meat market). If I ring my bell once it is a warning, but if I have to ring it again they must all go to their seats. I also use some Power Teaching or Whole Brain Teaching strategies. When I am really frustrated I can yell "Class" and they yell back "Yes" then the class gets silent. I love it.
 
I have music playing the background. I have it set really really low if they talk above it the class takes a one minute time out.
 
My school uses a voice level system that works VERY well.

Level 0 - silence
Level 1 - whispering
Level 2 - speaking voice
Level 3 - outside voice (recess)

We talk about these ALL the time and play games where we use the different levels. Then I ask them before an activity "What voice level would be good for..." They almost always get it right. :D
 
In the beginning of the year I had to teach students the difference between a whisper and regular speech. We practiced talking with our hands on our necks to feel the vocal cords vibrating and then again with a soft whisper voice to show them that they shouldn't feel much vibration. I told them that this is what it should be like during work time.
 
I would implement any of the above strategies and praise, praise, praise when they are keeping their voices under control. I personally use the visual aid (a stop light), which really seems to work. I also heard of a teacher who picks a student at random each morning to be in the "quiet seat." He does not tell the students who the person was that he selected is until the end of the day. At the end of the day, he announces the person he selected ONLY if they were quiet/attentive throughout the entire day. If that student was not quiet, then he does not say who he selected. If the person was quiet, then he/she receives some type of reward.
 
I also have a very loud and talkative class. Any time I stop talking, they start. It's awful because they don't know how to whisper either. We modeled whisper voices, but I'm at a loss. I may go for the whistle. I think that might be the only thing. I can't yell over them all the time and I hate yelling to begin with. I have never seen a class so talkative and loud!
 
Need help on how to keep my pupils in silence!! It tends to be difficult to gain their attention when we are about to start a new activity, any suggestions?
 
kacieann said:
I use a bell (the kind that you sometimes see at the meat market). If I ring my bell once it is a warning, but if I have to ring it again they must all go to their seats. I also use some Power Teaching or Whole Brain Teaching strategies. When I am really frustrated I can yell "Class" and they yell back "Yes" then the class gets silent. I love it.
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As a sub, I have seen use of a bell a few times- once was in highschool. I really like that. It works to get their attention when I need to say something. With elementary, it works to get them quiet or tone down. I would liek to buy one and carry with meWhere can I buy a medium size bell?
 
halpey1 said:
My school uses a voice level system that works VERY well.

Level 0 - silence
Level 1 - whispering
Level 2 - speaking voice
Level 3 - outside voice (recess)

We talk about these ALL the time and play games where we use the different levels. Then I ask them before an activity "What voice level would be good for..." They almost always get it right. :D
Click to expand...


Can you give example of use of these levels? I am assuming that Level 0 is when you are teaching. Level 1 is when they're working on their assignment. Level 3 is when they answer a question, right.
 
:yeahthat:
halpey1 said:
My school uses a voice level system that works VERY well.

Level 0 - silence
Level 1 - whispering
Level 2 - speaking voice
Level 3 - outside voice (recess)

We talk about these ALL the time and play games where we use the different levels. Then I ask them before an activity "What voice level would be good for..." They almost always get it right. :D
Click to expand...

:yeahthat:
My school just started this in November and I LOVE IT!!!!!!! Before the kids start any activity we review what kind of voice is appropriate. They have become really good at reminding one another by just putting up the appropriate number of fingers.
 
I wish our school would implement a voice level system. It really helps when the whole building is on board. Otherwise, you have some teachers that allow talking all over the place and others that do not. I am having trouble with talking all day long and it's even worse when I am trying to transition my group after working cooperatively in groups. I shut off the lights, I count down from 5, I ring a little bell....Nothing works until I shout! It's very frustrating. I guess I probably do need the shrill whistle!
 
currentSubber said:
As a sub, I have seen use of a bell a few times- once was in highschool. I really like that. It works to get their attention when I need to say something. With elementary, it works to get them quiet or tone down. I would liek to buy one and carry with meWhere can I buy a medium size bell?
Click to expand...

I bought my bell at Office Depot. I thought I spent a little too much I think it was around $10.00, but it has been well worth the money.
 
My class is generally pretty chatty, but I have a pretty high threshold. First of all, they are children, they are supposed to be chatty! Mine have gone particularly haywire being this close to Christmas break, so I have planned a lot of group activities (science experiments) and we're doing a lot of art. This week is about survival. We'll start our routine again in January.
 
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