Seasoned teachers: I need help managing a VERY LOUD 1st grade class!!!?

Question

I have a first grade class of 17 who are overall VERY loud, and in addition, I'm in a shared classroom and my side of the room has a high going to low ceilng, causing a very bad echo. So, in addition to the fact that this group of children is very loud, the acoustics of the room make them seem even louder. I've tried "one, two, three, eyes on me" but that only gets about half the class to look at me and the rest keep talking. I bought a bell, and that does get their attnetion, but they barely listen to me, and before I'm even finished explaining what I need them to do, it gets LOUD in the class again. I use a smiley face to sad face behavioral system where they start on a happy face and they have 4 moves down over the course of the day. If they get to the sad sad face, they have to call home and tell mom or dad what they've been doing. Every day I have at least one kid on the sad face, and on Friday, I had FOUR. I have probably 6 kids in the class who should be tested for

types of learning or emotional problems, but NONE of them have been tested or have an IEP yet. I have about 4 or 5 who are ALWAYS ready and ALWAYS listening to me, and it's SO UNFAIR to them that I have to spend so much time getting the rest of the class calmed down. I feel like we're never going to get any work done. :(

In addition, I need ideas to kep th class occupied while they are standing in line after using the bathroom. We're usually in the bathroom line for at least 10 miuntes, waiting for everyone, and they are VERY LOUD there, and cannot stand still and keep their hands to themselves. I need ideas of simple, fairly quiet activities I can keep them engaged in while in line so they aren't getting into trouble. Thanks! :)

Answer 1

Here's a few ideas to try:
1. When they are too loud and getting out of control, get everyone on their feet and moving for about ten minutes. Do jumping jacks, run in place march around the room, etc. Just keep moving for ten minutes straight. Then have them sit down and breathe deeply with you. Hold up one hand and say deep breath in and don't breathe out until I have five fingers up. Hold up one finger at a time, about one per second, then breathe out through your mouth, blowing the air out with a whooshing sound. Repeat about four times, then smile and say that was wonderful! Now I'd like you all to... (whatever the next lesson is).

2. Establish a set routine and stick to it. Young children function better when they understand exactly what comes next.

3. Vary your voice level. Read a story, and make sure your voice drops down very quietly at times, almost a whisper. It will encourage them to focus so they can hear what happens next.

4. Teach them a variety of fingerplays, and when they are standing in line, do quiet fingerplays with them to keep them occupied.

5. "Catch" kids being good and reward them. Say Wow! I just love the way John and Mary are so listening and paying attention! And give them a reward certificate or note to mom telling her what a great job they did.

6. It might help to have a Relaxation Time as part of your daily schedule. Play quiet music, teach a Yoga exercise, pass out a feather to each child to play with, sit in a circle and ask each child to say something they like about themselves. You might want to purchase the Indigo Dreams CD and play a story from it sometimes for Relaxation Time. Explain to the children that We are learning to control our bodies and to relax our minds and bodies because we will learn better when we're relaxed.

7. Some kids are visual more than auditory, so you might want to try a visual signal such as lights out in addition to the whistle or bell signal.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

WHOA! I'm not a seasoned teacher but I have had experience working with kids and have seen what you've described, but I have a feeling since you have yours in a classroom, your situation may be difficult.

I'm trying to picture what I would do in this situation - what does the teacher you are sharing a room with think? What about the other teachers at the school?

First I would give them an incentive that would really grab their attention, something that would result in a reward for the whole class if they, together, were quiet and behaved well when they needed to. (Do they like to play outside? If so, if they promise to and are actually quiet and well-behaved for a X amount of them then they can do an outside activity or you can plan a field trip to a place they would enjoy, etc)

After you have that established I would explain to them (heck, even get the other teacher and maybe even the principal) to explain to them why it's important to be quiet and to listen. I know it must be really hard to keep from unleashing and yelling at them as if they were your own kids, but sometimes the fear tactic works.

Man, if I could sit down with you and plan it all out! Anyway, try to stay calm. If the students see you losing your cool, they'll know they're "winning." Perhaps you can give the students who are being good something to show the other kids that they need to settle down and maybe they'll get something good too.

GOOD LUCK!

Answer 4

I had this EXACT problem during summer school. I know my problem was I hadn't set down my expectations during the first few days. I wonder how many years of teaching you have under your belt. My first graders this year were giving me a hard time and being extremely loud. I just used a loud voice to get their attention and told them it was the incorrect way to behave. Once I had their attention, I explained very explicitly what I expected from them. "I do not expect you to be talking when I am talking. I expect mouths off, pencils down, eyes on me when I am talking." I know there are always ones who will test you. You must have exact steps in place for the ones who are misbehaving. I have 1-warning 2-time-out sheet 3-lose recess 4-phone call home 5-referral to office. You must be consistent and follow procedures to the tee.

You are right to be seeking help now and must get them under control now or they will behave this way the entire year and you will be miserable. That's what happened to me during summer school and I thank God it was only for 6 weeks or I would have gone crazy.

Use proximity. Move closer to the offender. Put your hand on their shoulder. Use the "mean teacher" look. I can't believe how effective that is.

I would just plan on spending time letting them know EXACTLY what you want them to do. First grade is hard because it seems like they should be so much more mature than Kindergarten but there isn't that much difference. Talk to them like they are three and have no idea how to behave in class. Keep in mind the well-behaved students and they deserve a class they can learn in. By the end of my time in summer school, even the well-behaved kids were talking out and moving around the room without permission because they had seen the other students getting away with it.

I know how out of control it feels and I know how far down it can bring you if you teach in this kind of classroom every day. Don't forget that you are the one in charge and you have the power. Let them know that and you will have a good year.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU. I'm feelin' for you right now!

Answer 5

I totally agree with Leslie. I am beginning my 15th year teaching first grade. This group seems to be the most talkative that I have had in many years. But after two weeks we seem to be settling in very nicely.

I schedule several "brain breaks" into our day. I get the ideas from a book called "The Out of Sync Child Has Fun". Your Occupational Therapist is also a great resource for calming activities.

Some of the other things that I have done to settle my class are:

1. I split my recess into 2- 15 minute blocks of time. one at 10 and the other at 1:15. at this age they really need the break.

2. I use a token economy in my class and reward the students with "bucks" they save their bucks through the week and on thursdays one of my "moms" comes in to set up a store of donated items. The kids LOVE shopping in the store. Those with very little money know exactly why they dont have much.

3. I have a large timer on the board that is set for the recess time. If they are talking while I am talking, I simply walk over and press the button to start taking time away until they are quiet.Then I simply wait with the quiet sign up. Now i dont have to wait very long whatever is left on the timer, is the amount of free play that they get. The other time is spent doing some activity that I pick. Running, jumping jacks, skipping, picking up trash.

4. In the hall, our learning center teachers have set up some interactive bulletin boards that keep the kids occupied while they are waiting for the others to fininsh up. Many are simply Marcy Cook math activities that are drawn onto poster board and the number pieces are stuck on with velcro. These have been a life saver for ALL of the classes.

5. One other suggestion; Play listening games with your class. One of the things I noticed right away was that my group did not have very good listening skills. I seemed to blend in with the background noise for most of them. We played games like simon says, red light green light, drew pictures from oral instructions, identified sounds on a tape... there are an abundance of activities that you can find online. Your OT and speech teacher are both great resources on this also.

6. Give them "talk time" we share good news first thing in the mornings. it takes about 20 minutes for everyone to share their stories and then we move on with our day.

I wish you luck in teaching your babies to control their talking.

Answer 6

Even though they are first graders, they know the rules and should be expected to follow them. Unfortunately, you are going to have to start taking away privileges. DO NOT DO IT TO THE ENTIRE CLASS, just those who are not listening. They will soon learn that if they want to keep recess or be able to have free time they will have to follow your rules. If you need to, enlist the help of your principal. That is what he/she should be there for...to help support you in your classroom.

If you have a lot of students that need to be tested, try to get that taken care of ASAP. If possible, talk to your special education/resourse staff in the building and ask for some pointers on what would help with these students. Share your thoughts on what is going on with these kids. These people are trained to work with children with special needs, and they should have some tricks up their sleeves that could work.

When you start to see an improvement in the behavior, REWARD THOSE STUDENTS! Have a special corner in your room for those who do well. Get some beanbag chairs and create a fun reading area or find a special game for the computer. Find some books on tape that your students can listen to with their headphones. Don't give an extra recess or anything, but whatever you decide to do make sure it relates back to your curriculum.

As for keeping them occupied in line...try reviewing facts with them. For example, ask them "what is two plus two" or "how do you spell _____" and the student who can quietly raise his/her hand and give you the answer with an appropriate inside voice earns a small sticker. Try to get to all of the students, but they MUST stay quiet in order to be called on. Then when you get to the classroom they can put their sticker/s on their chart and after they have earned X amount of stickers they get a prize from the prize box. And make them great prizes...things the kids want to earn. Ask area restaurants for gift certificates (McDonald's for free ice cream or fries, Wendy's for free Frosties, etc...). Some companies will sponsor a classroom, and they may be able to get you new school supplies and such for the kids to earn from the prize box.

The transformation of your students' behaviors will not change overnight. You may have to spend a little bit of your own money to do this, but take some time to make changes to what you do now. It WILL pay off!

Answer 7

I teach first grade too. They are loud sometimes, aren't they? Sometimes I say, "I am going to close my eyes, and when I open them, the whole class will be sitting quietly, like magic. Here I go..." Or, I sing, "I am looking, I am looking, for quiet kids, for quiet kids" and then I say, "Abi is quiet, Brian is quiet..." Or I say, "This can't be my class, I am going to try to find my class and I walk out in the hall." (Sometimes they think this is silly and they want me to do it, so it isn't always effective.) For my constant "shouter outers," I made a grid with enought boxes for a week that I tape on their desk. Then I put 8 cards with magnet tape on the side of their desk, called shout out cards. Before they go home, they set a goal for how many cards they can keep the next day, like 5 or 6. If they shout out without raising their hand, I have them bring me a card. If they meet their goal, I put a smiley face in the box, and if they don't I write the number for how many are left. I tried to keep it positive instead of putting a frown in the box. This helps them become aware of how much they shout out. I have done stars that the whole class needs to earn, and if there are a bunch of kids being loud, they don't earn the star for the day (or the hour if its that bad!). If they earn a certain number of stars, I give them 5 extra minutes of recess. I also had a really out of control child that I made a "chill out chair" for. It was a bean bag chair and when he was out of control, he would sit there to calm himself down. He was pretty extreme though, like throwing chairs and books extreme. (I think he had oppositional defiant disorder, but it wasn't diagnosed.) Another song I sing is, "If you don't know what to do, look at David, If you don't know what to do look at Colton, if you don't know what to do, Erin knows what to do, if you don't know what to do, look at Jacob." Good luck! I hope this helps!

Answer 8

I would try using a whistle while in the classroom. This way you are using the low ceiling to your advantage. (I got this idea from the movie "Kindergarten cop" but it still works. I recommend seeing the movie. It might give you some ideas) While you are in the hall, play Simon says and anyone who talks is out because Simon didn't say to talk. It's quite simple. I doubt that playing the quiet game would help much, but it is worth a try. If all else fails, bring a book and read to them. Kid's love to be read to. =D

Good luck with the noisy little tykes,
Sportychick

Answer 9

Open a big book, and call for everyone's attention. If they continue talking, close the book, or drop it on the floor to make a loud noise. The students paying attention will expect the noise, the others will be startled. Keep doing this, soon you will have it quiet.

Answer 10

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