Last May, while attending a workshop given by a local Kindergarten colleague, I heard her share a few little procedures she teaches that she swears save her sanity.  One stuck in my memory but I didn’t actually teach it myself until just this past week––when I thought I would go NUTS with three kids who seemed totally focused on regularly interrupting my conversations with adults or other students.

Much like a hungry woodpecker at a bug-infested tree or Sheldon (from TV’s well-known “Big Bang” series,) repeatedly and insistently knocking on Penny’s door––Knock!  Knock! “Penny!”  Knock!  Knock! “Penny!”  Knock!  Knock! “Penny!”––these three little ones in my classroom were constantly coming to poke at my back or tug on my pant leg, all the while droning without pause:  ”Teacher, teacher, teacher, teacher!”

Even though many times it crossed my mind that I really needed to teach a procedure for “politely interrupting,” I kept forgetting––or putting it off in the moment in order to teach “something more important”––and so the badgering continued.  More often than I care to admit, I heard determined little voices at my side, intent on getting my attention no matter what!  ”Teacher, teacher, teacher!”

It’s embarrassing to say how long it took me to do something about the situation. Finally, last week, I created a 5 minute space in my day plan (Yup!  That’s all it took!) and wrote down:  Teach Sandi’s “Get the teacher’s attention” procedure.  (And then, so I’ll never have to endure this particular “behavior problem” again, I went to my master list of September procedures and officially added it to all the millions of others!)

As with most procedures, it’s pretty simple.  What makes it so effective is the actual teaching and practicing of it!

Here’s Sandi’s procedure:

Teach the kids that when they need your attention (but you appear busy,) they should simply place one hand on your arm (if you are standing,) or on your shoulder (if you are sitting.)  Then explain that when you feel the touch, you will cover their hand with your own hand, so that they will know you have noticed them.  After that, the child’s procedure is to wait without talking until the teacher is able to give them a turn.  It works like a charm!

I’ve noticed that this procedure has also helped my three become more independent.  If they get tired of waiting, they often just decide to leave before I have a chance to respond.   Obviously they have come to the conclusion that their question wasn’t all that important in the first place, or that some “pressing problems” can be solved without any help from the teacher at all. (Perfect!)

Thanks, Sandi!

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Posted In: Procedures in the Classroom
posted On: November 12, 2011: 3:45 pm: By Kerry Weisner
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