Thrive in Action Blog Series: Class Community, GPS 4 - Attention Getter
The Thrive In Action blog series highlights practical applications for Great Pedagogy Strategies (GPS) within the EdConnective Thrive Framework, summarized here. The EdConnective Thrive Framework is unique in that it can be applied to teaching actions seamlessly whether learning is in-person or remote. This week we get more familiar with:
Class Community, GPS 4 - Attention Getter: Teacher uses an attention-getter that is co-created with students to signal “one mic” every time before an individual addresses the group or teacher gives directions.
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If you have ever found yourself repeating the same direction over and over, one quick strategy to consider may be an attention getter. Attention getters signal to students, “I’m about to give you important directions” or, “We are about to transition to a new activity.” Teachers co-create attention getters with students to build “one mic” as a norm in the learning community. Many successful attention getters involve some degree of physical movement like clapping, snapping, hands in the air, or stomping. When first introducing the attention getter, teachers should name the specific outcomes they are looking to see and hear (perhaps silence, eyes on me, bodies paused) while keeping the language both brief and positive.
Let’s think about how an attention getter might look in a typical classroom setting. If students are transitioning from group work to independent work, the teacher might utilize a call and response attention getter by saying, “1, 2, 3, eyes on me!” and the students would respond with “1, 2, eyes on you!” The expectation would then be that all students stop what they are doing and silently track the teacher. A briefer, sillier version may sound like, “Macaroni and Cheese!” and students respond right away with, “Everybody freeze!” When it comes to older students, another way to get students’ attention is to quietly say, “If you can hear my voice, clap once. If you can hear my voice, stomp twice” while the teacher maintains their volume after each respective clap/stomp/snap. In this example, students closest to the teacher will of course respond first, and their physical responses (clapping/stomping/snapping) is a cue to the rest of the class to pause and focus on the teacher.
In a virtual classroom, attention getters are still critical to signal to students that a transition is going to occur. They are also great opportunities for students to come off mute or flip their camera on. Physical gestures and movements to a rhythm are likely to bump up energy levels and re-engage students. Avoid, however, over-using attention getters---stick to just a few per lesson. As a general rule of thumb, attention getters should be utilized in sequence with other strategies. For example, to transition students out of partner work and into independent work, a teacher may start with an attention getter, positively praise students, redirect where necessary, then give crisp, clear directions for working independently on the next task.
Download a summary of the EdConnective Thrive Framework here. EdConnective provides 1:1, personalized non-evaluative coaching to teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators, as well as small group coaching and large group training.