4. Clap out a rhythm.

Leigh E. says, “I will walk over near a few students and in a calm, normal-volume voice
say, ‘Clap twice if you can hear me.’ The few students will clap. Then, I repeat it again.
Now, more students are quiet and listening. I will calmly repeat (changing the number of
claps) until I have the attention of the entire room. Typically, this will quiet a classroom
within 20 seconds, and an auditorium or cafeteria of hundreds of students in less than a
minute. I have been using this for years, and it still works!”