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12/5/23, 2:19 AM 10 Ways To Stop Yelling in the Classroom (and Still Get Students' Attention)
Yelling, it turns out, is rarely worth the trouble anyway. “I never yell anymore,”
explains Nikki W. “My kids have had enough yelling in their lives and they
learn to tune it out.” So how can you get them to listen if you stop yelling?
Check out these ten teacher-tested tips that really work instead.
Elisabeth P. likes to give them a physical action as a response. “I quietly say, ‘If
you can hear me, touch your nose. If you can hear me, cross your arms. If you
can hear me, give me your best professor look, etc.’ After the first few, all
students have joined in.
Clap-backs are another fun alternative. “My kids love a clap off,” says Gina A. “I
clap different patterns for them to mimic. They always quiet right down and I
always tell them how impressed I am with their ability to copy the hardest
beats!”
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12/5/23, 2:19 AM 10 Ways To Stop Yelling in the Classroom (and Still Get Students' Attention)
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12/5/23, 2:19 AM 10 Ways To Stop Yelling in the Classroom (and Still Get Students' Attention)
This is another classic teaching strategy. Stop yelling and just turn off the
lights instead, like Valeria T. “I like shutting lights off; it’s like they know to
freeze and zip it.” If you’re in a classroom without windows and don’t want to
plunge into total darkness, try turning off just one bank of lights or flashing
them on and off a few times.
A countdown timer works too. “I use an online timer with a countdown buzzer
for transitions,” explains Brita L. “I hold up the next activity—like if it’s a read-
aloud, hold up the book. If they don’t respond, try a secondary signal—
walking to groups holding the book, and saying this is what’s coming next, get
ready.”
Timers work both ways, too. “I sit quietly and get my timer out,” says Nikki W.
“However long it takes them to get quiet is how long they stay in [from
recess]. Honestly I never even have to keep them in anymore because it ends
up being like 20 seconds. They freak out when they see the timer and hurry
up!”
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12/5/23, 2:19 AM 10 Ways To Stop Yelling in the Classroom (and Still Get Students' Attention)
Make sure your students know what noise level is currently acceptable in the
classroom. Create a voice level display using battery-operated tap lights and
our free printable poster. Before you start an activity, tell your kids what noise
level will be acceptable while they’re working and turn on the appropriate light
as a reminder.
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Fifth grade teacher Courney S. plays a code word game. “When I felt it was
getting noisy (usually right before big holidays) I would bring in a candy or a
privilege for the day. As I taught I would just say in the same volume as I was
or a bit quieter the code word is _______. Then I would ask who heard the code
word. I would have 3 kids whisper it to me for the team point. Whichever team
won before lunch or dismissal got the mystery treat or prize. The key is to do
it randomly and a few times each at a quieter voice and the class quiets down
with you so they can win!”
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12/5/23, 2:19 AM 10 Ways To Stop Yelling in the Classroom (and Still Get Students' Attention)
Sometimes it’s best to just go silent and wait. “When they’re noisy and not
listening,” says Carolyn C., “I’ll stand there and look at them, and then the
clock, and then them, and then the clock… and I’ll wait. It only takes a few kids
to notice that I’ve stopped talking over them and then it’s ‘SHHHH! LOOK!! MS.
C’S WAITING!!’ and peer pressure takes over to do the right thing.”
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Paige T. showed her students how much her voice really matters in the
classroom. “With a class that refused to let me teach, we went silent for a
week, so they realized how much having extra help and instructions helped.
After reading part of The Odyssey alone, they got the point.”
If you still just can’t seem to stop yelling in the classroom, explore some new
options. Here are a few recommendations from other teachers:
Responsive Classroom
Assertive Discipline, by Lee Canter
Beyond Discipline, by Alfie Kohn
1-2-3 Magic in the Classroom, by Thomas Phelan and Sarah Jane Schonour
What strategies have you used to stop yelling in the classroom? Come
and share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.
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12/5/23, 2:19 AM 10 Ways To Stop Yelling in the Classroom (and Still Get Students' Attention)
Plus, one teacher’s success story of how she learned to stop yelling.
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Author spotlight
POSTED BY
Jill Staake
Jill Staake is a Contributing Editor with WeAreTeachers. She holds a B.S. degree in Secondary English Language Arts Education and has
taught in both middle and high school classrooms. Her background also includes vocational training and performance support, curriculum
design and development, and museum education. She’s written hundreds of articles across the web on a vast array of educational topics
including her top passions: reading, writing, and science. You can reach her at jill.staake@gmail.com.
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