Student Contributor: C Layne
This tool is used to get students attention. The teacher will ring the bell and the students will put their hands on their heads.
The teacher can use any sort of bell to get the students attention. This tool is helpful when transitioning and getting the class quiet when too rowdy. My mentor teacher uses this tool, and it is a fun and easy way to get students to turn their attention.
This is student directed because the students are in charge of their own behavior. This tool allows them to take ownership of their action and learning.
More Information –
Tool Source: Mentor Teacher
I tested this corrective tool out in my first grade classroom. The school is located in a suburban neighborhood and my class consists of 22 students. This tool is very easy to prepare and use because all the teacher needs is simply a bell and to ring the bell. Before taking part in this action, I went over with students what their duty was. As the teacher, I explained that when I ring the bell that means to stop what you’re doing and turn to me with eyes forward and hands in front of you. This way the students understand the purpose of the tool. This tool was great success in my classroom due to the fact that the bell gets the students’ attention fast and all students are able to hear it. They all responded with eyes forward and hands in front when the bell was rung. The bell is loud enough so students can hear it when they are collaborating or doing something they may not be doing. I will be using this tool in my future classroom. The only thing I could think of to adjust with this tool, would be to find a different object to make the sound. For example, a sound stick or chime. The bell could possibly be heard by surrounding classrooms. All in all, this is a great way to get students’ attention and to correct behavior when needed.
Ring the Bell:
In my 4th grade classroom, we have 22 students. Our Elementary School is located in an urban area. This tool was easy for my students to catch onto. I started using this tool consistently and my students learned what their role was in this tool quickly. One of the benefits of this tool was that the students had to put their hands on their head which stopped a majority of the sounds being made. The students then were able to focus on what I was saying rather than focusing on their moving pencil or the assignment they were working on. Another benefit of this tool was that it was a great way to check in with my students, as well as ringing the bell I also dimmed the lights. This allowed my students to take a break from their thinking and check in as a class. Something that I started with this tool was pointing out and thanking the students who stopped what they were doing and put their hands on their heads. Once I started acknowledging this positive listening, other students would do the same.
In my first grade classroom we used the corrective procedure of ringing the bell. The school I am in is a suburban Title One school with a variety of students with different home-lives. During class, we use this tool to help all students know the procedure to stop what they are doing and focus on the teacher. It is a corrective behavior, because when this tactic is used, it is most likely because the class is too loud or off-topic. The only preparation you need for this tool is to invest in a bell that is loud enough for the whole class to hear. Another preparation would be preparing your students for expectations when the bell is rung. You need to explicitly explain your expectations to the students for the procedure when the bell is rung. When we used this in my classroom, it was a success. The students immediately stopped what they were doing, put their hands on their head, and listened for directions. The students understood the clear expectations for what they were doing. Almost every single student was successful, and adjustment for students who do not immediately stop what they are doing would have to be a different procedure. Overall, this tool is a great way to immediately correct behavior, and grab attention when needed.
I am placed in a 3rd-grade classroom with 17 students, 16 of whom participate in all activities, and we are located in a very suburban area. I chose ringing the bell as a new way to get my students’ attention and to my surprise, it worked wonderfully! I typically use silent hand and/or quiet coyote, but those attention-getters are not as useful to use when my students are working. I let students know that I am going to be using a bell when I need them to stop what they are doing and listen to me. When I did that, I had the majority of their attention within seconds, and the voice level dropped. Thankfully I did not have any issues with using this attention-getting strategy. I also cannot think of any ways to make it better, but I can think of using the bell in a game of which table group is the fastest to follow expectations after hearing the bell. Overall, I loved this strategy and plan on using it in my future classroom.