noise level in classroom

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noise level in classroom
By Nancy

If you have to speak in a voice louder than your normal speaking voice to be heard, your classroom is too loud. Here are the guidelines I follow in my classes, whether they be 2nd grade or 11th grade...

If students are
working on a paper or project that is supposed to be independent work, they do not talk. If they have a question, they raise their hand and can ask. If the assignment is not independent, they are allowed to work in small groups and talk amongst themselves as long as they can speak in "indoor voices," a level between whispers and normal speaking voices. If we are having a class discussion,

the noise level will obviously be higher. Students sometimes get so excited about the topic that they want to blurt out the answers. In that situation, I don't mind the elevated noise.

If the noise level gets too loud, they'll get warned to keep it down. If my requests go unnoticed, then they immediately lose all talking privileges. If someone tests those rules, they lose recesses, get sent to hall, get issued a demerit or may even get sent to the office.

A silent classroom isn't always a fun one! I don't think I ever learned anything from in school from silence. There are times for silence, but there are times when talking should be encouraged (as long as it's not talking totheir neighbor Billy!). To control the noise, I try to keep my classes actively participating throughout a lesson. Have them read aloud, do math races on the board with three or four students, use students as props (groupings of students as fractions, etc.), anything to keep them involved and keep their attention. If you lose their focus, their lips might have a tendency to become a little loose.

I know my class is getting too loud when I have to shut the door. I also do not allow talking when my class is in the hallway (K-6) as they may disrupt other classes. If it's too loud for you to stand, it's just plain too loud!