noises

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noises
By Julianne

You may have to get more proactive with this behavior. I think I would try explaining to the group that when you call for quiet you need all noises to stop, even the little silly ones. Explain why this is important. Have
the group practice. Praise them for their good work when they are able to be quiet on cue. Now you must think up an appropriate consequence - missing 5 minutes of recess, missing afternoon snack, something they will hate, but that won't hurt them too much. When you call for quiet the next time and someone makes a noise, just say, "Oh, I'm so sorry someone did that. Now we'll have

to miss our first five minutes of recess to practice again." Then be sure to use the time to once again explain and practice. Usually one or two times of this and the noises will stop. If they don't, try to isolate which boys are doing the behavior and punish only them. "Children who were quiet may leave for recess." Then call the children who were quiet. This avoids naming the noisemakers, giving them more reinforcement for their "crime". Just keep them inside for a few minutes to practice being quiet. As I read this it sounds kind of strict, but I do believe you need to be able to control all aspects of your classroom in order to make a safe and appropriate learning environment. If ignoring the behavior hasn't worked, and positive reinforcement hasn't worked, it's time to go to consequences.