Listening

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Home : 2002 : October : 27

Listening
By Sharon D. W-L

I'm not sure what grade this is but do you use give me five? I teach first and before important directions or reading group time I say "Give Me Five!" I got this from Harry Wong's book.

I hold up five fingers:
1)
Eyes are watching
2) Ears are listening
3) Mouth is quiet (and closed)
4) Hands are to myself
5) Hearts are caring smile
We touch each body part and fold hands in our laps at number four and smile for number 5. I have a couple who have to be told to (pretend)glue their hands because they aren't folded yet. By the time I get to five those not ready may loose an apple

(3 lost apples = dentention). You could just write down names and hand out dentions the next day or use whatever consequences you use.
Sometimes they must return to their table for a heads down and do not get to be part of the group but they are quiet so they usually do listen to what I'm saying or the announcements.

Also send a note home to let the parents know what has been happending. Leave a space at the bottom for the topic of the note and have home sign and return the slip by a certain date and keep these slips on file. Send the note home on Monday and have them due by Wednesday. I give out Social Studies marks for these slips/notes. On Thursday you do your list of non-listeners and let the children worry about how they go home. If they don't hear then they have to go to the office to find out or call a parent to find out. If they don't hear, it was becasue they didn't listen. It might take a few days of this and several phone calls home and visits to the office but they should eventually learn to listen without repeating and interupting all the time.

Where do you sit to "listen" to these announcements. We stack our chairs on top of the tables at the end of the day so we meet on the carpet. I have assigned seating on my carpet to prevent taking too. This is something I had to start this year. It usually goes boy girl in one row and then girl boy in the other. After two or three days the children knew their spots. I told them why we had to do this and told them next term I'd try and let then sit with frinds. However, if they showed me they were not ready then we'd go back to assinged seating. Spaces are left empty for those absent.

If talking is a problem for the whole class you might try having them stay at their desks or tables with their heads down and the lights off to try and help them focus on just listening.

I hope this helps. I know the children don't realize how dangerous this could be. If a child went on a bus home and yet someone was suppose to pick them up what might happen...

Good luck. sdwl;