| Getting students' attention | | | | Block out material by covering or removing from the |
| Ask an interesting, speculative question, show a picture, | | | | visual field that which you visually don't want students |
| tell a little story, or read a related poem to generate | | | | to focus on. Remove the distracting clutter from the |
| discussion and interest in the upcoming lesson. | | | | board or screen. |
| Try "'playfulness," silliness, a bit of theatrics (props and | | | | Have students write down brief notes or illustrate key |
| storytelling) to get attention and peak interest. | | | | points during instruction. |
| Use storytelling. Students of all ages love to hear | | | | Maintaining students' attention |
| stories, especially personal stories. It is very effective in | | | | Move around in the classroom to maintain your visibility. |
| getting attention. | | | | |
| Add a bit of mystery. Bring in an object relevant to the | | | | Teach thematically whenever possible, allowing for |
| upcoming lesson in a box, bag, or pillowcase. This is a | | | | integration of ideas/concepts and connections to be |
| wonderful way to generate predictions and can lead | | | | made. |
| to excellent discussions or writing activities. | | | | Present at a lively, brisk pace. |
| Signal students auditorily: ring a bell, use a beeper or | | | | Be prepared and avoid lag time in instruction. |
| timer, play a bar of music on the piano or guitar, etc. | | | | Use pictures, diagrams, gestures, manipulatives, and |
| Vary your tone of voice: loud, soft, whispering. Try | | | | high interest materials. |
| making a louder command "Listen! Freeze! Ready!" | | | | Use higher-level questioning techniques. Ask questions |
| followed by a few seconds of silence before | | | | that are open-ended, require reasoning, and stimulate |
| proceeding in a normal voice to give directions. | | | | critical thinking and discussion. |
| Use visual signals: flash the lights or raise your hand | | | | Decrease the amount of time you are doing the talking. |
| which signals the students to raise their hands and | | | | Make all efforts to greatly increase student responses |
| close their mouths until everyone is silent. | | | | (saying and doing something with the information being |
| Frame the visual material you want students to be | | | | taught). |
| focused on with your hands or with a colored box | | | | Use direct instruction techniques and other methods of |
| around it. | | | | questioning that allow for high response opportunities |
| If using an overhead, place an object (e.g., little toy car | | | | (i.e., unison responses, partner/buddy responses). |
| or plastic figure) to be projected on the screen to get | | | | Structure the lesson so that it can be done in pairs or |
| attention. | | | | small groups for maximum student involvement and |
| Clearly signal: "Everybody…Ready…" | | | | attention. |
| Color is very effective in getting attention. Make use of | | | | Alter the way students are called on to avoid calling on |
| colored dry-erase pens on white boards, colored | | | | students one at a time. Instead, have students respond |
| overhead pens for transparencies and overhead | | | | by "telling their partner," writing down or drawing their |
| projectors, and colored paper to highlight key words, | | | | response, or other alternative way. |
| phrases, steps to computation problems, spelling | | | | Make frequent use of group or unison responses |
| patterns, etc. | | | | when there is one correct and short answer. While |
| Model excitement and enthusiasm about the upcoming | | | | presenting, stop frequently and have students repeat |
| lesson. | | | | back a word or two. |
| Use eye contact. Students should be facing you when | | | | Use the proper structure of cooperative learning |
| you are speaking, especially while instructions are being | | | | groups (i.e., assignment of roles, accountability). It is not |
| given. If students are seated in clusters, have those | | | | just group work. ADHD students do not typically |
| students not directly facing you turn their chairs and | | | | function well in groups without clearly defined structure |
| bodies around to face you when signaled to do so. | | | | and expectations. |
| Focusing students' attention | | | | Allowing students to use individual chalkboards or |
| Employ multisensory strategies when directions are | | | | dry-erase boards throughout the lesson is motivating |
| given and a lesson is presented. | | | | to students and helps maintain attention. If used |
| Maintain your visibility. | | | | properly it is also effective in checking for students' |
| Project your voice and make sure you can be heard | | | | understanding and determining who needs extra help |
| clearly by all students. | | | | and practice. |
| Be aware of competing sounds in your room | | | | Use motivating computer programs for specific skill |
| environment (such as noisy heaters or air conditioning | | | | building and practice (programs that provide for |
| unit.) | | | | frequent feedback and self correction. |
| Call students up front and close to you for direct | | | | Keeping students on-task during seat work |
| instruction (e.g., seated on the carpet by the board). | | | | Check for clarity. Make sure directions are clear and |
| Position all students so that they can see the board | | | | understood before sending students back to their |
| and/or overhead screen. Always allow students to | | | | seats to work independently. |
| readjust their seating and signal you if their visibility is | | | | Make sure necessary supplies are available. |
| blocked. | | | | Give a manageable amount of work that the student |
| Explain the purpose and relevance to hook students in | | | | is capable of doing independently. |
| to your lesson. | | | | Give other "failproof " work that student can do in the |
| Incorporate demonstrations and hands-on | | | | meantime if he or she is stumped on an assignment |
| presentations into your teaching whenever possible. | | | | and needs to wait for teacher attention or assistance. |
| Use a flashlight or laser pointer. Turn off the lights and | | | | Study buddies or partners may be assigned for any |
| get students to focus by illuminating objects or | | | | clarification purposes during seat work, especially when |
| individuals with the light. | | | | you are instructing another group of students while |
| Use study guides/sheets that are partial outlines. While | | | | part of the class is doing seat work. |
| you are presenting a lesson or giving a lecture, | | | | Have students use signals to the teacher/aide for "I |
| students fill in the missing words based on what you | | | | need help!" Some teachers use a sign or a colored |
| are saying and/or writing on the board or overhead. | | | | signal that students may place on their desk that alerts |
| Use visuals. Write key words or pictures on the board | | | | any adult scanning the room that the student needs |
| or overhead projector while presenting. Use pictures, | | | | assistance. |
| diagrams, gestures, manipulatives, and high-interest | | | | Scan classroom frequently. All students need positive |
| material. | | | | reinforcement. Give positive comments with high |
| Illustrate, illustrate, illustrate: It doesn't matter if you don't | | | | frequency, praising students specifically whom you |
| draw well to illustrate throughout your presentation. | | | | observe to be on-task. This serves as a reminder to |
| Give yourself and students permission and | | | | students who tend to have difficulty. |
| encouragement to draw even if you lack the skill or | | | | Consider using a timer for some students who work |
| talent. Drawings don't have to be sophisticated or | | | | well with a "beat the clock" system for work |
| accurate. In fact, often the sillier, the better. Have fun | | | | completion. |
| with it. These silly illustrations get and maintain attention | | | | Use contracts, charts, and behavior-modification |
| and help students understand and remember the | | | | systems for on-task behavior. |
| material (sequence of events, key points, abstract | | | | Reward for the certain number of completed items |
| information, etc.). | | | | that are done with accuracy. |
| Point with a dowel, a stick/pointer, or laser pointer to | | | | Provide desk examples for reference. |
| written material you want students to focus on. If you | | | | Use response costs and natural consequences for |
| can find a pointer /dowel with a little hand/ finger on it, | | | | off-task behavior. Students might "owe you time" at |
| even better. | | | | the end of the day, before school, or for part of |
| * Note: Overhead projectors are the best tools for | | | | recess time. If they are on a point system, they may |
| focusing students' attention in the classroom. You are | | | | be fined points if a reasonable amount of work isn't |
| able to write down information in color without having | | | | accomplished. |
| to turn your back on the students, thus improving | | | | Make use of study carrels or quiet office areas for |
| classroom management and reducing behavioral | | | | seat work. |
| problems. On the overhead, you can model easily and | | | | Teach students to self-monitor their own on-task |
| frame important information. Transparencies can be | | | | behavior. Some teachers use an auditory signal (e.g., |
| made in advance, saving you time. Then it can be | | | | audio tape with intermittent beeps) and students |
| partially covered up, blocking out any distracting, visual | | | | reward themselves with points if they are on-task |
| stimuli. | | | | when the beeps go off. |