Attention-Getters and Cheers!

Attention- Getters

Are you looking to add some new attention-getters to your current library?  Attention-getters are a fun and efficient way of getting your students' attention quickly and without having to yell over them (as we all know how effective that is right?).  Attention-gettters are an important component to any successful classroom management system.  They are a MUST HAVE to help your day run smoothly, and the kids love them! I have put together some of my current favorite attention-getters that I use with the students in my 4th grade class.  See a brief description and video clips of each one below:

Teacher Says…	Students Respond…
Hocus Pocus…	…Everybody focus
Here ye here ye…	… All eyes on the queen
Hands on top…	…Everybody stop (while putting hands on top of head)
If you can hear me put a bubble in your mouth…	…students pretend to have a giant bubble in their mouth
Can I get a…	…whoop whoop
Ready to rock?...	…Ready to roll
Class class…	…yes yes
Chop chop…	…Lollipop
Jazz hands…	Students shake their hands in a “jazz hands” fashion

Classroom Cheers!

Classroom cheers are a great way to celebrate student successes both big and small!  Kids absolutely love the cheers and thus are encouraged to constantly cheer on their classmates.  My students are always looking for their classmates successes and are excited to celebrate them.  Classroom cheers can also aide in classroom management as students are highly engaged and looking to both earn and give those cheers to their classmates.  It's a great way to encourage your students and help boost their self-esteem throughout the day.  The cheers are so simple and so fun to implement.  Here are some of my favorites that I am using with my 4th grade students this year:

Cheer Name	Student Actions…
WOW cheer	Make a “w” with each hand and put on each side of their mouth.  Open mouth to make an “o” shape.
Marshmallow Clap	Clap hands like there’s a big marshmallow between them.
Disco Cheer	Put left hand on hip, use right hand to point down to the left and then up to the right.  Repeat this action while saying “ah, ah, ah, ah, you did a great job, you did a great job.”
Truck Driver Cheer	Use hands to pretend to hold steering wheel, then use right hand to pretend to pull a semi-truck horn and say “honk honk.” Then put pretend walkie in front of mouth and say “Good job good buddy.”
Tiny Clap	Use pointer finger tips to clap.
Cheese Grater Cheer	Hold one stand still pretending to hold a cheese grater, and use the other hand to “grate” the block of cheese. While doing this students say “You’re great, great, great, great great!”
Big brrrr Cheer	Cross arms over the front of the body like you’re cold, while saying “brrrrr,” then throw both hands up in the air and say –“illiant!!”
Hip Hip Hooray Cheer	Put right hand on hip and say “hip,” put left hand on hip and say “hip,” then throw both hands up in the air and say “HOORAYYYY!”
Chili Pepper Cheer	Reach up and pretend to pick a chili pepper, bit into the pepper and say, “that’shot!” while fanning yourself with the other hand.
Lookin’ Good Cheer	Use pointer fingers to draw a mirror in the air, then say “looking good!” while girls fluff hair and boys pretend to slick theirs back.
Fantastic Cheer	Use pointer finger to twirl a circle and the air while saying “FAAAAAAAAAANTASTIC” and then point towards the person the cheer is for.

I sure hope this helps to add some new fun and engagement into your classroom as well!

Collaboratively Learning,

Megan Brown

megan.brown@omsd.net