Eyes and Ears, Please!
Posted by Diane Badden on 24 Aug 2010 | Posted in: Classroom Routines
Since it’s back-to-school time, I’m thinking a quick warm-up of teacher phrases might be fun! I feel certain y’all have some great ones. What are your favorites?
Here are a few I gathered from my colleagues: “Keep four on the floor” (chair legs), “Sit crisscross applesauce,” “Be loud and proud” (when sharing in front of the group), and the one that made me laugh—“Am I going to have to put on my cranky pants?” 
Oh, and feel free to include teacher actions too, such as clap routines or flipping the light switch. This is going to be fun!
Fingers on the keyboard!
Diane
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24 Responses to “Eyes and Ears, Please!”
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More Comments Pages: [1] 2 » Show All Comments
I like to “rub a little smart in” as I gently rub the kids on the top of the head. They love this! i also ask for a straight line by saying “If I wanted a snake, I’d buy one’” The kids think this is so funny, but they usually straigten up.
when they are pulling their arms in thier shirts , I tell them that if their moms wanted them in a pillowcase, they would have put one on them.
When I was teaching I made up this poem for when we went to the rug:
I sit like a pretzel when I sit on the floor.
My eyes and ears are open, and I don’t talk any more…(without raising my hand).
I love this one most when I have students who won’t sit down, “plant in the chair and watch it grow from there”. I use hand signal of stop talking with my four fingers meeting my thumb and closing my mouth. They catch on really quick and makes for better class control than yelling.
When getting ready to walk through the halls, I ask my little ones to walk like mice on marshmallows! They try to be as quiet as can be…
I teach young preschoolers and there was a huge problem with pushing in the hallway (usually before we even left!). On one particularly trying day, in frustration and trying to keep my cool, I quickly clasped my hands together and said “hug your hands!”. Don’t even know where in my brain that came from, but it works wonders and we’ve been using it with great success ever since. No more pushing in line! “Bubble mouths” is also a miracle worker. The kindergarten teacher uses bubble mouths and marshmallow toes. So funny what we come up with.
We sing, “Twenty (or how many in class) little ducks went out one day,
Down the hall to music (or whatever class attending) class.
Teacher duck said, “Sh, sh, sh, sh”,
And all the little ducks went, “Sh, sh, sh.”
(Tune “Five Little Ducks”
When I want to get their attention I begin to say, Tootsie roll, lollipop, we’ve been talking now let’s stop. They join in with me and then we clap when we say stop.
I also use “The Five Magic Rules” while we are sitting on the carpet. 1. Sitting crisscross applesauce 2. Eyes are on the person who is talking 3. Mouth is quiet 4. Hands are in lap 5. Ears are listening. When I ever I say “Who is following their 5 magic rules?” They check and know what I am looking for.
Dr. Jean has tons of great cheers to do with students to celebrate a good job. Check her website.
Great ideas! One of my favorites when they are not sitting correctly is “put your bottom in the chair, not in the air”.
another favorite is “to listen is to learn” when I am trying to give directions and they are talking.
We use the term “Grumpy pants” when staff is starting to feel frustrated in the classroom. We found pj pants made out of CareBear, Grumpy Bear fabric to use as a visual). We also use “give me five”, “crisscross applesauce”. For getting in a line we sing… Show me that you’re ready, show me that you’re ready, show me that you’re ready with your hands ___________. Hands by your side, hands on your head, hands on your knees, etc…
Thanks for the great ideas.
a few favorites…
i say “hocus pokus” and they respond with “everybody focus!”- eyes on me with hands around eyes like binoculars.
i flip the lights and say ” 3 2 1 hands in the air, freeze”- they drop everything, hands up, freeze, wait for instruction. then i say “melt!” when done
another when we line up- “hands in the air- wave them like you just don’t care- clap them together- drop them down- grab an elbow- grab a lip”- then we walk!
i also love to say “kiss your brain!” when they do something really awesome- they kiss their hand and give their head a pat.
song…”the 1st thing on my paper is my name- the 1st thing on my paper is my name- my teacher needs to know, who’s work this is and so- the 1st thing on my paper is my name” (happy and you know it tune)
i have more, but these are my favs! (i teach four year olds, so everything is a song- kinda like mary poppins!!)
When walking through the hall or when we are in a circletime situation and I prefer quiet I just say Let’s act like giraffes… shsh. . I love the “park your hands in your pockets” Thanks.
Using a sing-song voice:
“Name on your paper, first thing!”
The only downside is the kids start singing it EVERY time they get a paper! It gets a little annoying after awhile, but it works.