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
“Park your pockets :)”
I LOVE “Park your Pockets”!!! WHen getting a drink of water we say “1 2 3 That’s enough for me.”
1, 2 ,3 eyes on me please (form binoculars from your hands as if you are looking at the children)
I love park your pockets
I use “Sit on your biscuits.” “Give me five” “Pat ourself on the back for doing such a great job” I like “Park your pockets” and “Be loud, be proud” Great idea!!
try a small windchime. (not one that can be heard around the whole neighborhood) but just a small one that has a nice “tinkle”. Whenever I needed the attention of the class, I would just walk to the front of the room where it was hanging and give it a nudge. The class knew I needed their attention, or it was time to transition to a new task. NO yelling required! Works great if students are scattered around the room in centers, etc.
I LOVE Park your pockets and the “cranky pants” ones! We pat ourselves on the back and say “Good job, me!” for self esteem/job well done.
Teacher says: 1, 2, 3 eyes on me..students respond with 1, 2 eyes on you!
“You get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit.”
or
“You get what you get, and you don’t get upset.”
Works every time!
T: “1, 2, 3, eyes looking at me.”
S: “1, 2, eyes looking at you.”
I was once told not to say, “eyes on me” because some students might take it literally.
“I’m looking for ready Freddies!”
They learn the first day that when I say ready Freddy, they should sit with their hands crossed on their desks and their heads on their hands.
I often tell my kids to put on their thinking caps or turn up their listening ears. They also sit “crisscross applesauce, spoons in the bowl” on the carpet.
When we’re doing multi-step projects, I tell them to stick their fingers in their ears, touch their nose, sit on their hands, hands on their head, etc. when they are ready for the next direction.
Lol..I love the park your pockets!:) I use criss-cross applesauce, spoons in your bowl (they place their hands in the hole of their lap), bubble cheeks and hands on hips (while walking in the halls), 1,2,3 eyes on me, put on your thinking caps, turn your listening ears on.
I really like the phrase, “Be loud, be proud.” That will be perfect for the Author’s Chair sessions and other presentation times. I also use “Give me 5” as the quiet signal. Thanks for sharing!
Sing:
Crisscross, applesauce,
Apples in your basket.
I like using the term 2 foot voices. That means that only people within 2 feet of you can hear your voice. I have the kids do this when working in groups. That way each group can hear their own members, but won’t be disturbed by members of other groups.
I love the “cranky pants” comment. That is hilarious.
Also, I warn students at the beginning of the year that I can be the nicest teacher they’ve ever had or the meanest. It is all up to them. Follow the rules and procedures, and I will be the nicest teacher they have ever known. Bully someone, tease someone and you will incur my wrath.
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.
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.
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!!)
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.
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.
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.
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”
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.
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 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 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 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.