Everyday Attention Grabbers

Call and Response:

Teacher: One, two, three, four, fiiiiiiiiive?

Students: SIX-SEVEN!

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Teacher: One, Two, Three: Eyes on me!

Students: One, Two: Eyes on you!

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Teacher: sings music scales “5,4,3,2,1”

Students: sing “Don’t talk!”

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Teacher: Flat tire!

All: “Shhhhhhhhhhhh” (getting softer until silent)

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Teacher: Waterfall, waterfall!

All: “Shhhhhhhhhhhh”

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Teacher: Macaroni and Cheese!

Students: Everybody freeze!

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Teacher: Rocket Ship, Rocket Ship!

Students: Sitting down with closed lip!

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Teacher: Hands on top, everybody stop!

All: Zip it, lock it, put it in your pocket.

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Teacher: Holy Moly

Students: Guacamole

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Teacher: If you can hear me, clap once.

Students: Clap

Teacher: If you can hear me, clap twice.

Students: Clap, clap

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Teacher: Let’s go, (fourth) grade, let’s go!

Students: Clap, clap

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Teacher: Class, class!

Students: Yes, yes!

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Teacher: Chicka, Chicka…

Students: Boom, Boom!

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Teacher: Ready to Rock?

Students: Ready to Roll!

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Teacher: ABC!

Students: Easy as 1,2,3!

Monthly Attention Grabbers:

September:

Teacher: Apple tree, apple tree!

Students: Acorn, acorn! (make stuffed squirrel cheeks)

October:

Teacher: Pumpkin, pumpkin!

Students: Jack-O-Lantern!

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Teacher: Hocus Pocus

Students: Everybody Focus

November:

Teacher: Green beans and stuffing!

Students: Sweet potato pie!

December:

Teacher: Get to your seats as fast as you can!

Students: You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!

January:

Teacher: Snowball fight!

Students: Lips frozen tight!

February:

Teacher: Will you be my Valentine?

Students: Only if we start on time!

March:

Teacher: Rainbow’s arching!

Students: To our desks we’re marching!

April:

Teacher: April Showers!

Students: My mind flowers!

May:

Teacher: May Day, May Day!

Students: Not time to talk or play!

June:

Teacher: Splish-Splash!

Students: Quiet in a dash!

Physical Cues

If you’re looking at the board, touch your elbows.

If you have your pencil, roll your shoulders.

If you’re pointing to the first word, wink.

If you’re on problem number four, blink twice.

If your book is put away, tap your nose.

If you’re on page eleven, pat your head.

If you have your dry erase marker, cross your arms.

Non-Verbal Options:

Wireless doorbell worn on a lanyard

Mini gong on your desk/by the board

Series of claps, snaps, and knee slaps mixed up in different ways (students never know which combination they’ll get, so have to pay attention to be able to copy it)