Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Shhh!!! What is your Quiet Signal??

I am so excited to see how Kagan Fever has overtaken our school.  There are so many success stories that people have shared with me.  One of my favorite realizations that I've heard is how successful the quiet signal is!  Which, in my opinion, is one of the keys to starting Kagan successfully.

"I didn't think that it would work with my kids and they have totally caught on to it.  They enjoy "showing" the other students what the teacher is expecting!"

I am so glad to hear that there is success with such a simple technique.  Also, remember that it does not need to be the same signal that Jen, the trainer, showed us.  You can use your own.  Some of the benefits that come from using the hand signal is that you do not have to talk over the students to get their attention.  You don't need to walk over to the light switch to turn it off.  Another benefit is the ripple effect!  Some students see you raise your hand or hear your statement and then they help the rest of the class gain quiet attention.  How nice not to have to continue shushing the students or remind them that you are waiting for them.

Now here are some things that you should remember:

1.  Explanation to the students about the quiet signal is helpful!  Let them know that by placing them in groups, you are aware of the temptation to speak to others and of course with Kagan there are always opportunities for your voice to be heard!  Also, remind them that when working in groups, the volume throughout the room needs to be low enough that all the members in your team will be able to hear your voice.

2.  5 Seconds is Key!!  If students are taking longer that 5 seconds to give you their attention, then you should take time to practice the quiet signal with the class.

3.  Put your hand down before you speak! This is the one that I am always guilty of!!  I put my hand up, call for attention, and wait.  All good, right!  Then I keep my hand in the air and begin talking, WRONG!  I should model for them how I want them to give attention.  I do not want to confuse them.  We don't want them thinking that when my hand is in the air that I talk.  I know this is hard and as I said I always need to be aware of it too.

4.  Wait for the last hand!  If you get full attention from all but two or three students, do NOT continue.  Wait for the last hand!  If you continue, you are sending the message to the rest of the class that they really don't have to raise their hands.

5.  Awkward pause!  Remember that it is okay to let them squirm a little with anticipation with what is coming up next.  By allowing for an additional pause after the signal, you are sending a clear message that you will wait for silence before continuing to speak.


Watch for more Kagan tips in upcoming blogs!!  If you have a Kagan success story and would like to share it, please email me and I would love to add it to the blogs!

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