I'm learning a lot of new ways to quieten a class as part of my work as a docent at the historic house. There is the standard raised-hand-in-the-air (one GS leader said once, "Imagine a string running from your toes through your mouth--you pull it closed when you raise your hand." Ick.) When they raise a hand with two fingers up (peace sign) and put the index finger of their other hand to their lips, it's "Peace and Quiet." In Brownies, we use the Girl Scout three-finger sign in the air. Some teachers have a clapping pattern that they start and the kids complete. Last week, the teacher counted down from 5. On Friday, they completed a few different sing songs: "Stop, look and listen!" - "Okay!"; "123, eyes on me!" - "1, 2, eyes on you!"; and finally, "Hocus, Pocus. Everybody focus!" And I even suggested, on the spot, that when I said something really interesting they could, instead of shouting out (of which they were doing a lot), wave their fingers as you do for ASL applause.
And most of the time it works, for a bit, until the teacher has to trot out a new one.
Kids are just loud and egocentric. Keeping them quiet is like trying to clear the snow before it stops snowing! But I understand how frustrating it is to talk to them when you work so hard to present something to them and they are shouting and talking over you, phew it's exhausting.
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