A Substitute Teacher's Guide to Gaining the Attention of the Class

Substitute teachers who walk into a classroom for the first time would be forgiven for feeling apprehensive and nervous at the prospect of what lies before them as they prepare to teach a new class. One of the difficulties facing substitute teachers is gaining the attention of children, who might view the substitute as a "walkover". How can a substitute teacher gain the attention of the class?

Call Class to Attention

A boisterous class of children who are catching up with friends, their recent happenings over the weekend or just asking questions, can quickly increase the noise levels in class, making it difficult to actually get any assigned work done. That is why a substitute teacher must quickly be able to call the class to attention so that they can listen to, and obey instructions. When I was in school, many of my teachers made sure we silently walked into class, single file, and if anyone uttered a word, we had to walk back out again and repeat this procedure again and again until the teacher was satisfied that he or she had our attention and they we were in the right frame of mind to start work. Calling the class to attention as they walk into the classroom is a good way to begin the day.

Do not Talk Over Chatter

Who can hear themselves think if they are competing with 30 children for the attention of the whole class? It is impossible to get any work done if the whole class is noisy and chattering away loudly on topics that are not relevant to the lesson. Substitute teachers need to let the class know that when they are talking, they need to respectfully listen and remain quiet, rather than speak over the teacher. A substitute teacher who allows the class to talk over them has already lost the battle, and it will be much harder to regain order if the class continues to chatter over the substitute teacher's voice.

Use a Whistle

Many kindergarten teachers use a whistle to quickly gain the attention of their class. The simple act of blowing a whistle often makes a person stop what they are doing, as they investigate the reason for the whistle. The same is true for substitute teachers. Use a whistle, if it is allowed in class, to gain the attention of the class.

Substitute teachers who are successful at gaining the attention of the class will also win their respect more easily than a substitute teacher who allows the class to run wild. Use your authority to call the class to attention, do not tolerate chatter while you are talking to the class and if you are allowed to, use a whistle to gain the attention of the class.