Guest Posted November 9, 2004 Posted November 9, 2004 Hi all, I'm sure we've discussed this before, but I've had a really noisy day today, & I need some advice/help! Please feel free to make some simple suggestions, I won't feel patronised, but I feel I'm losing the plot! My class just use very loud voices during their play indoors all the time. I think I know who the noisy ones are, it's just that there are at least 10 of them, so targetting individuals is too time consuming. Let's see - I've tried stoping the class, talking about how nice & quiet it is, but that doesn't help. Done the puppet thing, showing how unpleasant it is for the others when they shout, that doesn't seem to help either! Also done some work on quiet & loud noise, experimenting with using our voices quietly. All the children seem to have a good understanding of what a quiet voice is - they just don't use them! (It's a reception class, so I think they do know the difference) Any good ideas would be very gratefully received, as my head is aching fit to burst!! Dianne
AnonyMouse_3139 Posted November 9, 2004 Posted November 9, 2004 Just come from a day like that, head's still spinning I have absolutly no constructive advice though, my voice just got louder and louder to compensate and then we were all shouting, bedlam had nothing on us! I do try to intervene in the play when it gets noisy, that brings the level down for a while, but I think it's the time of year, not enough chance for loud outdoor stuff at home so they let off steam with us. I suppose we should be chuffed that the children feel they can be themselves with us. (trying to be positive here)
AnonyMouse_1027 Posted November 9, 2004 Posted November 9, 2004 We have started putting our hands on our heads..has taken probably 3 weeks but on the whole once the children see an adult doing it they follow and know they have to stop talking... it does mean that then the majority are quiet which means you dont have to yell to ask the others to stop.
AnonyMouse_79 Posted November 9, 2004 Posted November 9, 2004 Hi Dianne I do sympathise and I dont know what the answer is except that you should try and stay as quiet as possible! Perhaps then they will calm down. If you can identify who the noisey ones are is it possible to identify the activity that they are noisey at. I had one class who just shouted at one another when in the role play area, and although they were interacting quite well most of the time I just had to shut it at intervals for us all to retain our sanity. What are they like for teacher focus times? Unfortunately some classes do tend to be noisey and I expect Rea is right, the weather is not very conducive at the moment for quiet interaction indoors!
AnonyMouse_3735 Posted November 9, 2004 Posted November 9, 2004 Seems all are noisy at the moment, i have recently calmed things down a bit by whispering when talking to the children, they then have to ask others to be quiet so they can hear, this helped some of them realise they were loud and shouting too.. has helped with listening skills too. Always worth a try. Inge
AnonyMouse_1208 Posted November 9, 2004 Posted November 9, 2004 I'm just glad I'm not on ny own!! What a headache!!
Guest Posted November 9, 2004 Posted November 9, 2004 i have these rules lamianted and hanging formt eh ceiling so i jsut point to it and the chidlren know hat i mean. I have drawn a line across the clipart that has the body shouting- to signify no shouting. and i've tried to be posiitve and specifiy what thye should be doing rather than what they shouldn't.
Guest Posted November 9, 2004 Posted November 9, 2004 forgot to attach the file!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! here goes Be_kind_to_each_other.doc
Guest Posted November 9, 2004 Posted November 9, 2004 Thanks so much everyone for your quick replies. Leo, I think your picture rules are great & I'll try that - a visual prompt may be of some help!! I rearranged my classroom a bit after I'd posted my 1st message as I realised the noise has been worse since I had a change around at 1/2 term, so maybe things were not conducive for the children to get absorbed in their play? Thing is, as I'm sure a lot of you will agree, the noise often goes up when they are playing well together!!! You're right too Susan, there are certain areas of the classroom which seem to encourage more noise, & maybe 'closing' them once in a while will encourage the children to find other activities to try out, as well as saving my sanity! I've got a pretty quiet voice so I'm not one for shouting - & the class are great - they stop quickly when I ring my bell for attention, and they are very good on the carpet (so long as I am interesting enough!!! ) I guess it's just a case of keeping on trying, hoping it will get better in time! Thanks again, Dianne xxx
Guest Posted November 9, 2004 Posted November 9, 2004 I'm based in a very large hall therefore acoustics are terrible and doesn't the noise level go up as the weather gets duller and wetter I have found that the children in my group shout at each other rather than talk because they have forgotton or do not yet fully understand the conventions of conversation. Therefore they are shouting over and above each other to be listened to. I have also become more aware of the way children interrupt all the time, each other and adults, for example if I am talking to a parent a child will just butt in and expect to be listened to straight away. I have started to magnify my role modelling of conversation, such as "I am waiting for you to finish speaking so that I can talk and you can listen" If they interrupt I ask them to "wait, I am talking, I will listen to you when I have finished" At mat time rather than have a child stand in front of the group to tell their news I have set the group in pairs to talk quietly to each other, I then ask the listener what their friend has said to them. It's early days yet but yesterday a boy listened to a girl responded then said "it's my turn now" and commenced with his news, she then said "It's my turn now to speak" and he then listened to her. I find the noise level goes down if all my staff are sitting down, I know that may sound silly but I notice the difference as soon as one member of staff gets up and moves, the other staff tend to, this results in higher noise levels and children moving around a lot more. We have started taking the children out twice a day for a quick walk and have noticed the benefits almost immediately. The only other alternative is to teach the children sign language and insist it is used for the duration of the session ...I wish, what peace. Peggy
Guest Posted November 9, 2004 Posted November 9, 2004 Thanks for the rules leo-i've printed off the please use your speaking voice-liked that one best! That news in pairs is a great idea peggy-never tried that before. Thanksx
Guest Posted November 10, 2004 Posted November 10, 2004 I have just come home from a morning like this! In the end I asked the children to put their hand over their heart, and to feel how fast it was beating, this they did, then I asked them to take deep breaths and to exhale out, and to feel how their heart slowed down, they were all facinated by this. So when the noise and running about started up again, I said,' Hands on hearts' and they all stopped and did it! I don't know how long before they get wise to me, but i'll carry on
Guest Posted November 10, 2004 Posted November 10, 2004 Oh trea!! I have a class of 21 boys and 8 girls - yes you can imagine I'm going to try this tomorrow. I'll let you know .. hang on a minute while I take the cotton wool out of my ears. Oh that's better Harricroft.
Guest Posted November 10, 2004 Posted November 10, 2004 Hi Please excuse the grin, I have exchanged last years noisey lot for a much quieter bunch. It's so nice to be able to hear myself think again. Have you tried music? I find it works with some groups. Classical music tends to be the most effective. I work through any ideas I can come up with through the year and then come back to them again! Keeping them on their toes can sometimes kerb the din. You do have my sympathy, it makes the job so much harder. Good luck Clare
AnonyMouse_79 Posted November 10, 2004 Posted November 10, 2004 Trea, that is just wonderful! Leo those pictures are really useful. I just hate looking for clipart! Thank you.
AnonyMouse_79 Posted November 10, 2004 Posted November 10, 2004 Hi Cescho and welcome aboard! Lucky you, a quiet class! The music is an excellent idea, have you found anything more conducive to quiet than others?
Guest Posted November 11, 2004 Posted November 11, 2004 Hi Dianne, At registration i sometimes whisper the childrens names. The children have to be quiet to hear their name , then they whisper back to me. I also have sh chair near the book corner. When i hear children shouting i make them sit on the sh chair for a while and read a book quietly. I have also used props such as a magic wand or a water bottle filled with rice which i shake when the noise level is unacceptable.
AnonyMouse_2186 Posted November 11, 2004 Posted November 11, 2004 We have a book at nursery called 'Transition Time ~ Lets do something different'. You can find it at amazon here I would highly recommened this book, it gives tips for gaining children's attention in noisy classrooms and other activities so they can 're focus' on the activity in hand. One great tip i got from it was to have a bag hung on the door handle leading to the outside area... as they return inside they put their noisy voices in the bag and retrieve them as they go back out, this works wonders!!
AnonyMouse_79 Posted November 11, 2004 Posted November 11, 2004 Sounds brilliant, Lucy---the idea and the book! But why do books have to be so expensive?
AnonyMouse_2186 Posted November 11, 2004 Posted November 11, 2004 I know books are expensive I am always dubious of buying books without reading a mountain of reviews first, i am so worried about wasting money. But the book mentioned is definatley worth every penny Don't know how i managed without it for so long!
AnonyMouse_2732 Posted November 11, 2004 Posted November 11, 2004 Sounds good to me, too, Lucy! I feel a visit to Amazon coming on......... Don't know how I managed without that, either! Sue
AnonyMouse_3139 Posted November 11, 2004 Posted November 11, 2004 This post was started 2 days ago and nothings changed!!! They really are so loud, a little girl who rarely speaks and is in the process of seeing a speech therapist shouted at me today to 'Go away', I'd only asked her not scream. I sometimes use classical music but sometimes it feels like I've merely added another noise. I used to play a cd for my children when they were little 'Beethoven at bedtime' really soothing music, boys fell asleep really quickly. It's on amazon at £6.99, as soon as bank allows, I will take money from it!
AnonyMouse_2732 Posted November 11, 2004 Posted November 11, 2004 Damn!! Stop encouraging me to spend. I will be in sooo much trouble when the credit card bill comes..... Sue
AnonyMouse_3139 Posted November 11, 2004 Posted November 11, 2004 Exactly why I cant take money out of the bank, 'insufficient funds' dont you know?
Recommended Posts