Atten-HUT!!

Now that I have your attention....I'll get on with my story.

For all that you hear these days of kids not behaving in the classroom and the lack of respect and decorum that today's kids have in comparison with kids of a couple of generations ago, I have witnessed the complete opposite. Twice a week I volunteer at my children's school. One day I help out in DD's classroom and on the other day I help out in DS' classroom. I was in DS' classroom yesterday. Yes, they can occasionally get loud and off-track from what they are supposed to be doing. But DS' teacher has come up with an ingenious method of bringing them back under control that works amazingly well. I have witnessed many teachers over many years use many methods to try and bring classrooms under control. Let me tell you, I have never seen anything like this! I was stunned at how immediate the response from the students was. Not only was the response immediate, but it was with 100% participation....which is the key to its success. If they didn't all respond immediately and in the same manner, it wouldn't work. What is it that she is doing you ask? Well, she has this small desk bellthat she rings whenever she wants them to get back on task. All she has to do is ring it once and every single student immediately stands up wherever they are and are completely silent. They have immediately come to attention as if they were in the military. I haven't witnessed anything like that since the days when I was in the Air Force ROTC back in college and a senior officer would enter the room! Amazing! Very stunning to see that kind of response from 4th and 5th grade students (it's a 4th/5th grade mixed class). She even once accidentally bumped the bell when setting something on her desk and once again they were up on their feet and completely silent. All I could do was look on in wonder.......wondering if that would work with the kids when they were at home! Somehow, I think not. But it is obviously extremely effective in the classroom and more effective than any other method I've ever seen put to use. Kudos to Mrs. B. for such a simple yet completely effective method of controlling classroom behavior!