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Attention prompts are visual and/or verbal prompts that focus students' attention for instruction to follow. In a classroom, prompting is used to indicate that there is a change, major action, or break within the class and is beneficial at all ages. When students show you that they are ready to learn, they are better able to receive important information so they know what is expected of them and what to do next, and now the student is engaged in their learning.
Imagine this...
Your students are all working in small groups on a collaborative project. Their voice level is appropriate and a majority are engaged in the work (because you have clear expectations in place). You need all students to stop working, look up, and give their attention to you. What do you do?
The answer to this is an attention prompt AKA whatever you do to capture your students attention in that moment so that they are ready to receive information from you.
Examples of Attention Prompts
- Class, may I have your attention?
- Ladies and gentlement, I need your attention in 3-2-1
- Eyes on me in 5-4-3-2-1
- Ring a bell or chime
- Teacher claps a rhythm, student responds
- Call/Response
- Describe the procedure/behavior. What does it look like/sound like?
- Demonstrate or role play
- Practice with trial runs
- Implement and reteach/reflect as necessary
- Give students a pacing heads up
- 2 minutes of work time remaining
- Clean up in 1 minute
- Personal cues may be given at this point to students who struggle with transitions
- Deliver the attention prompt
- Consider a verbal paired with a visual
- Stand in your "power position" within the classroom
- Have your instructional materials ready to go before giving the prompt
- Use a firm voice, slightly louder than your teaching voice
- Pause for a few seconds
- Make eye contact with all students (ALL STUDENTS)
- Waiting until you have all students attention shows that you have something important to say
- Considering offering age appropriate, positive cues
- I like how Steve is sitting up with his eyes on me
- Sally has her pencil and paper ready to go and I can tell she's ready because I see her eyes
- Everyone in group 3 has their Checkpoint pulled up- thank you for being ready
- Begin teaching your lesson or give instructions promptly
- Do not become distracted, get started when they are ready
- Use proximity as a tool when needed
- Consistency and follow through
- Reteach and practice
- Mix it up- you can use different prompts for different transitions throughout the day
- Don't overuse a specific prompt to avoid sounding like a broken record