How To Get A Noisy Classroom’s Attention
by Terry Heick
20 Ways To Get A Noisy Classroom’s Attention
Sometimes the hardest part of teaching is not designing a project or giving feedback.
Rather, it can be helping everyone quiet long enough to begin. I used to start teaching softly and hope students noticed. It felt calm. It also stressed students who wanted to hear but could not. Attention signals are not about authority. They are about access, safety, and shared momentum.
Silencing a classroom for long stretches is not the goal. Conversation and productive noise matter. Still, every teacher needs a reliable way to pause the room and reset attention. The ideas below are practical.
Choose one or two, teach them like a procedure, and practice until they become habit. If you teach younger students, see our dedicated guide for quieting an elementary classroom.
Related: Classroom Management (hub) • Social Emotional Learning • Questioning and Inquiry
Grade-band notes
Elementary
- Ritual and repetition are powerful. Teach the signal like a routine.
- Use visual cues and hand motions. Keep language short and consistent.
- Practice transitions when students are calm. Celebrate quick resets.
Middle school
- Use brevity and humor. Avoid sarcasm.
- Give leadership to influential students to model the reset.
- Beat-the-timer and light gamification work well.
High school
- Be direct and calm. Authenticity matters more than volume.
- Tie attention to autonomy and pacing. Respect the why.
- Agree on norms with students. Hold them consistently.
