10 attention signals that work in any room
A substitute doesn't know the class's usual signal, and shouting over a room never works for long. A good attention signal is short, the same every time, and practiced once before you need it. These ten work in any classroom. Pick one or two, teach them in the first five minutes, and use them the same way all day, waiting calmly until every eye is on you.
1. Clap it back
Clap a short rhythm, like two slow claps and three quick ones. The class claps it back and then sits still with hands folded. Change the rhythm now and then so students listen rather than react, and wait for the last clap to stop before you speak.
Grades K–5You need Nothing
2. Hands on top
Say "Hands on top!" and the class answers "That means stop!" as they put both hands on their heads. Practice it twice in the morning so everyone knows the words. Hands on heads also means hands are not on anything else.
Grades K–3You need Nothing
3. Five-finger countdown
Hold up five fingers and count down aloud, dropping a finger each second: "Five, four, three, two, one." By one, voices are off and eyes are on you. For older students, count silently with just your fingers and wait.
Grades All gradesYou need Nothing
4. Silent raised hand
Raise one hand and stay quiet. Students who see it stop talking and raise their own hands, until the whole room is still. It takes a few seconds longer than speaking but spreads without a single word from you.
Grades All gradesYou need Nothing
5. If you can hear me
Say softly, "If you can hear me, touch your nose." Then, a little louder, "If you can hear me, touch your shoulders." Each step catches a few more students until everyone is with you. Keep your voice low the whole time.
Grades K–5You need Nothing
6. Lights down
Switch off half of the lights, or all of them for a moment if the room has windows, and wait without talking. Turn them back on when the room is quiet. Use it sparingly and never flash the lights on and off.
Grades All gradesYou need The room's light switch
7. A soft chime
Make one soft, clear sound: a phone chime, the end of a quiet timer, or a spoon tapped once on a mug. Teach students that the sound means pause and look up. A gentle sound often cuts through better than a loud one.
Grades All gradesYou need A chime sound on a phone or projector, or a spoon and a mugUse Quiet timer
8. Noise meter on the screen
Show the noise meter on the board. Tell the class which level is right for this part of the day, then point to the screen when the meter climbs. Students can see the noise for themselves, so you don't have to say much.
Grades K–8You need The projectorUse Noise meter
9. The whisper
Instead of raising your voice, drop it to a near whisper and start giving the next direction. Students closest to you go quiet to hear, and the quiet moves outward. It works best after the room already knows your louder signal.
Grades All gradesYou need Nothing
10. Write it and point
Write the next direction on the board in large letters, such as Books away, eyes up, and point to it without speaking. Students who read it quietly tell their neighbors. Erase it once everyone has done it.
Grades 2–8You need The board and a marker
Making it work
- Teach your signal before you need it: show it, practice it twice and thank the class when it works.
- Use the same signal the same way all day. Switching between five signals confuses a class.
- Wait for every voice to stop before you speak. Talking over the last few teaches the room that the signal doesn't matter.
- Ask a helpful student what signal the class uses with their teacher. If it's simple, use theirs.
- If you'll be in the room again, note the signal that worked in your note for the teacher.
Questions teachers ask
- What is the best attention signal for a substitute?
- One that is short, calm and easy to teach in a minute, like a clap-back, a five-finger countdown or a silent raised hand. The best one is whichever you practice first and then use the same way all day.
- Should I use the class's usual signal?
- If a student tells you the class signal and it is simple, use it. Children already know it, so it works faster than anything new. If you are unsure, teach your own in the first five minutes.
- What if the signal stops working by the afternoon?
- Practice it again as if it were new, briefly and without scolding, and thank the students who respond first. A short movement break before you try often helps more than repeating the signal louder.
Written for teachers by Peabody Teach. No ads, no affiliate links. Something wrong or missing? Tell us.