What do you call your students?
If you are trying to get the attention of your entire class as a group, what do you call the students? I've been thinking about this for a while. Do you have something that you say when you are trying to get the attention of the entire class?
posted by Not Quite Grown Up... at 10:26 PM
7 Comments:
I used to get my kids attention the old Harry Wong way----"Give me Five". I got tired of them looking straight at me with my arm up and continuing to talk anyway. I bought a customer service bell. One of those you might see on the counter at a dry clearners or some other store. I ding the bell once. Students have been taught to freeze. Those who don't cause the class to repractice the procedure (another Harry Wong exclusive) and they might have a discipline point removed. I also say "Hey Guys" and the very old fashioned "Boys and Girls", and "Class, I need your attention." In private I refer to them as "my babies", "my young people", my honeybunnies", "my darlins", "my rugrats" depending on how the day went.
"boys and girls", "ladies and gentlement" if you're feeling grand.
if you're not in the mood for niceties, a good loud "hey!" or even better, "yo!"
elementaryhistoryteacher - The reason I asked this question is that when I was doing a mini-teaching lesson with a small group of students, I apparently referred to them as "you guys", as in "Alright you guys, this is what we're going to do now". On my evaluation, my professor said that I should not use that phrase because it is sexist. Now, I certainly consider myself a feminist and don't want to do anything that reinforces or creates gender stereotypes, but I think that the phrase "guys" has be manipulated by the users of the English language to refer to a general group of people, as opposed to a group of males. I was wondering if others referred to their co-ed groups as "guys" and I guess there is at least one person out there who does. (But then, I keep wondering, do I just think this about the word "guys" because I am being defensive and don't want to think I could accidentally let a sexist remark slip through? If this evaluation had been done by a professor who I respect more than I respect the one who did the evaluation, would I take the comment more seriously? I don't know.)
Jules - I have used a nice sudden "yo!" It does a nice job of getting their attention.
Hey, just found your blog. I'm linking you on my blog, if you don't mind.
When I need the attention of my first graders, I say "One, two, three, eyes on me," to which they're supposed to reply "One, two, eyes on you!" I also call them "friends"... as in "Most of my friends look like they're ready to get started," or "I'm still waiting for my friends at Table Two to stop talking." If I'm feeling silly, it's "ladybugs and jellybeans."
Dree - I use friends with all the pre-schoolers I have worked with. It's my favorite thing to use. I wonder though, what the upper limit of that is. 2nd grade maybe?
I clap my hands, or cough, loudly - that works. If it doesn't, I often ask if "Mr Smith" would like to listen up,
"Oy! You bunch of, of, of PEOPLE!!" works, too, although they always seem slightly disappointed by that. Can't think why...
My methods professor refers to us and his high school students (when he taught) as "people." I don't know if that is too old sounding for preschool/elementary. I have the same problem though, I'm working at not using the word 'guys.' For some reason it was much easier to switch when I was a waitress and everyone was 'folks.' (Which makes me sound all old and midwestern :P)
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