15 Amazing Teaching Attention Getters to Easily Refocus Students

Whether you have used teaching attention getters or callbacks in the classroom or not, they are a great way to get students’ attention and refocus. 

What are attention getters?

Attention getters, sometimes called callbacks, are a quick word, phrase or saying that students know are a cue to be quiet and focus attention. These were a game changer in my classroom and they work great for a substitute as well. Classroom callbacks are a proactive way to quickly get students’s attention. Some of the best teaching attention getters are novel sounds (chime or bell) or phrases. It is worth the few minutes of time to teach students, especially if you are going to be back in the class for a couple of days or a couple of weeks. And if we are being honest they even work on adults.  

Setup 

All you need to do is a quick pre teach to make sure every one it on the same page.  When you are in a new class teach the students 1-2 call backs that you are comfortable with and practice to make sure students know your expectation. Sometimes classes can get loud so having a call back with a clear expectation can alleviate some unwanted stress.

If you have never used a call back then here is what you need to do:

1. Start with when I say____ then you say ____. Your job is to stop, look and listen so that you can be successful with the next steps.
2. Practice… Have students quietly talk to a neighbor  Then say one of the call backs. The students should answer and stop, look and listen for the next direction.
3. Repeat step 2.
4. Use throughout the day. Sometimes you need to use so that students get refocused, move to the next step or acknowledge a direction.

Don’t forget to leave these teaching attention getters and classroom callbacks in your sub plans because they also great for substitute teachers. Sometimes you don’t know what the classroom is like that you are walking into so having a plan for some structure helps a substitute teacher’s day be more focused.

Get your Attention Getters for the Classroom here or on Teachers Pay Teachers.

What is your favorite attention getter or classroom callback?