Contributor:
Emma
When the children are getting ready to leave the classroom, either for a different lesson or break time, I find it useful to sing a song as a sign that I am waiting for them to get into a straight and quiet line.
The song is sung to the tune of Frere Jaques:
Are we ready?
Are we ready?
Yes we are!
Yes we are!
Standing in a straight line,
Standing in a straight line.
Here we are!
Here we are!
You can exchange the 5&6 lines for ‘Sitting in a circle’, ‘sitting up so nicely’, ‘listening very carefully’, ‘sitting very quietly’ etc.
The children start to join in quietly as a sign that they are listening, and I get very, very quiet until I stop.
I also find with Form 3 that it often helps to stand with my hand in the air saying ‘my hand is in the air’ until all the children copy me and sit quietly; though it is very basic, it gets their attention fast.
Jackie also suggested this version:
Are we ready?
We are ready
To succeed?
Yes indeed!
Learning, listening, knowing,
learning, listening, knowing,
We can win,
Let’s begin.