louihw Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Does anyone have any top tips to get a busy nursery class (3 - 4 year olds) quiet and relaxed - don't get me wrong I am not saying I want it silent - but it just seems to be bedlam at the moment and is not encouraging any quality communication between adults and children or children and children - you have to shout to speak to the person next to you and I don't like shouting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panders Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 For an immediate bit of peace so that you can draw their attention to the noise they are making I turn off the lights! Amazingly it stuns them into silence because it is so unexpected - then you can have your pep talk about keeping the noise factor down. Must admit we tend to do varying amounts of shushing to throughout the morning! Constantly reminding and nagging for a week or so might do the trick. Some class rules to talk about at circle time about shouting etc. How about recording the noise they make and playing it back to them when you do get some quiet - perhaps they just don't appreciate how noisy it gets. Have a mini topic week about noise and different sounds they hear when it is quiet at different times of the day. Some good sound activities they can all join in with. Play Sneaky Pete or Grandma's footsteps games where they have to be quiet and sneak up on the person who is it! If all else fails get some ear plugs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louihw Posted February 7, 2011 Author Share Posted February 7, 2011 For an immediate bit of peace so that you can draw their attention to the noise they are making I turn off the lights! Amazingly it stuns them into silence because it is so unexpected - then you can have your pep talk about keeping the noise factor down. Must admit we tend to do varying amounts of shushing to throughout the morning! Constantly reminding and nagging for a week or so might do the trick. Some class rules to talk about at circle time about shouting etc. How about recording the noise they make and playing it back to them when you do get some quiet - perhaps they just don't appreciate how noisy it gets. Have a mini topic week about noise and different sounds they hear when it is quiet at different times of the day. Some good sound activities they can all join in with. Play Sneaky Pete or Grandma's footsteps games where they have to be quiet and sneak up on the person who is it! If all else fails get some ear plugs! Thanks Panders - your reply made me giggle as there are about 5 children in the setting who constantly turn out the lights (had to put masking tape over the switches, but they can still do switch it!!!) so that wouldn't have any effect as the others are so used to it now We have been 'nagging' since September - and we have 'golden rules' which include trying to speaking quietly Like the idea about recording them and the mini topic on noise and sound and the games to play (we had a noddle bar last week when it was Chinese new year - and they were so noisy I even said 'lets whisper because Chinese people always whisper - then realised after perhaps I shouldn't have given them that misconception - ooopps!!!) Tried putting some relaxing music on in the dinner centre today - but the feedback was that they couldn't hear it??? Think ear plugs it is - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 try lavender playdough and classical music combination ...works for me...im then so chilled i dont care about the childrens noise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rea Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 That made me think of my youngest sons teacher in y2, in a normal voice she would say 'and stop' and they did. It ws one of lifes little mystries! When you stop them to tell them how noisy it is, try stopping them to tell them they have to wiggle their fingers, shake hands with someone next to them, pull a face, stand on one leg. The distraction might just help them to forget whet all the shouting was about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueFinanceManager Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 My sons teacher in reception spoke quietly all the time and in fact when we went to parents evenings when she did a presentation I always made sure I sat at the front so I could hear her Can you try lower your voice so that they will have to be quiet to hear you.....it certainly worked for her. My daughters teacher used a traffic light system.....green they could talk freely.....amber they had to whisper and red was silence. The kids therefore had times they could be noisier but also quiet times. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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