Looking for fresh new ideas to grab your class’s attention in Spanish? Who isn’t?!? We all have different attention getters that have worked for us in the past but it is always fun to spice up our classroom management toolbox with new ideas.
Below is a list of eight attention grabbers in Spanish—some are call and response and some not that will help your class get on track quickly and move on to their next task or quiet so they can hear your instructions.
During class, I have the attention grabbers that I use the most in poster form printed in my classroom (so, I can easily point to it) and when using technology, I project the attention grabber onto the board or TV so that students associate the words with the picture.
Lista de 8 cantos para agarra la atención de tu clase en español:
1. (Profe) Las Cataras. (Estudiantes) Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
2. (Profe) A-E-I-O-U. (Estudiantes) El burro sabe más que tú.
3. (Profe) Ojos arriba (Estudiantes) Voces apagadas.
4. (Profe) Marcas, listos (Estudiantes) a aprender.
5. (Profe) AGUA (Estudiantes) Cate. Agua-Agua-Cate
6. (Profe) Hakuna (Estudiantes) Matata
7. (Profe) Clase! Clase! Clase! (Estudiantes) Profe! Profe! Profe!
8. (Profe) Pepperoni (Estudiantes) Pizza
A few other effective ways to get your students to listen, transition or back on task are;
1. to count (forwards or backward).
For example: “Clase, estén en sus sillas en la cuenta de 10, 9, 8,…” or “Clase tiene que estar en la alfombra en la cuenta de 10, 9, 8…”
2. Have them clap.
For example: “Si me escuchas, aplaude tres veces.” Clap-Clap-Clap. Si me escuchas, apluade dos. Clap-Clap.”
3. Have students do actions/TPR or Simon says like commands.
For example: “Toca la cabeza” “Toca el codo” Etc.
4. For smaller kids have them silently copy/follow the actions you are doing. (This is great for K-2 classes; when you don’t want them talking or adding additional noise with a call and response.)
For example: Quietly clap your hands, pat your head, make a pattern of clapping your hands and tapping your legs.” Wait until all are following your actions. Students usually nudge each other or you can say “Estoy esperando 5 personas. … Estoy esperando 2 personas…. Ya estamos todos listos.”
If you are looking for more attention grabbers/call and response chants for your Spanish and/or Bilingual classroom or “posters” or visuals of the ones listed above; you might like this product I have made with 23 attention grabbers in Spanish.
Which of these attention getters do you think you will try? What are your favorite call and response chants in Spanish?
