Classroom management is a constant issue. Students are tired and become bored
easily. Teachers often face the problem of students yelling out and interrupting a lesson
to ask to ask a question. These disruptions often cause other students to lose focus and
become off task and can become frustrating for both students and teachers. What is the
best solution?
One strategy to eliminate classroom disruptions is to use hand gestures. Establishing a
system of hand signals in the classroom is an excellent way for students to
communicate their needs without disrupting the flow of learning. It is also the simplest
way for teachers to get a message across quickly and quietly. I am expecting positive
interactions and feedback from students using the hand signals.
After watching the Edutopia video “Using Hand Signals for More Equitable Discussions,”
I was able to glean a “hand full” of gestures to use in my classroom. They include:
● A raised pinky finger means the student has a question
● A fist on top of the other means the student wants to build on what a classmate is
saying.
● A pinky and thumb extended means agreement with the speaker.
● An index finger means disagreement with the speaker.
● A raised pinky finger means the student has a question.
● Air quotes means a student can paraphrase a quote or concept.
My plan is to create a visual chart, hang it in the room and post another one on my
virtual slide presentation to remind the class of the expectations. Then at the beginning
of each class, we will review/model them together. Some modifications may need to be
made; however, I anticipate that these hand signals will work well - especially with class
discussions.