Engagement Strategies That Work Part 3: Let Me See That Tootsie Roll
I've been in a lot of classrooms this year as a literacy coach, and let me tell you—I’m learning so much! One of my core beliefs is to always be a life-long learner, and I’m constantly on the lookout for new ways to improve my practice, gain fresh ideas, and stay inspired.
I spend a lot of time with second-year teachers, and I’ve been picking up so many great insights from them. In the next few blog posts, I’ll be sharing some of the positive incentives and engagement strategies that really work in the classroom and bring in a lot of joy. Stay tuned!
Part 3: Let Me See that Tootsie Roll
During a recent classroom visit, I watched a second-year kindergarten teacher work some magic. Her students were getting a little too excited during her phonics lesson, but with just a quiet “Tootsie roll…,” she had them back on track and listening in under 15 seconds!
She had taught her students the lyrics and motions to Dr. Jean’s "Tootsie Roll" attention grabber, and they sang along as the whole room instantly settled down, ready for more of her explicit and systematic phonics lesson.
This song is a gem for any PreK, kindergarten, or even first-grade classroom. If you teach older grades, though, you might want something a little more age-appropriate. Don’t worry—there are tons of fun attention-getters out there! Here are a few of my personal favorites that not only brought a smile to my face but also brought an entire class back together in seconds:
Teacher sings: Stop, Look, and Listen
Students respond: Okay!Teacher says: Flat Tire
Students respond: SsshhhhhhhTeacher says: Banana split!
Students respond: We know how to sit!Teacher sings: Alright stop
Students sing: Collaborate and listen!
And if you need an extra dose of joy today, you have to check out this choir teacher’s 90s Version Attention Getter video—it’s pure gold for all the Millennial teachers out there!
I'm excited to share more strategies that I've seen make a difference and bring more joy into the classroom, leaving students highly engaged. Whether you're a new teacher or a seasoned one, there's always room to learn and grow.
I’d love to hear what’s been working in your classrooms, too—let’s keep the conversation going! What’s your go-to attention getter? Send me a message!
Stay tuned for the next post, where I’ll dive deeper into another incentive that can transform your classroom dynamic during whole group learning!
