Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap.

Oct 10, 2012

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What would happen if you did that to your children? Clapped in a rhythm. I tried it. Smallest just looked at me. The older two looked and shouted “what?!”

However, if I’d written “Silence” on a sign and held it up in front of them, it’s entirely possible they’d have just gone silent…

A friend of mine, Gill, was in a museum the other day with her home educated clan, and witnessed a group of school children all playing in an area. The teacher walked in and clapped. The school children all stopped what they were doing, clapped back the same rhythm then lined up and followed her silently out of the room.

Sounds a bit spooky to me. So I asked on twitter what people thought of it, to be told that it’s actually quite common in schools, and is better than shouting for silence (and probably not getting it).

Hm. Yes, well, I freely admit there is too much shouting in my house. I’m working really hard on re-implementing Montessori discipline in myself – instead of shouting, you get quieter. The idea is that the child gets quieter too, in order to be able to hear you. The drawback is it only really works if they are interested in what you might be saying! Also in Montessori schools you get the silence sign. It’s a piece of paper with the word Silence on. When it’s shown, everyone is quiet. Everyone. Adults too. And children can go and get it if they think the environment is getting too loud. My experience is they do. Children tend to like quiet too.

It does depend on the overall environment. Montessori involves a lot of running around outside – the response to a child who is getting fidgety and loud is usually to try to get them outside so that they can express their needs in a suitable place. It takes some organisation, depending on your staff ratios, but was something we always aimed at. Should be easier at home really, but doesn’t always seem to work out that way.

I suppose it’s the idea that the children can control what is going on that makes the silence sign more palatable to me. The clapping sounds like brain washing – in the twitter discussion several people said they’d never really thought about it until I brought it up, but could see where I was coming from. It brings to mind the Children’s Story, by James Clavell (available free online, very short, do read it). Children’s minds are malleable. As such we have a responsibility to protect them and allow them to develop independence, not to abuse that.

Or am I overstating the case. Is clapping for control a good idea, or a scary one?

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Comments

16 responses to “Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap.”

Midlife Singlemum
10 October 2012
The clapping sounds fun. When I was a teacher in primary school I used to hold up my arm and hand for quiet. This was widely used – I remember it in Brownies too. But the clapping is more fun and it actually stops the children talking as they have to concentrate on the clap, rather than waiting for everyone to realize that the teacher’s hand is up and finish what they are saying. Very clever I think.
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1. Jax
  10 October 2012
  not at all brainwashy?
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  1. Midlife Singlemum
    10 October 2012
    Nope, not at all imo.
    Reply
  2. TBird Anni
    15 October 2012
    hand up for quiet is sort of brainwashy…. but it’s also a lot easier than shouting 😉 The oddest thing I’ve ever experienced is being in a hall full of about 400 grown women who just happened to be Guiders and the one at the front put her hand up for quiet…. in seconds we were all dutifully sat still, looking at her, one hand in the air…… there was a nervous giggle as we realised how we had all done that without even thinging about it, then we all settled down to listen to her!
    I do like the idea of the clapped rhythm, but we are stuck with hands up for Guiding so I’d better not confuse the poor girls!
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SallyM
10 October 2012
I have seen schools with the clapping but also seen schools where the teacher might put their hands on their heads, then their shoulders etc and all the children join in as they quieten down and realise the teacher wants their attention. Now my children, I can stand in front of them with my finger on my lips and they will, mostly, be quiet. However in a classroom where all the children are facing different ways it is a bit hopeless to wait for them all to tune in to the fact the people around them are doing something and an auditory signal easily distinguished from the loud speech around you is much easier. One teacher I know rings a small bell. I can see where you are coming from on the brainwashy thing but I honestly think that in a loud class of 30 it is just a quick and easy way of getting their attention.
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Hazel
10 October 2012
I was talking to a friend who works as a ‘helper’ in a primary school the other day. Apparently these days she has to put her hand up and hold it in the air until the children notice, stop speaking and put their hands up too. This is called ‘give me five’, for five minutes attention. Sounds daft to me!
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Nikki Thomas
10 October 2012
In my LO’s nursery they clap and sing ‘everybody do this just like me’ and then they change the action until everyone is joining in and concentrating on the play group leader. I don’t see it as brainwashing I think it is a fun way to get everyone focused and listening and it doesn’t involve any shouting or raised voices which is a good thing.
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Heidi
10 October 2012
They do this at my childrens’ school and it works fantastically well. I hadn’t ever thought of it as brainwashing. I can see where you’re coming from but after trying (unsuccessfully) to get the full attention of a group of noisy Reception children when I used to help out at school I wish I’d known about the clapping method!
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mamacrow
10 October 2012
I can see why you might perceive it as slightly eerie, but with a large group in a public place I think it’s a far better technique than shouting!
I do clap my hands rather than shout but hadn’t thought of a rhythm, may well try this. Just thinking that this call/copy back answer style is to do with strengthening group bonds and identity anthropologically speaking?
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Sarah
10 October 2012
Being able to follow and clap a rhythm is a bit of a developmental milestone, so it never hurts to practise it! It’s a bit brainwashy but then institutions, by definition, have to get people to toe the line and behave in the way they want them to somehow!
I like doing it as a circle time activity, it does really help the children to pay attention, which lots of mine are pretty rubbish at, as they’re pretty much all down one end of the spectrum. Then again walking out into the playground and holding up a symbol of whatever activity is coming next seems to work as well. Out and about we simply hang on to them for dear life!
I guess my setting is a little different 😉
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Carol
10 October 2012
It kind of reminds me of The Sound of Music with all the whistle-blowing to get the kids to perform in certain ways.
I don’t know, as a kid I remember teachers having to shout themselves hoarse to get kids to respond and lots and lots of whistle-blowing. I can see why you found it odd but I guess with all those kids to manage they have to do something. Whilst I’m not fond of this sort of thing I can think of worse ways to get kids attention.
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Michelle | The American Resident
11 October 2012
I was laughing at your first paragraph, imagining what my kids would do if I started clapping like that. Being teens they would probably look at me like I was being a total and utter loser. But when they were little? They would probably be confused and wait and see what I was trying to do–silence by default, I guess!
I don’t see it as brainwashing any more than teaching kids to follow any other rules that encourage orderly behaviour. But I’m not directly involved with litt’luns any more so what do I know?! Thought provoking though.
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Allie
11 October 2012
I’d rather see this than someone shouting. I suppose the 1970s equivalent was ‘fingers on lips’ or ‘hands on head’, both of which I remember with some hatred! It is very difficult to call for silence or issue an instruction to a noisy group of people. I sometimes have to try to get groups of students to be quiet outside teaching rooms below the library where I work and it’ s almost impossible without shouting.
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Sandra Ainsley
12 October 2012
They used to do the clapping thing at my son’s primary school. when I first heard it ( I worked at the school) I thought it was downright odd but it was preferable to using a whistle in order to get attention.
Only funny thing was if you had taken a school party out (like on a trip some place) only to find other school parties also present and also using the clapping technique. With everyone having different rhythms it could get confusing !
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Caroline (Frogmum/TMFH)
13 October 2012
Hmmm ~ now here’s an idea! I’m not against a bit of brainwashing anyway ~ if silence is the end result ;D!! lol
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Elaine
16 October 2012
Happens in our school too… I guess it probably does seem spooky the first time you see it – but it works and surely it is better than the teacher yelling at them?
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