Talk-outs

I'm not sure how many times a day I hear, "Mrs. Thompson", "Mrs. Thompson", "Teacher", "I need help", yelled out in my classroom.  To be honest, I was doing a walking workout video the other day and I swear the background music was saying "Mrs. Thompson" several times throughout the song.  I told my husband I needed to somehow tape it and show my students what they sound like.  LOL :) 
So....what do you do about CONSTANT talk-outs in your classroom? Talk-outs cause many of the checkmarks my students receive in our RtI behavior system. I try to be consistent with classroom procedures, give visual and verbal cues, and reward students that are not blurting out, but I still have a few kiddos that are not catching on.
I have found a few things I like to do to help decrease talk-outs in my classroom. The first thing I do is read this book in the first or second week of school.  The book is Lacy Walker, Nonstop Talker written by  Christianne Jones and illustrated by Richard Watson. There are some fun character education lessons that go along with this book on teachers pay teachers. I like to read the book and then I have the students tell me the characteristics of a good listener. We make a chart and I keep that chart up all year long. I also have each student make their own "Lacey Walker" owl and then they write a goal of how they will listen more or work on talking out. It is a fun way to start the school year while working on an important skill needed for the classroom.

Another idea I like to use is giving the students talking tokens at the beginning of each week. I saw this idea on teachers pay teachers and created my own version. I give each student a certain amount of talk-out tokens on Monday. If they have at LEAST one left on Friday, they earn a small prize from me. The prize is usually a piece of candy, a sticker, or a little trinket. The students have the tokens on their desk.  When they talk out, I walk by and take a token or they have to give it to me. I do differentiate this for students who really struggle with this skill. Those students will start with more tokens each week or they have an individual daily goal with their tokens. This has worked really well for me. I also give a homework pass or a certificate for certain incentives in the classroom if students keep ALL of their talk out tokens. This is also an easy way to keep data for individual behavior plans for tier two or three interventions for RtI.   

I have another book I really like to use with my students. This book is called, My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook. My Mouth Is A Volcano takes an approach to the habit of interrupting and teaches children a fun way to help them manage their thoughts and words. This story provides parents and teachers with a way to teach children the value of respecting others by listening and waiting for their turn to talk. I like to make a class book after we read this story. Each child will draw a volcano, and they will finish the writing prompt: 
"When I really want to say something, I can _________________". The students love to grab the book during the year and read it to each other. 

These are a few ideas I like to use to help with talking out. I do have to say after doing remote learning the past months, I would have LOVED to have heard a few talk-outs. I sure missed being in the classroom with my students and feeling and hearing the buzz of learning from my classroom. I did find an easy way to work on talk-outs during Zoom or Google hangouts.....the joy of the MUTE button. :) Unfortunately, there is not a mute button in the daily instruction of little lives.  If you have any ideas you love to use for talk-outs, feel free to email me. I love to learn new ways to help my kiddos!  Have a HAPPY FRIDAY!