Clapping for Attention

November 12, 2003

Titus O. Peck, a music and band teacher at Milwaukee Education Center Middle School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

When it gets extremely loud in class, I make up clapping patterns to get my students' attention. I clap some rhythms which the students repeat. When I clap a certain rhythm, however, they respond by clapping a different rhythm I have taught them. I always get their full attention using this method.