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Hand Clapping

Posted on April 8, 2006 By Tom No Comments on Hand Clapping
Miscellaneous, Music

While at Beidler Forest I heard a familiar sound I had not heard in awhile – a rhythmic hand clapping pattern clapped as one-two-three-and-four.  This is used to get a class’s attention, and the kids the repeat the pattern back to you.

I learned this trick when I was teaching music.  It was a good way to establish pattern recognition, and I used it both as a warm-up  game and as a way to get the class’s attention.  When I moved from a music classroom to a regular classroom, I took the technique with me, often shortening to the pattern to what I heard at Beidler.  Unfortunately, I had to abandon the practice.

Several at my colleagues at Brushy Creek also took up the clapping pattern.  However, I heard it abused so frequently that it lost its effectiveness.  The clapping should be done rhythmically and patiently.  Ideally, it’s done as a set of three – first claps, then a combination of claps and snaps on the beat, then two snaps followed by two waves.  The idea is that you move from a louder noise to get attention to silence.  More often, I would hear teachers clapping AT the students in a quick, impatient bark.  It would get their attention, but would often get them riled up, too.

As far as I know, I was the only one to transfer this technique  from the music classroom to other class management situations.  Therefore it was quite startling to hear it used by a Mount Pleasant teacher.  Unfortunately, they did it completely wrong.  The clap was the quick, impatient kind.  Also, why would one use something so noisy in a place like Beidler?  I would think that a silent motion such as a raised hand would be much more effective.  

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