#114: Quick Win Challenge! Use this technique for smooth, stress-free, and energy-saving transitions.

In today’s episode, I’m sharing a simple yet powerful transition technique that can help you regain student attention without raising your voice or using unnecessary energy.

Transitions can be one of the trickiest parts of classroom management. Picture this: students are engaged in a group task, there’s movement, chatter, and productive chaos, but now you need to bring them back to whole-class instruction. Rather than calling for attention repeatedly, try this:

1. Play transition music—a predetermined song that signals to students it’s time to shift back.
2. Project your laptop screen onto the board and type your instructions in big, bold font for students to follow.

This method is non-verbal, calm, direct, and engaging. It saves your voice, adds a bit of novelty, and helps students smoothly transition without unnecessary disruption. Listen in for tips on making this work effectively in your classroom.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to your weekly Classroom Management
Quick Win Challenge.
True classroom management isnot how we address behavior when
it pops up.
Instead, it is a compoundingeffect of many, many micro
decisions we make in ourteaching practice before the
behavior even pops up.
In these Quick Win episodes,I'm handing over one actionable,
small but mighty tool to helpyou move the needle every single

(00:24):
week to stop crowd controllingand to start calmly classroom
managing like a pro.
Let's dive into this week'sgame changing challenge.
Hey there, teacher, welcomeback to the quick win challenge
for the week and for today'schallenge I wanted to talk about
transitions.
Just say students are off doinga group task and there's lots

(00:45):
of movement, there's lots ofchatter, lots of productive
chaos and you're ready to bringthings back to whole class
instruction Rather than standingthere and trying to get
yourself noticed.
Here's what you can try, and Ilove using this strategy,
especially when I am exhaustedand don't want to stand there
using my energy.
I did this one every day when Iwas heavily pregnant.

(01:06):
So first I put some music onthat I've predetermined with my
class.
That is transition music.
So when they hear that, itnon-verbally signals to them to
start getting back to theirdesks or packing up.
I then pair this withprojecting my laptop screen up
on the board and just typing upmy instructions, big and bold
font, to grab their attentionand type one instruction after

(01:29):
the other as they look up andread and follow it.
It is so effective, it isnon-verbal, it is calm, it is
direct, it has a little novelty,it saves your voice.
Just make sure the sentencesare really simple and direct.
You don't want to put in toomuch fluff and confuse your
students, because it could thenhave the complete opposite

(01:49):
effect, also treat it like anonverbal.
So type that first sentence upand quietly wait for students to
start noticing it and followingit, and then watch as the rest
come on board as well.
You can use some verbalreinforcements focusing on those
students following theinstructions.
So, oh, james is first up.
Great work, jenny.

(02:09):
I can see you reading, I cansee you following the
instructions.
Just try it this week and letme know how it goes.
That was a very quick winbecause it is such a quick thing
to explain and as a very quickthing to implement, and please
give it a go and see how youlike it.
If you are liking theUnteachables podcast and these
quick win episodes.
Please be sure to head over andleave me a review.

(02:31):
It would mean the absoluteworld to me and it helps
immensely getting this podcastinto the hands of teachers who
need it the most.
Because you're here listeningso you know that the support,
the actionable support, thetangible support, the tangible
support around classroommanagement sucks.
It's just either really crappyor non-existent.
So it would be brilliant to beable to get this podcast into

(02:53):
the hands of teachers who needit the most.
If you have a teacher friendwho you think could use this
support, send it their way.
Pick your favorite episode,send it along and that's it.
That's enough begging from metoday.
I will see you in the nextepisode.
Bye for now.