Give Me 5 – A Simple, Reliable Classroom Management Attention Getter
“Give Me Five” is one of the most popular attention signals used by teachers at all grade levels. It’s quick, silent, easy to teach, and works in any classroom— general ed, special ed, ELL, centers, or transitions.
When a teacher says “Give me five!” and raises a hand, students respond by raising their own hand and meeting the five expectations.
Here are the classic five expectations, as remembered by Missy, AtoZ Member & 4th Grade Teacher:
1. Eyes on the teacher 2. Quiet mouths 3. Listening ears 4. Empty hands 5. Still feet
Some teachers say, “Hands free.”
The expectations are simple enough for primary students and clear enough for upper grades.
⭐ How to Teach It
Model each of the five signals
Show students what each one looks like. Practice together.
Practice when they’re already calm
Teach it during a non-chaotic moment so students understand without pressure.
Use it consistently
The cue gains power when students know exactly what to expect every time.
Fade the voice
Once students respond reliably, raise your hand without saying anything.
Add visual support for younger learners
Many teachers post a “Give Me Five” poster or pictures of students modeling the expectations.
⭐ Real Classroom Examples: How Teachers Use “Give Me 5”
“Give Me 5” — Simple, Silent, and Immediate
Shared by Carla — A to Z Teacher Stuff Forums
“Something that I use in my classroom is ‘give me 5.’ All I have to do is hold up one of my hands with palm facing out like a stop sign.”
Her five expectations:
Stop talking
Back against the chair
Feet on the floor
Hands in lap/on desk
Eyes on the teacher
“You don’t have to say anything and the kids are immediately ‘fixing’ themselves. If you teach this at the beginning of the year when you teach your standard procedures, the kids will pick it up in no time.”
Schoolwide “GIVE ME 5!” — One Voice, One Signal
Shared by Marlene Culpepper, Visually Impaired K–12 Teacher
“GIVE ME 5! at our school means, ‘STOP AND LOOK AT ME!’ five simple words that everyone at our school can understand.”
“We practice this in the classroom, lunch room, assemblies, etc. We all use the same command so that anyone who might be in charge of a class or group of children can gain their attention immediately.”
Visuals + Consistency = Success
Shared by ZoomZoomZOOM — A to Z Teacher Stuff Forums
“I teach a self-contained room of ten 12–14 year old moderately disabled students… I also use ‘Give me 5.’ On the first day of school, we reviewed the five rules and talked about each one.”
Using Visuals
“Since visuals are such a good learning strategy, I took pictures of them following the five rules. Then I printed them on full sheets of paper with the rule under the picture and posted them around my ‘Give me Five’ poster.”
Immediate, Silent Attention Signal
“I can hold up my hand and without saying a word my kids will hold up their own hands ‘give me five’ and button it up and listen.”
Calm, Consistent Language
“If they smart off or chat, I say: ‘Do you need to go to safe seat and chill out for awhile, or can you stop _____ and stay with the group?’”
“Typically they answer ‘yes, I can stop’ and stay with us. If they don’t answer, they go to safe seat.”
Clear Consequence System
ZoomZoomZOOM outlined a simple progression:
Verbal warning
Safe Seat (classroom time-out)
Escort to Buddy Room
Loss of privileges
Processing before returning
Re-Entry Procedure
“After they process—answering what they did, how to avoid it, who they need to apologize to—they return but still sit in safe seat. Then they make their apologies and rejoin the group after about 20 minutes.”
Teacher Mindset
“It’s too much trouble to get in trouble.”
“I don’t mess around. I’m consistent and the kids know it.”
⭐ Real Teachers Share How It Works
✔ Works in Upper Elementary
“I use ‘Give Me Five’ to get attention and it works great.”
— Missy, 4th Grade Teacher
✔ Helps students self-monitor
“Now that we’ve used it for a while, they respond without the oral cue.”
— newkteacherfl
✔ Works schoolwide
“Mine has always been give me five. When my hand goes up, so do theirs.”
— Guest
⭐ Why Teachers Love It
Silent – no shouting or clapping required
Instant – a quick visual cue shuts down chatter
Clear – students know exactly what behaviors you expect
Calming – helps students settle their bodies and focus
Portable – use it in hallways, outdoors, or during transitions
It’s especially helpful with:
ELL/ESL learners
students who need clear routines
busy classrooms with frequent transitions
teachers who want to conserve their voice
⭐ Troubleshooting: When “Give Me Five” Stops Working
Even the best attention signals can lose their effectiveness.
One teacher shared:
“I was counting back from 5 because those are our five rules… but they seriously don’t even hear me anymore. What am I doing wrong?”
— woobie5
If this happens, try:
✔ 1. Re-teach the expectations
Spend 2–3 minutes reviewing what each “five” means.
✔ 2. Practice intentionally
Ask students to model “Give Me Five,” then try again faster, quieter, or from farther away.
✔ 3. Add a visual
Post the 5 expectations or point to them silently.
✔ 4. Don’t overuse verbal cues
Use the hand signal without repeating instructions.
✔ 5. Add gentle consequences
If students ignore the signal, calmly wait and start a natural consequence:
loss of transition time
waiting silently until the group is ready
reward those responding quickly
✔ 6. Rotate signals occasionally
Some classes need novelty. Pair Give Me Five with a backup signal such as:
“Clap once if you can hear me…”
“1-2… Eyes on you!”
Musical cue
Whisper voice
⭐ Teacher-Tested Alternatives (To Rotate With Give Me Five)
