What Works In The Classroom- Fieldwork week 1 and 2

Recently we have begun working in a fifth grade classroom. From my observations of three of my classmates, I have found some items that work and do not entirely work in a classroom. One effective method in the classroom to get attention is to clap your hands in a certain pattern and have the students repeat this pattern to make them aware, without speaking, that it is time to be quiet and listen for a moment. Another effective method is to have the students work independently if the class loses focus when they are in groups. From week 1 and 2 of my observation I watched the students lose focus as soon as they were set up to work together. In many aspects of teaching, having students work in groups is usually a very crucial step in learning because it gives students an opportunity to teach one another and share their thoughts more openly. One ineffective method I noticed was asking students to write down too much information. When the students were asked to write while the teacher was speaking, the students got lost and had a hard time following what was happening.