As a part of your cooperative learning explorations, you can learn many management strategies that will help you all day long. The most important strategy of all is a good quiet signal. You must have a quick, easy, effective way of getting your students' attention. It has to be something that you can use over and over all day long. . . Try out a few different ones, and then choose one that you can stick with.
Students can SEE it from anywhere in the room.
Students can HEAR it when they are interacting in teams. Students know how to spread the quiet signal to others. Room should be quiet within 3 to 5 seconds. If it takes longer, it's not working. Teacher holds up one hand and slowly counts to 3.