Some routines to establish early are for things like dismissal, transitions and re-focusing. One teacher I have observed used a chime to gather attention back to her. This worked for the most part, so a sound or a song would also work if you don't have a chime handy. This can be effective for higher and lower grade equally,
For the higher grades, having an established way of ending lessons can be quite effective. For example, if you have them turn their attention to writing in their journals as a way to end a lesson, they will know that it is nearly time to move on to the next task.
For transitions and refocusing, I like to speak softly to get the attention of those closest and then they quiet down and it creates a ripple effect wherein every child will start to quiet down in order to hear what is going on. It works with crying babies and it works with children. Curiosity is a powerful thing to get hold of and use to your advantage. It also works with adults, but that's for another post.
For the higher grades, having an established way of ending lessons can be quite effective. For example, if you have them turn their attention to writing in their journals as a way to end a lesson, they will know that it is nearly time to move on to the next task.
For transitions and refocusing, I like to speak softly to get the attention of those closest and then they quiet down and it creates a ripple effect wherein every child will start to quiet down in order to hear what is going on. It works with crying babies and it works with children. Curiosity is a powerful thing to get hold of and use to your advantage. It also works with adults, but that's for another post.