Final answer:
A 5th grade teacher using a silent hand gesture for quietness is employing non-verbal communication to maintain social control and reinforce classroom norms.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a 5th grade teacher puts her hands to her lips to signal that the students should be quiet, she is engaging in a form of non-verbal communication that is part of socializing students to classroom norms. This gesture is an example of how teachers manage the learning environment and maintain social control in the classroom, similar to how a professor may ask a student to turn off their cell phone to respect others.
Such actions contribute to the socialization process where students learn expected behaviors, such as keeping their hands to themselves, standing in line, and participating in group activities like reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, which together contribute to a conducive learning environment.