My students are seated, I open the classroom door and… Boom! Down I go…
Everyone stops, their little chat-chats cease, and they stare at me… 😱
Exactly what I was aiming for… ATTENTION! 👀
We live in a world of constant information 💻📱. Our brains are active and processing all the time, and when they stop for a moment…
I need to do something! What do I do? I don’t get it! What?! 🤯 Help, now! Right now!
This is how our students’ brains work. They’re so used to an endless bombardment of information 📲💥 and doing everything instantly that when it’s time to pause, to listen, to watch… their attention nosedives 📉. They’re not used to it… Their little minds are racing a mile a minute and never stop to truly listen. So, as teachers, what do we do? 🤷♂️
Attention and motivation: A Teacher’s Greatest Challenge
From my experience, I’ve learned: attack their interests! 🎯 Be prepared and teach from a student-centred perspective, whether we’re talking about young children, teenagers, or even adults… 👧👦👨🎓
Start from their interests…
As we’ve mentioned, it’s hard to capture a student’s attention because their brilliant minds are zooming along 🚀. I look at my friend, I look up… What should I do? 🤔 I need to do something or I’ll get bored! 😴
Boredom has become the number one enemy for students… and hey, even for us adults… 📱 How many times have you unlocked your phone for no reason? Because you’re in a pause, unsure of what to do. The same thing happens to our students—but on a more intense level.
What do we do in class, then?
Is it enough to pop the date and the lesson plan onto the board in plain old Times New Roman? Or… what if I add a Pikachu 🐱👓 or a funny meme 🤣 next to that date?
Boom! 🎣 Hooked! You’ve captured your students’ attention like a worm dangling from a fishing line…
It’s simple: know what your students are interested in, and with a bit of creativity, weave it into your content! 🎨📚
I’m the teacher, I talk, you listen…
Another important point: “I’m the teacher, and I’m the one who does all the talking.” Well, let me tell you, with the way attention spans are nowadays… After a few minutes, those eyes 👀 that were watching you—or at least trying to—are gone… 😵
Focus learning on them. Give them resources so they can work, find their own answers 🔍, think, research, and investigate. And if they do it collaboratively 🧠🤝, even better! Sharing ideas and fostering critical thinking is crucial. 💡 So, do I need to fake a fall to get their attention? Well, maybe it’s worth it… The lack of attention, impatience, and inability to learn independently are challenges we face today, all driven by this fast-paced lifestyle 🚶♂️💨. The brain needs its pause 🧘, its own disconnection.
Focus Their Learning on Their Interests
Involve your students. Give them the tools to work, to find their own answers, to investigate and think for themselves 💡🤔. And if they collaborate with peers, even better 🤝: sharing ideas strengthens critical thinking 🧠.
Think about it—how do you learn as an adult? For example, I might see a stunning image of a mountain on TV 🏞️ and wonder: Where could that be? 🤔 I Google it, and within minutes, I’ve got my answer 📲. I don’t need someone to lecture me about it; I’ll research it myself and remember it far better than if I’d listened to an hour-long talk 🗣️⌛.
Benjamin Franklin said it best:
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”
So, let’s involve our students 🙌📚.
Encourage them to investigate 🔍, to find their own answers, always with our guidance. Instead of staying busy at the front of the class talking non-stop 🗣️, you’ll have time to move around the room, support those who need it most, and challenge the more advanced students to explore new horizons 🏆.
The “advanced” students will take off on their own 🚀, while you stretch their intellect to keep them progressing independently.
Attention + Motivation = Success
¿Qué te atrae? ¡Pues te doy de eso! 🎯
What grabs your attention? That’s what I’ll give you! 🎯
Think about it and tell me: how do you do it? Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or both… 🧑🏫👩🏫👨👩👧👦