Student Attention Secrets
In this post, you’ll get a simple list of 7 tools. Before you read it, never confuse fluency (something easy to read) or familiarity (you have heard it before) with real-life actions (are you currently using most of these tools?) This month is about how to be consistently successful working with your class. What is the topic? Keep reading.
BACKGROUND
Student attention is simply a focused arousal state. We have two types of attention: hard-wired (all of us have it) and learned (through practice, such as playing an instrument with specialized training) (Fukuda & Vogel, 2009). Many teachers seem to believe they can get students’ attention by insisting on it, “Hey, eyes up front! That means now!” But that rarely works; students will desensitize to the command after a while. Teachers usually demand a behavior when they lack the agency to get it more easily.
Most of our everyday attention is driven by our brain’s hard-wired arousal processes. For example, you hear a loud BANG, and your head turns to pay attention. The loud sound is a known danger sound, and it presents itself as a contrasting noise level. The same thing happens when a student screams, cries, or yells; it is a contrasting noise level with a known sound associated with possible bodily harm or pain. Our brain is wired to pay attention to contrasts in the environment that alert it to potential danger.
Now, here is what you may not know about attention. First, the ability of students to override competing attentional interests varies substantially across individuals. Why? The completion of many everyday tasks requires two things. One, is our agency to ignore interesting but otherwise irrelevant stimuli (i.e., social media). Two, we focus and restrict our attention to stimuli related to our goals. How does a student do this? Attentional focus is strongly predicted by learning 1) how to lock in and focus, and 2) the use of working memory capacity of each person!
You’ve got two ideas already. One is to teach students to lock into a single target of focus. The other is teaching working memory. Let’s begin with the first one. Begin using “What’s different” games in class. Go to the internet and type in: “Images for ‘Spot the Difference’”. These are great fun, and they teach students to notice fine details in an endless array of choices. You can find K-3 pictures up to senior high school pictures. Do 1-3 each day for a month. Vary the task (individual, with a partner, a team, a timed task, etc.). Kids will look forward to them and get better at focusing.
Interested to knowing how to teach working memory? I have created a simple and free tutorial for you. Watch a few minutes, then discuss what you have learned and what you can do with your colleagues or teammates. The entire tutorial lasts 55 minutes, and you may find it more practical to do in 3 chunks of 20 minutes. You will learn what resources you can use (you already have them) and how much time you need. Developing a better working memory in your students will take about 8-12 weeks. This skill is more important than a student’s IQ, so take this suggestion to heart. To get started, go to: www.jensenlearning.com/workingmemory
Three approaches are most likely to engage attention. These three tools are hard-wired, as in we all will respond to them. The first is attentional curiosity, a drive state. For example, “Why should I pay attention?” (Yamashita, 2021 and Kidd & Hayden, 2015). The second tool is behavioral relevance, as we ask, “How does this affect me personally?” (Nelson & Hajcak, 2017). The third is anticipation for what’s next. The state of anticipation appears also to be hard-wired in us. Even studies with preschoolers show behaviors characteristic of anticipating an event (social and nonsocial) and have the accompanying dopamine release in their brains (Engle, 2021).
Our brain is also highly susceptible to everyday attentional arousal for curiosity. For example, movie and television writers continually work to find the attentional hooks so you will keep watching a show.
Getting students to pay attention for a moment is easy. It does not guarantee learning, but attention is a crucial, important start
7 WAYS TO GET ATTENTION
1. Switch pacing often (novelty & variety)
Speed up or slow down. Mimic another person’s accent or use a quote that everyone thought was outrageous. Switch mediums (play a recording or show a movie clip, slide, or YouTube clip. Pause for a few seconds, then end a sentence with a “ta-da!” Switching things up every 8-12 minutes is a good rule of thumb.
2. Ask compelling questions (curiosity)
Open your presentation with questions that are a bit quirky or trivial. Use odd facts to hook in your students. For example, you could ask, “How many of you would like to find out who the real hero of the Civil War was?” (Many of our heroes are not in our history books.) “How many of you would be surprised to find out that our country’s military was tricked into starting a war?” (It happened several times, from reckless journalism.)
3. Use physical objects relevant to the content (shift perceptions)
You can easily find props at a local thrift shop or Wal-Mart. Your props might include a hat, scarf, sunglasses, or jacket that fits a character to portray.
4. Boost arousal with a quick energizer (better brain chemicals)
Our brains are much more receptive to new information when our alertness level is higher. Get students up and out of their seats. Have students lead small teams or, when they’re ready and able, the whole class in an energizer.
5. Create a “cliff-hanger” opening (anticipation)
Share an opening question that leaves everyone wanting more. You can post it upfront or use an electronic device to post it. This gets students curious and focused right away on content. A couple of my favorites include, “Name the person who might have made this quote…” Or “How much does your brain weigh?” Or use info about your school: “How many students do you think (fill in the blanks) from our school last year?”
6. Use interdependency structures (use of social glue)
Short, structured, 1-on-1 partner activities can work well. Over 90% of the time, the students will do better when standing, especially after you say, “In a moment, when I say ‘Go,’ circle any three tables in the room with your partner, then pause and wait for further direction… Go!’” Each person then asks their partner a question, like, “What is your favorite dessert?” Use different questions you think will get the partners talking to one another.
Set aside time each day to build social glue. Pose a question for the day for partners on topics such as “Who is your favorite musical group, and why?”, “What movie have you seen lately?” etc.
Teamwork can work well with students in learning groups. Be sure to post up 5 or 6 learning jobs for students on the team. These roles might include team leader, energizer leader, summarizer, timekeeper, and humor specialist.
7. Share personal stories (relevance)
Most students are interested in knowing more about their teacher. Tell a real story about your past, an incident, or a specific unusual experience related to your teaching content. This creates an attentional hook because of their connection to you or the emotions in your story. Then, use relevant add-ins for the rest of your content. Relevance induces attention, adds emotions, and raises the chances of forming a memory.
That’s it for this month; it’s closing time. Now for my biggest fear. Maybe you still use the ‘time bias.’ Many will read this and respond, “I’m just too busy; I’ve got no time for those changes (to help me and my students soar like eagles).” If you feel that way, I am sorry; I have failed you.
But most everything in life worth having over a lifetime also requires the ‘the long game.’ At school, it includes building relationships and fostering better feedback and cognitive capacity. At home, the list consists of maintaining relationships, appreciating the daily blessings, and saving for retirement. Choose right now; what have you decided on… long or short? Then begin… right now.
Life goes by so fast that many say, “Live in the moment, smell the roses; life is short.” And they’re right. Life is about savoring the smell of the flowers, eating a great meal, and enjoying hugs from friends and family.
Eric Jensen
CEO, Jensen Learning
Brain-Based Education
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