Educators know that it is a challenging and frustrating task to keep students’ attention in the classroom. A typical session in high school is 35-40 minutes. Many classes are double sessions, which means that a teacher has to hold students’ interest for over an hour. This is not an easy undertaking.

It is natural for human attention to wander but teachers must be able to engage students for effective learning, and students must be kept interested in order to remain attentive. A student’s attention and focus will vary depending on the time of day, motivation, emotional well-being, health, etc. Often students may appear to be listening but they have actually ‘tuned out’. They are caught up in daydreams, social issues, or have just completely blanked out. Teachers need to be able to pick this up and implement remedial action because, again, if attention falls, learning decreases. The teacher, therefore, has to become a master of creativity for effective delivery of subject matter.

Twelve Tips for Teachers

1. Arrange classroom effectively

Arrange desks and chairs that allows you to move around easily and for students to focus on you. Occasionally, change the structure of the classroom so that they are facing you in a different direction.

2. Use your voice as an instructional tool

Change the expression, volume and tone of your voice when introducing new concepts. Employ enthusiasm.

3. Add humour

A good, appropriate joke gains attention. Try to incorporate humour into the material being taught. This will add energy and passion to the group. The positive effect of laughter can increase learning. It also bonds the teacher to the class.

4. Plan lessons carefully

It is important not to bore your students, as well as not to overload them with too much information. Classrooms contain a mix of fast, slow and in-between learners; therefore, a mix of techniques must be used so that students do not disengage from the lesson. There should be an introduction to a topic as well as a conclusion followed by a review. At the same time, there should always be room for flexibility.

5. Use prime time

Prime time is when your students are at their sharpest. This is usually the first 15 minutes of class. This period is best used to introduce new information. The down-time segment is more effectively used for practice. Practice can be in the form of worksheets, case studies, discussions, presentations, etc.

6. Use the 10:2 method

This involves two minutes of question and answer for every 10 minutes of instruction. This breaks up the monotony of the session and ensures understanding of topic. It brings a mix of learning and inquiry.

7. Storytelling

Nothing captures the attention of students as much as introducing lessons with a relevant story. For example, if introducing the topic of potential energy, you could talk about a rock sitting at the edge of a cliff or a roller-coaster ride.

8. Get students involved

Passive listening often leads to boredom and distraction. Student participation promotes attention and focus. Group competitions or debates are fun ways in which students can get involved in their own learning. It encourages peer interactions and breaks up the routine.

9. Vary teaching styles

Students’ learning styles can be diverse. Incorporate different teaching devices to cater to more than one learning style. These may include charts, maps, dance, drama, experiments, projects and field trips.

10. Use cues

Depending on the age group of your class, visual or auditory signals can be used to gain attention. For example, auditory cues such as a tambourine or a bell could be used to gain your students’ attention. Visual signals such as flashing lights or raising your hand are also valuable in directing focus to you.

11. Provide feedback

It is not a good idea to berate students for not paying attention. Instead, commend them when they are focused. Stay away from disparaging criticism. This has a negative effect on a student’s self-esteem. Positive reinforcement is the way to go. The student will feel better about himself and the class and will likely be more alert.

12. Movement

Consider incorporating exercise at the beginning of a class. A couple minutes of jumping jacks can re-sharpen students’ focus. This is particularly useful for younger students but I have seen that it works just as well for teens.

Maintaining student focus in the classroom is not a new challenge but remains an obstacle to learning. Effectively engaging students requires a multi-pronged approach. As teachers, we must become inventive and proactive in the classroom to guarantee student success.

Dr Karla Hylton is a graduate of the biotechnology programme at The University of the West Indies. She operates Bio and Chem Tutoring, a Kingston-based teaching programme which specialises in secondary level biology and chemistry. Reach her at (876)564-1347, biochemtutor100@gmail.com, or www.khylton.com