How To Stay Focused Inside and Outside of School
How to Stay Focused
There has been a drastic shift in how a student is able to retain information due to their inability to focus in the classroom. Remaining focused in class is the most effective way to ensure consistent good marks, since the student won’t be cramming at the very last minute scrambling for all the notes and information they missed on while dozing off.
While it may seem impossible to stay motivated because of the buzzing phone or silly friends there are tips in order to ensure the best possible work in the classroom.
Firstly it is imperative to turn the phone off. Multi-tasking is not an easy feat to accomplish, especially not in school. Using the phone during class only leads to gaps in your notes and information that has been retained so it is best to just eliminate that distraction altogether and turn off the phone. It is a distraction to yourself, the teacher, and your classmates.
Stuart Shanker, a research professor of philosophy and psychology at York University agrees with this sentiment and maintains that kids are provided with so much easily accessible stimulation that they don’t know how to relax and feel calm.
In order to do so it is recommended to make lists of what should be accomplished within that day in order for the student to feel more organized. These should be realistic goals with breaks planned out so the goals seem like something tangible instead of something terrifying and impossible.
In addition to making a list of how school work should be divided throughout the day, this can also be done in the classroom to further promote focus. With your kids try to incentivize participation in class. Make a number on how many times they should raise their hand. Start small if the idea makes them anxious, and slowly add on another until they feel comfortable, even proud to participate. When they complete the set goal reward them with something like a family outing. Make it seem like a fun game and it will be!
Rona Kornan, a grade school teacher said that she can always tell the difference between students that enjoy participating and those that aren’t paying attention,
“Not all students enjoy putting their hands up in class, in fact some students that I know are incredibly bright will freeze if I call on them because they are nervous. There are other students though that very clearly are not paying any attention and do poorly on tests and school work. With a little motivation and consistent work trying to stay focused I’m sure they could master the ability. It just takes a lot of practice.”
