Attentiveness In School

vs. distraction

Concentrating on the person or task before me

To practice Attentiveness I will:

make eye contact
ask questions when I do not understand
set the intention to listen
not make it about me
tune out distractions

You are the teacher in the front of the room and all eyes are riveted on you. Well, okay, not all the eyes are on you – some are watching their fingers fidget with a pencil, some are looking out the window or at another student. Some might be facing you but you know they are a million miles away. Do you ever want to act like a monkey or start talking about photon inhibitors just to see if they are paying attention?

According to a study conducted by Meghan McClelland, an associate professor at Oregon State University, preschool children who were rated high by their parents on attention and persistence had a nearly 50 percent greater chance of earning their bachelor’s degree by age 25. “Surprisingly,” she says, “children’s math or reading scores at ages 7 or 21 did not significantly predict whether or not they completed college.” Teaching kids to pay attention may be the hardest thing you have to teach but their future selves and future teachers will thank you.

This month, be attentive to teaching Attentiveness.