Name: Emily Watson Occupation: Teacher Country: United States
Name: Emily Watson
Occupation: Teacher
Country: United States
City: New York
Problem:
I teach at a school in New York and have noticed in recent years that students' attention spans are waning. They are easily bored, have little interest in studying, and spend most of their time on their phones or social media. Many parents also complain that their children are not as interested in studying as they used to be. How can I keep students' attention and instill a love of learning in them?
Askly Help's advice:
Effective strategies to improve students' attention
In today's era, retaining the attention of students has become a big challenge. Mobile phones, games and social media are so attractive to this generation born in the digital age that they are losing interest in the traditional learning method. However, it is possible to make students interested in learning if you adopt the right strategies. Let's look at some effective ways.
1. Make teaching more interactive
Instead of just giving lectures or teaching books, we need to innovate the way we teach students. For example—
✅ Use gamification: Add educational games to teaching so that they can learn in a fun way.
✅ Use visual aids: They can understand faster if they are taught through infographics, videos, animations or real examples.
✅ Introduce group discussions and debates: This will actively engage students and increase their interest in learning.
2. Use technology as a friend
Instead of banning technology, use it to help students learn. Here are some ways—
📱 Use educational apps and online courses
🎥 Show educational videos like YouTube or TED Talks
📝 Use digital quizzes and polls (e.g. Kahoot, Quizizz, Mentimeter)
In this, they will learn to use technology not only for entertainment, but also as part of education.
3. Connect students to real life
Sometimes students find studying boring because they don't understand how it will be useful in real life. So—
🔹 Show real-world applications of different subjects (e.g., how math is used in business, how science is used in medicine)
🔹 Invite guest speakers (who can teach through real-world experiences)
🔹 Introduce project-based learning (so they can gain hands-on experience)
4. Make studying a fun experience
Instead of boring classroom lectures, make the learning experience fun and engaging for students—
🎭 Use role-play and drama (e.g., having historical characters act out in history classes)
🎨 Teach through artistic means (e.g., doodling, using sketch notes)
🔎 Organize practical experiments and field trips
5. Improve the classroom environment
Not only the teaching method, but also the classroom environment plays a big role in student attention. Make sure that:
✅ The classroom is comfortable and attractive (remove unnecessary objects, use colorful posters)
✅ Students' opinions are sought (they will be more interested if you ask them how they want to learn)
✅ There are opportunities for breaks and physical activity (sitting for long periods of time reduces attention)
6. Pay attention to students' individual interests and needs
Not all students are the same. Some are visual learners, some are audio learners, and some are kinesthetic (learn through physical movement). So—
📌 Use different teaching strategies
📌 If a student is weak in a subject, give him special help
📌 Monitor the progress of each student and give necessary suggestions
7. Control students' mobile usage habits
To reduce social media and game addiction—
🚫 Encourage keeping mobile phones away during class
📢 If a student spends too much time on social media, hold an awareness discussion for him
📊 Launch a "digital detox" program, where students are without their phones at least one day a week
8. Boost and encourage students' confidence
When students are praised, they are more attentive. So—
🎖️ Celebrate their small successes
💡 Value their thoughts and encourage them to express their opinions
❤️ Be a good mentor, so they are interested in the class
Last words
To get students interested in learning, you need to make their learning enjoyable, practical, and interactive, not just by imposing strict discipline. If you, as a teacher, can build a friendly relationship with them and make the learning process interesting, they will gradually learn to stay focused.
Good luck with your endeavors! 🎓🌟