Getting the Learner’s Attention: The Key to Holistic Learning

We can’t deny the fact that teaching is tough. Teacher’s has a class that has full of diverse
learners. They have different behaviors, different ways of learning and has a different attentiveness.
Getting the learner’s attention has always been a central concern of educators. In fact, a 2018
study of National Education Association reveals that 40% of teachers don’t even make it through the first
5 years and one of the top reasons cited is “coping with and responding to student behavioral issues.”
The process of getting your students attention without getting frustrated and raising your voice is
challenging. As a future elementary educator, I had to rely on my own practical, efficient and innovative
ways of teaching if I want my learner’s attention. In order to do that, I must come up with plans and ideas
that is suited to my learner’s interests and needs for their longer attention span.
First, I will design and decorate an organized classroom so they can focus on the things that they
need to know. Elementary pupils are focused mostly on unusual things around them because of their
curiosity. “What Brain Research Says About Paying Attention” by Robert Sylwester and Joo-Yun Cho
explained the attentional processes. “An effective attentional system must be able to (1) quickly identify
and focus on the most important item in a complex environment; (2) sustain attention on its focus while
monitoring related information and ignoring other stimuli; (3) access memories that aren't currently
active, but that could be relevant to the current focus; and (4) shift attention quickly when important new
information arrives.” Then, I will put an organized instructional and educational tool around the
classroom that has a bizarre design since the research says that learner’s attention shifts quickly to new
information. Maybe I can put charts, tables and posters that is organized inside the classroom that has a
strange yet entertaining design that they rarely seen on Tv, cellphones, tablets, laptops and computers.
Because of this, their attention will arouse and wandering about the bizarre instructional and educational
tool. They will start asking questions and this is the best moment for me to educate them the content of
the educational tool in a collaborative and entertaining way to maintain their state of mind that has an
active focus and attention.
Next, I will utilize teaching lessons that has an appropriate level of difficulty and be able to make
my presentations clear, entertaining and interactive. Having a too difficult presentations or lessons make
the learner’s attention inactive and begin to experience boredom. Then, I will start at the basic level of the
lesson where everyone can participate as they can keep up easily to the lesson. When the lesson arrived at
the difficult level, they already have enough knowledge to keep up and perform difficult tasks. I must also
make sure that I will pick up the pace. I will keep my instructions dynamic and moderate. If I see a sign of
inactiveness or inattention, maybe I can incorporate movements or ice breakers such as playing a learning
game sitting on their desks, have them stand up while working, or take a break every thirty minutes where
students get up and do a series of quick exercises that can bring back their focus to the lesson. To avoid
frequent inattentiveness, I will conduct a hands-on and collaborative lessons to keep my students actively
engaged to the lesson where every idea and answer are considerable, recognizable and acceptable and I
will provide frequent and effective feedback as recognition. Being humorous can also avoid
inattentiveness so I will also apply this behavior to myself. Based on my experiences, students appreciate
teachers who know how to use humor appropriately related to the material. For example, relating a brief
humorous anecdote about what a bad day you had yesterday to demonstrate past tense verbs will get
students’ attention and lighten the mood.
Lastly, I will sometimes change the class scenery. The sameness of the everyday routine in the
same room, learning the same way can be dull and boring for my students. Twice a week, I will change it
up by teaching outside, in the hallway, or any other room other than our classroom. This can refresh the
state of attentiveness and activeness of my students.
In short, attention is the ability to focus the mind. So, getting the attention of the learners can
make the classroom’s atmosphere conducive for learning. They can focus properly to the lessons and it is
easy for them to attain learning objectives and attain range of life-skills that they needed to strive and
survive in the real world, and this is the true meaning of holistic learning.