Lesson 3

The issues of attention, emotions, and learning are central in the classroom. Students cannot learn if they are not paying attention. A mentor teacher once told me bluntly, “If you don’t have classroom management, you have nothing.” Point taken. It is a battle to get the students’ attention and keep it. Teachers are wise to make lessons interesting and keep students engaged. Young students should not be expected to spend long periods of time passively listening. They can be active listeners by taking notes or spend a chunk of time processing the information by discussing it with a partner or group. Some students, regardless of the teacher’s management skills and lesson planning, will still have trouble paying attention. ADHD is common. These students should be placed at the front of the room and may need an IEP so their particular needs are met. Both attention and emotions are heavily impacted by the environment during infancy and early childhood. Some kids may be wrongly diagnosed with ADHD when they simply have some catching up to do. Teachers can help them build stamina. Emotions, like attention, are immature in young students. Emotional development may have been stunted in the home from stress or neglect. Teachers can help these students immensely by providing a kind and positive environment. Sometimes emotional abuse can hinder the child’s ability to learn. They may need a lot of encouragement in order to build confidence.