Classroom management is an important issue for educators. There are many standard approaches to this challenge, often focused on what teachers can do. But as two education experts who focus on practical applications of psychology and brain science, we argue that when students are explicitly taught how to better manage themselves, teachers experience fewer classroom-management problems.
While working as a school psychologist earlier in her career, Donna conducted more than 1,000 diagnostic assessments and found that teachers most often reported that students couldn't listen well and had short attention spans. As we taught strategies for improving teaching and learning to some 160,000 educators over the past couple decades, we noticed how important it is for students to be taught specific strategies for improving listening and selective attention.
Our research-based "Drive Your Brain" approach helps educators assist students to become self-regulated learners who are less likely to be off-task and create distractions for others. For example, teachers find that when students internalize how to listen and focus their attention effectively, classroom management issues are less likely to arise.
Think about how students are expected to absorb extensive amounts of content throughout the year. How much time has traditionally been devoted to equipping students with skills to listen and focus their attention fully on the classroom content? Explicit instruction on teaching students how to actively listen and manage their attention can help students become self-directed and self-regulated learners.
Teach Students to Actively Listen
A strategy we created called H.E.A.R. offers concrete steps to focus on and improve listening—and emphasizes why and how developing this skill is so important. As Michigan teacher Aaron Rohde once told us, "Just saying that one is going to be a better listener is not enough to make it happen. One must work hard to improve such an essential skill" (Wilson & Conyers, 2016).
The H.E.A.R. strategy consists of four steps:
- Halt: Stop whatever else you are doing, end your internal dialogue on other thoughts, and free your mind to pay attention to the person speaking.
- Engage: Focus on the speaker. We suggest a physical component, such as turning your head slightly so that your right ear is toward the speaker as a reminder to engage only in listening.
- Anticipate: By looking forward to what the speaker has to say, you are acknowledging that you will likely learn something new and interesting, which will enhance your attention.
- Replay: Think about what the speaker is saying. Analyze and paraphrase it in your mind or in discussion with the speaker and other classmates. Replaying the information will aid in understanding and remembering what you have learned (Wilson & Conyers, 2016, pp. 80¬–81).
Initially, teachers may need to lead several demonstrations of the H.E.A.R. strategy and remind students when it is time to H.E.A.R., but over time, listening should become more automatic. As with any other skill, students can develop their ability to listen with awareness and practice over time.
(Editor's note: Watch Donna model the H.E.A.R. strategy with elementary students in an episode of ASCD's video series Teaching Students to Drive Their Brains: The Selective Attention and Working Memory Advantage.)
Guide Students to Increase Selective Attention
Selective attention, or identifying what is important in a given situation and focusing on it, is another important skill for students. The ability to focus on lesson content and attend to learning tasks is a fundamental aspect of self-regulatory behavior that can be enhanced through training and deliberate practice.
Teachers can introduce the subject of selective attention by asking students to share examples of being so focused on an activity that they've blocked out distractions, such as getting lost in a good movie or book, playing their favorite video game, or playing a musical instrument. In the same way, they can learn to intentionally focus their attention on academic learning and shift their attention from one learning task to another at school. Share the benefits of training that attention with students—those who can take charge of their attention are better at staying out of trouble and performing at higher levels academically.
- Lead a brainstorming session with students about ways they can practice using focused attention. Here are some examples:Recognizing distractions, noticing when attention is drifting, and reminding oneself to get back on track
- Completing a homework assignment before turning on the TV or playing a video game
- "Switching off" worries about doing well on a test in order to stay focused and remember what has been studied
- Engaging in active learning practices, such as note-taking or creating a graphic organizer
After initial discussions about using effective attention practices, continue to stress to students that through practice, they can become better regulators of their learning. Look for ways students are using essential learning skills and make mention of them. With practice over time, virtually all students have the potential to change for the better. In Donna's practice as a school psychologist, she found that the greatest changes occur with those who have learning challenges, such as English language learners or students with ADHD. This approach helps them develop the cognitive skills to more easily master key content.
When teachers explicitly teach students tools for self-regulation, classroom management improves. Students develop the skills to improve their own learning and behavior, taking some of the burden away from teachers' crammed schedules and list of responsibilities. When students and teachers work together to create a classroom that runs smoothly, everyone benefits.
For more practical tools to increase students' use of metacognition and self-regulation across all grade levels, check out the authors' book Teaching Students to Drive Their Brains: Metacognitive Strategies, Activities, and Lesson Ideas (ASCD, 2016) and the companion five-episode video series, Teaching Students to Drive Their Brains (ASCD, 2018).
