8
Things Teachers Do To Cause Boredom
by Michael Linsin on January 28, 2012
When students get bored their minds drift.
And while some settle on daydreaming, tile-counting, and
general inattentiveness, other students are drawn to more…ahem…destructive
pursuits.
For where there is boredom, there is misbehavior
percolating just under the surface, ready to pounce.
Although there is a lot you can do to counter the onset
of boredom, understanding what not to do is the first step to avoiding its
negative effects.
What follows is a list of the most common things teachers
do to cause boredom. By steering clear of these eight attention killers, your
students will spend more time on task and be far better behaved.
And you’ll be a more effective teacher.
1. Sitting too long.
Although it’s important to increase your students’
stamina for both paying attention during lessons and focusing during
independent work, if they’re made to sit too long, you’re asking for trouble.
Good teachers are observant and thus learn to know precisely when to switch
gears and get their students up and moving.
2. Talking too much.
Students need room to breathe or they’ll form an unspoken
mutiny and turn your classroom upside down. Talking too much is
especially smothering. It communicates that you don’t trust them, teaches them
to tune you out, and causes their eyes to glaze over. The more economical and
concise you are with your words, however, the more attentive your students will
be.
3. Making the simple, complex.
Many teachers misunderstand the oft-heard mandate for
more rigor. They take it to mean that they need to make their instruction more
complex, more involved, more verbose—which is a major reason why students don’t
progress. Our job, if we are to do it well, is to do the opposite. The most
effective teachers simplify, break down, and cut away the non-essentials—making
content easier for students to grasp.
4. Making the interesting, uninteresting.
Most standard grade-level subject matter is
interesting, but your students don’t know that. In fact, many assume, based on
their learning experiences in the past, that it’s boring. It’s your job to show
them otherwise. It’s your job to give them a reason to care about what you’re
teaching. So many teachers just talk at their students, forgetting the most
critical element: selling it.
5. Talking about behavior instead of doing something
about it.
Teachers who struggle with classroom management tend to
talk endlessly about behavior. They hold class meetings. They hash things out.
They revisit the same tired topic over and over, much to their students’
eye-rolling chagrin. Effective classroom management is about action. It’s about
doing and following through and holding students accountable. It isn’t about
talking.
6. Directing too much, observing too less.
Most teachers are in constant motion—directing, guiding,
handholding, and micromanaging students from one moment to the next. This is
not only remarkably inefficient, but it dampens enthusiasm for school. Instead,
rely on sharp, well-taught routines to keep your students awake, alive, and
responsible through every transition and repeatable moment of your day—while
you observe calmly from a distance.
7. Leading a slow, sloppy, slip-shod pace.
Good teaching strives for a focus and efficiency of time,
movement, and energy. The day crackles and glides cleanly from one lesson or
activity to the next. As soon as one objective is met, it’s on to the next
without delay. Moving sharply and purposefully forces students to stay on their
toes, their minds engaged. Boredom never enters the picture.
8. Failing to adjust.
Regardless of what you’re trying to squeeze in by the end
of the day, or how important it seems, the moment you notice heads wilting, you
must make an adjustment. It’s never worth it to plow through. Sometimes all
your students need is a moment to stretch their legs or say hello to a friend.
Other times, you’ll simply move on to something else.
Learning In The Spotlight
The ability to concentrate over time is a critical and
often-overlooked aspect of learning, and so pushing the time-on-task envelop is
a good thing.
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