Refocus With Mind Skills

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If your students don't seem to be focusing on the content you're teaching. How do you teach content during these weeks when they want to be home, and, even though you can't admit it, there may be times you do too? Teachers realize the big picture though. There is a test to give, content to teach, and a basic need to keep your students' minds on the material.

Mind Skills are techniques we can use to "re-mind" ourselves and our students how to take charge of our thinking and actions. Below are some Mind Skills to help your students focus during these days before winter break, and all year long for that matter.

TIPS: REFOCUS WITH MIND SKILLS

1. FOCUS/UNFOCUS

Have students put down their pencils, sit back, and relax. Tell them to pick any object in the room and focus on it for 10 seconds. Then instruct them to unfocus and let their minds wander for about 10 seconds.

Focus them on the object for 30 seconds, then unfocus and tell them to let their minds wander for 15 seconds.

Remind students that they each have the power to activate and deactivate their concentration. Then ask them to really focus in on your subject matter. When they do well, offer an opportunity for them to unfocus and let their minds wander.

(When instructed to focus, students of all ages may enjoy making two circles with their thumbs and forefingers as if their hands were binoculars. Or have them create telescopes by rolling construction paper into tube shapes, looking through them, and sharing the main idea or "focus" of today's discussion.)

2. THROW IT AWAY

Have students picture a troubling situation, such as the big exam coming up before winter break, or the fact they have to shovel snow over the winter break. Give each student a piece of scratch paper and instruct them to write the situation down.

Lead students to the waste basket in your room and have them to crumple up and throw the problem away, watching it disappear.

(Other idea: Have students blow up and release balloons for "Let it go." "Throw It Away" can be used all year to relieve tension and stress.)

3. SHAKE IT OFF

When students are really bouncing off the walls, they may benefit from shaking it off. Pass out three sticky notes to each student. Have them jot down one thing they are really excited about per sticky note, such as sledding, sleeping in, or not having to do homework.

Have students stick the notes to the back of their hands and shake their hands vigorously until the notes fall off. Once they've "shaken it off," hopefully they can concentrate on the subject matter again.

(This activity can also be used for worries, frustrations, and irritations.)

For additional ideas, see "Taking It Further."

Sources: The above Mind Skills are based on PLS's graduate course Successful Teaching for Acceptance of Responsibility®.

Reference:

Butland, M. J., & Beebe, S. A. (1992). Teacher immediacy and power in the classroom: The application of implicit communication theory. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association, Miami, FL. .

Kim, D., Solomon, D., & Roberts, W (1995). Classroom practices that enhance students' sense of community.. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco.

Lunenburg, F. C. & Schmidt, L. J. (1989). Pupil control ideology, pupil control behavior and the quality of school life.. Journal of Research and Development in Education, 22 , 36-44.