The fight for focus

Are teachers to blame for students' lack of attention?

Originally published in the Moultrie News.

The teacher says my son sometimes has trouble focusing, but it’s only in one class, and when he describes the class, it sounds like there are a lot of distractions outside his control. My question is: are students always to blame for lack of attention, or does it sometimes fall on teachers?

It sometimes falls on teachers. No teacher can force an unfocused student to pay attention, but there’s a lot teachers can do to create a classroom environment that fosters focus.

One of the most effective starting points is seating arrangement. If the goal is independent learning, rows are far better than tables or clusters. This isn’t just Stallings 101 — it’s backed by research. A study in Educational Psychology found that on-task behavior doubled from 35% to 70% when classrooms switched from tables to rows. Disruptions in table settings were three times higher.

I doubt we needed science to tell us this. Just look around a classroom. When kids are at tables facing one another, they’re not looking at the teacher or their own work: they’re looking at each other. There’s nothing more distracting than another human face, especially one that’s eager to engage.

The same study also showed that with row seating, teachers’ negative comments decreased while their positive comments increased. So if you want a more positive classroom climate, go with the rows.

Of course, sometimes tables and clusters are preferred, as when kids are working together. But the studies show that assigned tasks are usually individual, not cooperative. So the ideal setup would be desks that can be arranged in rows or groups as needed.

Unfortunately, some districts refuse to buy individual desks because they don’t like the way they “feel” — they’re too “isolated” and not “collaborative” enough. If only reading and math scores were measured by how district middle managers felt about furniture, we’d be onto something. But, sadly … they aren’t.

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Another strategy for increasing focus is removing private distractions. Somewhere along the line, a myth took hold that if easily distracted students have something to distract them (fidget toys, doodling, even music), they’ll pay more attention to the lesson.

I tried to write that last sentence in a way that didn’t make it sound completely ridiculous, but I failed for an obvious reason: it’s completely ridiculous. If the lesson matters, teachers should not allow toys, crafts, or entertainment to compete with it. They must also place tight restrictions on laptops and cell phones — the Kings and Queens of distraction.

Teachers can also boost focus by managing peer influence. Often, the biggest threat to a student’s attention is the kid at the next desk. A 2024 study found that when just a few students slouched, looked bored, or stopped taking notes, their disengagement spread across the classroom like a virus. Researchers called it “inattention contagion,” and it resulted in a nine-point drop in assessments. Teachers can combat this by setting clear norms and enforcing expectations.

Demanding good attention habits is another crucial strategy. Think: how do we fall asleep? By lying still and pretending to be asleep until the real thing comes. Focus works the same way. If you get a child to sit up, put away distractions, and make eye contact, he might still count ceiling tiles for a while, but eventually, he’ll tune in. “Fake it till you make it” works for attention, too.

Of course, there are many more methods at a teacher’s disposal than these. I didn’t even mention tightening transitions, chunking lessons into manageable time blocks, or using seating charts (because allowing students to sit by anyone they want can be a death knell for attention spans).

Ultimately, though, students have to take responsibility for their own attention, and the foundation is laid at home when parents instill the value of staying focused and investing in education. Without that support, students risk losing far more than just their concentration — they may be frittering away their potential.

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Jody Stallings has been an award-winning teacher in Charleston since 1992 and is director of the Charleston Teacher Alliance. To submit a question, order his books, or follow him on social media, please visit JodyStallings.com.