What really goes on in our minds when teachers teach.

Of course, every teenager tends to “Day Dream” whenever a teacher is giving a long lecture about something you have no intention on knowing. But what really goes on in their minds? And how can teachers make it more interesting? By the end of lectures students usually have no clue what the teachers were even talking about, and not to mention, being able to ace a test over what they were saying.  The teachers lectures always go into things that are going be important for future reference. So shouldn’t we be able to hear what they’re saying and take it into our minds enough to be able to remember it?  And sure, teachers also have a hard time getting their point across to the students in school. Keeping our attention in class is one of the hardest parts of being a teacher. What are they going to do to keep our minds in track and in line?

It’s true that people’s minds wander off many times during the day. Everyone thinks about tons of different things, like work, their home, their boyfriend or girlfriend, past memories, and other things that catch their attention throughout the day. Depending on who they are, they are going to think about different things. Heather Young had a pretty detailed explanation for what all goes on in her mind during the day. She said “I think about things that I’m going to do to, like if I go to work or not, And if I don’t go to work then I think about if I have to do things around the house and what exactly those things are. I think about my boyfriend a lot of course; if I’m going to see him, what kind of date we’re going to go on and so on. And when a teacher says a word and it reminds me of something then I think about past memories. If they say something that makes me laugh then I never can concentrate on what they say after that.”

What can teachers do to make a lesson or lecture more fun and exciting? Heather Young’s response to this question was, “Maybe make it more interesting, to make it not seem like a jail-cell or something of that matter. I’ve noticed that teachers are more interesting have students that get better grades than when the teachers are up-tight. If teachers would just be The schools are always going to be one of those things that are going to be there.  And everyone enjoys a smile and laugh that accompanies a subject that you’re interested in. And even if you’re not interested in the subject then laughing in a class always lightens up the dullness of any kind of smart mathematical or science thing you’re learning about. If teachers were to understand these things, then everyone in the school would have a better chance of passing a class, semester, or even a year.Even if the teachers inside of schools always are looked to as just being teachers, it’s nice to have a face to remember, a class to look back on, and memories from past subjects to actually remember. Less daydreaming and more listening is the key to success in any kind of class your in; even if you’d rather think about other things.

more laidback, then students wouldn’t be as stressed and not want to listen to anything they say.” By “Laidback” Heather means she would rather teachers not be stressing all this work to be done. Students would rather know how to do things the simple way, instead of the hard way, to get assignments finished. Maybe if the up-tight teachers would calm down a little and try to simplify the harder things to students, school would be a lot easier.

How many people actually daydream in the classroom? According to an article by Gilbert L. Brown, 50 percent out of every 250 student’s minds tend to wander during studying for a test. Others stated that only 25% to 75% of a study session is actually used for studying. That means that the grades made are approximately only 25 to 75 percent efficient in the classroom! It may be a uniquely human ability that we are able to think about things that are not in the here and now. We can reflect on the past, look forward to the future, or fantasize about the impossible. According to the Washington Post, mind-wandering is more likely when people were shopping, reading, listening to teachers, or commuting.  Mind-wandering was observed at least 30% of the time during any of these activities. Daydreaming is a big part of anybody’s life and is at least going to take up some part of the day during various activities. We’re only human, and we’re only capable of stopping our mind from wondering so much during the day. Our brains make us curious and interested in learning new things, and if it tries to learn something too hard, it gives up, and wonders off to another world.

 -by Amanda Poole

There are many different types of classes in school: Computers, Art, Tech, Writing, and just the basic classes and different ways to keep a student aware of things going on in the classroom.  Different classes get different responses on students’ attention spans. Mr. Smith the high school Art teacher said “I just try to keep them engaged and interested really in what we’re doing that day. People like different things, so I try to make projects that everyone will enjoy doing. I make the art projects more personal to them, to make sure that they will actually keep on the right track. If I see someone slacking off then I’ll approach them in different ways. Like if it’s a student I know that never slacks off in class then ill assume that something is going on, and try to sit down and talk to them if possible. But if it’s a kid that normally doesn’t do the work they were assigned to do, then I’ll make sure I set them down and tell them what they are suppose to be doing and try to keep them from laying down and instead actually participating in class.”

Coach Graves’ response to what he thinks about when he sees a kid slacking off was “When I see a kid slacking off I think of the lack of motivation, and a great opportunity. They’re only going to be in high school once in their lives, so why not make the best of it? And there’s nothing I can really do about it either. Its their choice to slack off, its their choice to not get the best grades, I want them to be interested in what I teach, But if they aren’t then there isn’t much I can really do about it.” Of course the teachers have their own ideas on how to keep students attentions. Because they’re all made differently, and taught differently on how to teach. But they honestly try their hardest on everything that they do.

Whenever the teacher switches gears, it brings all the wandering minds back to the teacher, ready for a fresh try. Students in their classes might not always be aware of what’s going on but teachers always try their hardest to help every student in their own little way. Even if it might be sitting down with them one on one or raising their voices to make sure the student knows they mean business. To help students stay on topic, they could think of several of ways to keep students busy. Such as: Note Taking Sheets, a PowerPoint presentation, and by simply talking in a voice that seems more intriguing than others.