Have cell phones and other digital communications eroded our ability to communicate professionally? Have we become so accustomed to textese that we don’t even notice it anymore?
I remember the first essay a student turned in where they had ended their writing with :). I was shocked that they would even dare turn in something like that. I suppose I never even thought to tell them that using emoticons in their writing was not acceptable. I mean, they weren’t texting their friend; they were writing and turning in a persuasive essay. What I didn’t know at the time was that this was just the beginning of students using textese in their assignments, and that the problem would continue to show up in work I received from students.
As the school years passed by, and students continued to turn in work that was filled with “UR”, “Thx”, and “:)”, I realized that cell phones were directly correlated to this increased lackadaisical attitude about their work. Sure, abbreviated forms of words are easier and faster to write, but sometimes taking the easy way out just conveys laziness.
While there certainly is a time and place for this kind of writing, I assure you it isn’t in formal essays or other professional writings. My husband is a vocational counselor, and part of his job is to help people to find suitable employment. As he does this, he must review resumes, job applications, letters of intent, and so on. Just the other day, he was reviewing a resume where the applicant had included #readytowork in his resume. A hashtag! In a resume! Now, I’m all for a good hashtag, and definitely can see their value, but I also know that adding a hashtag to a resume isn’t exactly professional. Will it draw attention? Absolutely. But probably not in a super positive manner. Needless to say, this client was advised to remove the hashtag and revise his resume to be more professional.
Imagine a college admissions board reviewing applications and letters from hopeful graduating seniors, only to find the submissions are littered with unprofessional slang and textese. I don’t think it would leave the board feeling too impressed with the applicants.
As teachers, it’s important that we help our students understand when it’s okay to use more relaxed language and when it’s not. We need to teach them what professional language looks like, how to use it, and when to use it. Doing so will set them up for success as they move on to college as well as into the professional world.
“Open your books to page 24. Today we are covering chapter 3, and will learn about land formations. We will read pages 24-30 out loud as a class, with each student taking a paragraph. Let’s start with Kevin and go up and down the rows.”
OR…
“I’m going to split you into groups of 4. Each group will be given a different land formation and an information sheet on that specific formation. Review your sheet together. Then, as a group, you will use the scrap bin and other art materials to create a 3-D model of your land formation. Your group will present to the class and will share what you have learned. You have 40 minutes. Ready? Go!”
Two scenes, two different approaches, two very different responses from students. Which classroom would you rather be in?
I imagine the first scenario would produce groans, eye rolls, and heavy sighs from the students, not to mention massive amounts of anxiety for the students who absolutely loathe reading out loud in front of the class. I imagine the second scenario would be received with more enthusiasm, excitement, and willingness to participate.
Of the two scenarios, it’s pretty obvious that the level of student engagement increases exponentially with the second option. When students are engaged, they are much more likely to participate in the lesson or activity, and there is also a greater likelihood that they will retain the information that is being taught. Another positive benefit of keeping students engaged is that they are less likely to cause boredom induced behavior problems because they will be actively engaged in the lesson. I realize that not every lesson can be taught with art, models, videos, or games. Even still, teachers ought to be making every effort possible to keep students engaged and interested in the material being taught; not every engagement technique requires fancy bells and whistles.
Student engagement is vital to a thriving classroom, so here are a few ideas you may or may not have tried with your own students. Keep in mind that not every idea will work for every student or every lesson, and that’s ok! That’s why we have a variety of options in our teacher toolboxes!
Use your students’ interests– When students are interested in what they are learning or can see a direct connection to something they are interested in, they are more willing to learn and retain what is taught. If you can connect football play strategies to your study of World War II battle strategies, you’ve gained the attention of all of your football loving kids. Having your students listen to Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” as you study Romeo and Juliet will quickly engage your Swiftie students.
Gamification– Use game elements in your teaching. Create a BINGO game as a review before a test, use Kahoot to reinforce information, or create a fun online scavenger hunt for students to complete to collect information.
Anticipatory Activities– When introducing a new unit or topic, provide students with a fun and engaging activity to get them thinking about what they are going to study. Studying a book about Ernest Shackleton’s crew of men who get stranded in Antarctica for a couple of years when their ship wrecks in 1912? Play a true/false game with crazy or cool facts about Antarctica and show pictures of what it is like there.
Collaborative Learning– Use group work when possible. Students can work together to solve problems, gather information, and learn together. They can learn from each other, and can gain valuable people skills through group work.
Provide Choices– Allow students a say in how they show what they’ve learned. Provide them with options that target different learning styles so everyone has a chance to use their strengths to showcase their knowledge.
Use Media– Show video clips or listen to music to reinforce content. YouTube is loaded with tons of short educational videos that can bring so much to a lesson. Music has also been proven to aid with memory and retainment.
Laugh Together– It really is true what they say- laughter is the best medicine. Laughter has a way of connecting people. Laughing together as a class can lighten the mood, ease stress, and help students feel more comfortable in their learning environment. Besides, no one likes a teacher who is grumpy and stuffy all the time!
Take a Break– Provide your students with opportunities to take a break from their learning. A simple brain break video works great. Have them stand up, stretch, and get wiggles out. Let them chat with a neighbor for a few minutes. Play a quick round of Silent Ball or Heads Up, Seven Up. Taking a short break from working can give the brain a rest and a chance to reset and refresh, which, in turn, increases productivity and alertness.
These ideas are only a few of the many techniques to engage students. Find what works for you as a teacher and for your students. Don’t be afraid to shake it up a bit and try something you maybe haven’t tried before. You may be surprised at how well it’s received by your students!
When I was in high school, the internet was just starting to really gain traction and become useful. Honestly, I still used my super awesome Encyclopedia Brittanica CD-Rom or a physical book for my research projects. I had to sit an listen to the obnoxious dial up noise while I waited for my computer to connect to AOL, and was very limited in my time online— because when your phone line and internet line are the same, you had to hurry so people could get through if they needed to call someone at your house.
The internet was so new that we didn’t really understand the dangers that could be lurking with one single click. We were blissfully ignorant to those kinds of things. Public chat rooms were my favorite place to go online. I would spend as much time as possible chatting away with complete strangers, often sharing details about my physical appearance, location, age, grade in school, and so on. Yikes! 2025 me is appalled that 1997 me was so naive and open with people I didn’t even know. No one is at fault here; my parents and I didn’t know any better back then, but I can’t help but think about how unsafe that was. Knowing what I know now, I will make sure my kids know how to be cautious when online.
Teaching internet safety begins at home. Today’s kids are exposed to the internet long before they even step foot into a school setting. Gone are the days where a computer had to be stationary; kids today have access to the internet via so many methods– iPads, phones, laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and so on. Parents have a responsibility to teach their children what is and is not okay when it comes to online habits. Thankfully today, parents can set filters on their computers and phones. While these filters are not fool-proof, they do help. Online content can be sneaky and can find a way around filters— and so can kids who are determined to bypass them.
Kids need to know what kinds of words to use in their searches. They need to know what kinds of websites and images are safe to explore. They need to know how to get out of an inappropriate website if they somehow stumble upon one. It’s imperative that kids today understand the dangers of interacting with strangers, and that they know to never give out personal information online.
So how do parents and teachers go about teaching these kinds of skills? We model them! We allow our kids to be on the internet while we sit next to them, coaching them on what search terms to use, what websites are okay to go to, and so on. We let them sit by us as we are online, so they can see how we safely use the internet.
Another way to teach internet safety is to talk about it regularly. We talk about the red flags, the kinds of words that will generate inappropriate search results, the kinds of things strangers might say if they are grooming a child, and so forth. Having open conversations about things that can potentially be a danger will help kids and teens to be more aware as they are online, and it will also help your kids to feel more comfortable coming to you on the chance that something does go wrong or does pop up.
We ought to be careful to do our best to not make the internet sound like a super scary and terrible thing. Rather, we teach that it is a useful tool and amazing place that has potential dangers, and what we can do to protect ourselves if/when faced with them.
In school, teachers and counselors can show videos or slide shows illustrating things kids might come in contact with. Librarians can help students understand what a reliable website might look like and how to detect false information. Students can be aware of their surroundings and can help to alert teachers if they see something amiss with their own computer or a classmate’s.
The internet isn’t going away, and people with wrong intent will only get smarter and sneakier. Filters and “safe” phones can only stop so much. This means that we as parents and educators need to be sure that we are giving today’s youth the tools they will need to safely navigate a digital world. Together, we can arm kids with the power to conquer the malicious workings of those that aim to harm today’s kids. Together, we can be a force for good.
Technology is both a blessing and a curse in classroom settings. When used correctly, it can greatly enhance and enrich learning. When it becomes a distraction, however, it can become a detriment to learning. In the poll I conducted, 81% of teachers polled identified access to technology as a major problem they see among their students.
We live in a world where technology is pretty much unavoidable. We rely on our devices for so many things, and I don’t see that going away any time soon, if ever. Many students have easy access to various technologies, and recent trends show that kids are becoming addicted to screens at young ages. This addiction to screens isn’t a problem that stays at home; it’s bleeding over into school. We’re seeing students who have a hard time staying focused for more than a few minutes at a time, are getting bored with traditional instructional methods that don’t involve technology, and who can’t think for themselves. For students who have and bring a phone to school, it becomes a temptation when it’s in their pocket, and a distraction when it’s not.
One teacher polled said, “Students are sleeping in class because they have stayed up all night on their phones, have shorter attention spans because they scroll, increased lack of desire and motivation to do work because it doesn’t give them that dopamine hit, and an inability to focus on a task for more than 5 min (and this is 6th grade!)”
Even younger grades are experiencing problems with this. A second grade teacher said, “I believe that access to too much technology has greatly impacted their “need” to get immediate rewards/stimulation. They have a hard time with giving things their full attention unless it is online.”
Since this problem isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, we have to find ways to rein it in and help our students focus and control their need for screens. Much of the screen time addiction starts at home. Too often, some parents use screens as a “babysitter” for their kids. That’s not to say that all parents do this, because I know that’s not true; there are many parents who do limit screen time and are very good about setting boundaries with it. Since the problem usually starts at home, the solution should also start at home, then carry over into school. If students can learn to control their need for screens, they are going to be able to focus more, learn more, and truly experience life more.
In the classroom, teachers can limit how much work is done on computers. I understand that having students complete and turn in assignments online makes it so much easier than having a ton of papers sitting around. But there has to be a balance somewhere between too much technology, and not enough.
It’s a tricky balance, for sure, and what works for one teacher may not work for another. However a teacher chooses to manage access to technology in their own classrooms is up to them. I don’t think technology should be completely eliminated from classrooms. It really can be an incredibly useful tool in instruction and learning. Because we live in such a digital world, it’s also essential that students have some computer skills, as they won’t be able to avoid technology in the “real world.”
I think as long as teachers are doing their best to combat the over-access to technology, students will figure out that they don’t really need their phones 24/7. Technology is definitely useful, but it’s not the only thing that can be used.
In my last two posts, I discussed some common problems teachers are seeing in their classrooms. Based on a poll conducted, many teachers say that their students struggle with lack of motivation, distractions, and access to technology, among others. Today I’m going to jump into the problem of distractions.
Distractions have been around since the beginning of time. It’s not a new problem. I do, however, believe that it has become a bigger problem in recent years. Many students have so much going on in their lives that focusing on school is becoming more and more difficult. I also think that technology is playing a role in this increase in lack of attention and focus. Kids become so used to having instant gratification from their screens that focusing on anything for too long becomes difficult.
There also seems to be a recent increase in the number of kids who struggle with ADD or ADHD. By themselves, these attention disorders make it difficult for students who struggle with them to stay focused and not get distracted. Couple these disorders with any other amount of input from screens or other sensory involved activities, and it seems like the perfect recipe for distractions a plenty!
Not only does technology play a role in distracting students, but so does every day life. If there are hardships at home, trouble with friends, sports, other academic pursuits, challenges, or deadlines looming, medical concerns, or other extra curricular activities going on, those things can be a cause for distraction. There are a myriad of things that can be the reason behind why a student is distracted.
A third grade teacher commented, “Many of my students have a hard time maintaining, focus and get distracted by a variety of activities, toys, other students, daydreaming etc.”
Lack of attention and focus can become a big problem for teachers. It’s hard enough to get an entire room of students on task and listening. Add in any outside distractions, and that task becomes even more difficult. Teachers have limited time with their students, and any amount of time spent redirecting and refocusing their students takes away from precious instruction and learning time. Obviously, all teachers plan for some amount of redirection and repeating of instructions, but when it starts to take away from what needs to be happening in a classroom, it becomes a bigger issue.
One second grade teacher said, “I have noticed a HUGE increase in the amount of redirection I am having to give throughout my day. I truly think most of my time is spent on management and trying to get their attention where I need it. I think this stems from their inability to pay attention (distractions) mixed with a lack of motivation.”
I won’t sugar coat it and say that you will have 100% of your class focused and on task 100% of the time, because the reality of it is, is that you won’t. There will likely be at least one or two students who will be distracted at any given moment (even if they look like they are paying attention). I think it’s just human nature to get distracted— for some, it doesn’t happen often, and for others, it’s a constant battle.
What then, are teachers doing to help combat this problem in their classrooms? Redirection is a good strategy to help students get back on track. Some teachers use reward systems such as classroom dollars, table points, reward jars, and so on.
A grade 7-9 teacher said she tries to make her lessons and assignments as relevant as possible so that students are more likely to stay focused and interested in what they are learning.
A third grade teacher said, “In our school we’ve been doing mindfulness minutes during our day. We’ve also added in a yoga and mindfulness specialty. We have a wellness center where students can take breaks. In my classroom, I have a take 5 chair for smaller regulation needs.” These small breaks could be useful in helping students re-focus and stay attentive during class.
Distractions aren’t going to go anywhere anytime soon. They really are just part of life. It’s how we learn to deal with them and re-focus ourselves that matters most. Teachers who experience this problem in their classrooms with their students know just how challenging it can be. But as we try new methods and lean on others for suggestions, we’re bound to find something that will help our students have the best possible chance of learning!
It isn’t a secret that today’s students face many challenges. Many of these challenges are unique to this generation, while others are the same kinds of challenges that students have faced for years. Regardless the challenge, students need support and guidance on how to navigate these problems. I polled eleven teachers over a variety of grade levels to get an idea of what they are seeing in their classrooms, and how they are helping their students face these trying issues. Over the next few posts, I’m going to dive into the results of that poll and share what current teachers are doing in their classrooms to combat these challenges.
First, a little background on the poll, questions asked, and the basic results.
In my poll, I gave teachers a list of challenges kids today might face, and asked them to check the box next to anything on that list that they see in their classrooms. That list included time management, family hardships, mental health, access to technology (too much or too little), financial strain, inadequate resources, test anxiety, distractions, lack of motivation, procrastination, lack of support at home or school, and inadequate physical care (food insecurity, lack of medical care, poor hygiene, etc.). Teachers were also given space to write any challenges they have seen that were not on my list.
Then, from the boxes that they checked, I asked teachers to list the top three challenges they see in their classrooms, and explain what specifically they see happening. I then asked teachers to explain what is being done in general (by state, district, school, etc.) to combat these problems, and what they are specifically doing with their own students to alleviate these challenges.
It was interesting to see the results of the poll. Problems I assumed would be more common turned out to not really even be a concern to most teachers, and problems I assumed wouldn’t be a big deal turned out to be bigger problems than I thought. I learned that certain issues aren’t confined to one particular age demographic, and that students of all grades and ages are experiencing many of the same challenges.
So what did the teachers say?
Of the teachers polled, an astounding 100% of them listed lack of motivation as one of the top challenges students today face! Coming in tied for second place, was 81% of teachers indicating that their students struggled with distractions and access to technology.
Come along as I explore these results a little deeper and figure out what can be done to help today’s kids rise above and face these challenges!
My son, who is in third grade, just sat down to do his homework: completing a multiplication chart. I was headed downstairs to get my computer when I suddenly heard him burst into song. He was counting by two in the tune of “Yankee Doodle,” then proceeded to count by six to the tune of “London Bridge is Falling Down.” He continued this process, with a different little song for each row of his multiplication chart. He had it completed rather quickly, thanks to the help of these little songs.
As he worked, I started thinking about how important and helpful music can be in the classroom. Music has this super neat ability to make information stick. It’s really pretty cool. I remember my 10th grade Biology teacher having us write our own songs to go along with the process of photosynthesis. Come test day, I flew through the questions as I sang my song in my head. I could even hear my classmates quietly muttering out their own songs as they worked their way through their tests.
I recall a time when I was teaching junior high. I happened to be out in the hall during my prep period and could hear Mr. Hodges’ ninth grade Biology class walking down the hall chanting/singing a song he had made up about amino acids. It was catchy. No doubt those students remembered those amino acids for a long time to come.
For those of us old enough to remember “School House Rock,” I’m sure you are able to recall all sorts of facts about our government and such because of those songs. These seemingly silly songs helped kids remember important information.
Today’s kids will likely never know the experience of having your teacher wheel the TV to the front of the room, put the VHS tape into the VCR, then push play. But they still have their own version of “School House Rock”-esque songs. You Tube has a plethora of songs designed to teach and help students retain information. Unlike older generations, kids today can watch it at school, then come home and be able to watch it again and again with the click of a button.
Not only can infusing music with information be helpful, but simply playing music during work time can be helpful. My junior high English students practically lived for the days that I would allow them to bring their headphones to class so that they could listen to music of their choice while they completed assignments. I found this especially helpful on days when we were in the drafting and writing stages of essay or story writing. Students who were normally squirmy and disruptive were suddenly quiet, focused, and still. For students who didn’t have their own music-producing device, I would plug my phone in and turn on a quiet mix of songs that played through my classroom speaker system. Never did I have students work harder and quieter than I did during music days. It was magical!
Music is transformative. It has the power to do so many things for the human brain. It can calm, heal, bring peace, help release anger or frustration, and, as noted here, can have the power to bring things to memory. That’s pretty cool if you ask me. Music brings so much color to the classroom!
