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Simple strategies for focusing the mind on a teacher or a specific task.
Have you ever tried to listen to a story while a fly was buzzing around your head? It feels like your brain is trying to watch two different movies at the same time!
Your brain is like a powerful flashlight. It can shine its light on one thing at a time. But sometimes, other things try to pull that light away! These are called distractions. A distraction can be a loud noise in the hallway, a toy on your desk, or even a daydream about lunch. When we are 'Distraction Detectives,' we notice these things and decide to turn our flashlight back to the teacher. This helps our brain stay in learning mode.
Quick Check
What is a 'distraction'?
Answer
A distraction is anything that pulls your attention away from what you are supposed to be doing.
Sometimes our minds feel 'noisy' or jumpy. To fix this, we can use a Quiet Mind exercise. Imagine your belly is a big, colorful balloon. When you breathe in, the balloon gets bigger. When you breathe out, the balloon gets smaller. This slow breathing tells your brain, 'It is time to be calm and focus.' It clears away the 'noise' so you can think clearly.
Let's practice counting our breaths to calm our minds: 1. Sit up tall like a mountain. 2. Breathe in through your nose while you count to in your head (). 3. Hold it for just second. 4. Breathe out slowly through your mouth for another counts ().
Did you know your eyes help your ears? When you point your eyes at the person speaking, you are telling your brain, 'This is the most important thing right now!' This is called tracking. If your eyes are looking at your shoes, your brain starts thinking about shoes. If your eyes are looking at the teacher, your brain opens up its 'listening ears' to catch every word. It makes the message times stronger!
Imagine you are sitting on the rug. A friend next to you starts tapping their foot. 1. Notice the tapping (that's the distraction!). 2. Use your 'Balloon Breath' to stay calm. 3. Point your eyes like arrows back at the teacher's book. 4. Listen for the next word the teacher says.
Quick Check
Why does looking at the teacher help you listen?
Answer
It tells your brain that the teacher is the most important thing to focus on right now.
You are writing a sentence, but someone is sharpening a pencil nearby. 1. Keep your eyes on your paper. 2. Tell yourself: 'I can finish this sentence.' 3. If you feel frustrated, take deep breaths. 4. Only look up once your sentence is finished with a period.
Which of these is a distraction in a classroom?
Taking slow, deep breaths can help your brain feel ready to learn.
If you want to hear a story better, where should your eyes be?
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow morning, see if you can name three distractions you notice in your classroom.
Practice Activity
During storytime today, try to keep your 'eye arrows' on the teacher the whole time and see how much of the story you remember!