Dealing with children or students who are difficult to focus on learning is certainly a challenge for teachers. Special approach and attention must be given to helping the child. When students are less focused when studying in class or at home, they will have difficulty in paying attention to the instructions given by the teacher and lack of commitment in doing their work. Well, the first thing teachers can do to overcome this is to find ways to train concentration in students and identify and understand the causes of children being less focused when learning.
Basically, attention can arise from interest in something and stimulation. Usually children will feel at home playing games or watching videos for hours but get bored quickly while studying. How come? According to experts, games provide continuous stimulation, supplying dopamine, a brain chemical that functions to regulate focus. Then, how is the way that the teacher can make students focus and concentrate on learning? Check out the following tips.
1. Individual approach to students
An educational psychologist, Anastasia J Wulandasari, explained that in an individual approach, children can be asked what makes them focus. Do not ask the child why he is not focused, still ask how he wants to do a task until it is finished. That way, the teacher can start looking for other activities that will provoke students’ focus. Observe what conditions your child needs when he can focus.
2. Sort tasks into sections
Children who are difficult to focus are not only disturbed by external factors such as classmates, but there are also factors from themselves. He can suddenly think of something else when he is busy working on something and immediately moves or turns attention. Well, the way to overcome this kind of factor is to sort out the tasks into sections. This method is done so that the child does not take too long in something because the concentration span that is too large will make the child tend to get tired and bored quickly. Give time lag after doing one part of the task. Soft music or the use of a timer can also help the child to stay longer, until the timer sounds.
3. Learn to use videos
A child will usually focus more when playing games or watching interesting videos. Non-screen activities are considered unattractive for children because they feel boring, especially for children who are difficult to focus. Well, the on-screen learning method can be applied by the teacher in the teaching process. At the moment there are many subject matter packaged in animated video, the teacher can insert videos from the learning space during the teaching process so that children can understand the material in different ways. Not only that, after watching children’s videos can also directly measure their understanding through the given practice questions. Of course, the learning process becomes more fun and not monotonous isn’t it?
4. Give confidence that students are capable
With the confidence, the child’s concentration is believed to increase doubled. Give them confidence or confidence, if they are able to do the learning tasks that are given well. This confidence will greatly affect children’s success in learning. They will feel able to learn a material or do a given task, so they will do well. Confidence will make children concentrate fully on learning.
5. Give students time limit
The next way that teachers can apply to overcome students who find it difficult to focus on learning is to give a time limit. The point is, children need to be reminded if the task that the child is working on has a time limit. This can help children adjust their time to do the task and concentrate fully on completing it.
Every child or student needs stimulation to maintain focus. In addition to conditioning the classroom atmosphere while learning, it is also important for teachers to communicate with parents. The most important thing is not to give labels or judgment to children. Because, negative energy from the environment, like a child who is not capable, can be captured by children.
Hopefully these five tips can be useful for teachers who have to face students who are difficult to focus on when they study. Come on, try to practice the tricks and add teaching experience