All over the world, children have lost motivation in classroom settings and curricula. This is a growing concern for teachers and administrators as they struggle to find solutions to keep kids engaged at school while they look for the root of the problem.
Recently, Wake County Public Schools has implemented a phone policy in hopes of boosting learning and engagement, but is it too late? While cell phones have been a major distraction in learning environments, they have already made their impact on an entire generation. Short attention spans and anxiety are a common side effect of cell phone addiction. Phones aren’t the only issue, though. Technology surrounds kids every second at school. Students went from learning off chalkboards to staring at flat-screen TVs all day.
Sophomore Hayden Folan said, “I can’t do computer work at all; it makes my brain stop working. I feel like it’s easier to read and stay focused on paper rather than a computer.”
Students agreed that heavily weighted tests should give kids the option between an online school approved testing program and a paper copy to better compensate for the needs of the students.
Many high schoolers also feel like the curriculum taught in class isn’t relevant to them, which makes them much less likely to listen and complete assignments.
Folan said, “I feel like over the years participation in class went from 100% to 20% because when the classes are hard, have no relevance, and you get no time to socialize, you start hating class.”
For many kids, school is becoming something to dread rather than an opportunity. Some teachers have students fill in forms at the end of the week to let them know what activities they liked or disliked during class time. This could boost classroom participation greatly if more teachers followed in their footsteps.
Sophomore, Bianca Hernandez Garcia, said, “Teachers should be more talkative instead of just sticking to a PowerPoint and reading off it directly. They could get the students engaged by asking questions or calling on people that seem present, not just sleeping.”
It’s time for schools and teachers to prioritize bringing back the passion and excitement for learning. It’s never too late to explore new methods and exercises that will help students rediscover curiosity.
