The perennial classroom problem—student disengagement    072

Student disengagement with the learning process—instantly recognisable by teachers—is a complex issue with no easy resolution. The goal of having all students being on task for the whole of each lesson, day in day out, is no doubt humanly impossible. However the issue for you, as a parent, is how close your child can come to the ideal. Today I want to run through some of the barriers to classroom concentration and how you can help your son or daughter.

I will start with a barrier which is increasingly in the news: disruptive and out of control students making concentration difficult or even virtually impossible. Indeed recent international reports “linked the underachievement of students in Australian schools to discipline problems…” (Bruce McDougall, Disruptive pupils out of control, Daily Telegraph, 15 Mar 17, p. 9). Apparently “about one third of students in affluent schools and about half of those in disadvantaged schools reported that in most or every class there was noise and disorder… and students found it difficult to learn” (Stefanie Balogh, Australian students are among the world’s worst behaved, Australian, 15 Mar 17, p. 3).

There is also growing physical violence against teachers, deputies and principals. One survey of Australian principals found that “almost one in two principals and deputies received threats… with 34 per cent experiencing actual physical violence…”. In NSW, over the last five years teachers were the victims of some 550 serious physical assaults (Stefanie Balogh, Rules of engagement, Australian 15 Mar 17, p. 11). Unsurprisingly, teachers are presently taking thousands of days off each year for stress related reasons.

If your child is sitting in such a classroom, then he or she will be spending less time learning, and will find engagement very hard because of the traumatic nature of what is happening. Usually this type of situation does not improve and may even get worse. Your child may need to change classes or subjects, or even change schools. This requires your assistance. Help your child to escape from this type of emotionally disturbing interference with learning by giving this assistance.

Fatigue and mental laziness are surprisingly common. Students who have insufficient sleep, probably from staying up late playing with digital devices, or who have low levels of physical fitness, possibly combined with poor nutrition, are obviously not in a condition to do their best at school. This can be the beginning of an entrenched habit of making less than a full effort. Educationally disengaged friends and lack of parental interest in schooling will make the habit harder to break. So often children just sit in lessons with concepts not understood because, for example, they do not put up their hand to ask the teacher and nor do they look up the words in a dictionary.

Eye sight and hearing, especially in young children, can go undiagnosed for far too long. In your interaction with your child keep this in mind. If your child is for example is slow to respond, or makes obvious mistakes when copying material from the textbook or question sheet, then become involved. If the normal inducements and procedures don’t produce improvements then have your child’s eyes and ears tested. Usually these things can be treated successfully. The learning effects of hearing problems can be alleviated by placing the child at the front of the class or at the front of the class and to one side.

Sometimes children find concentration difficult and become discouraged because the work is simply too hard. This can be the result of having been placed in the wrong class or choosing the wrong subject or the wrong level of a subject. These things can be very quickly put right. Try to become involved with your child’s subject choices, perhaps discussing things with the teacher.

General unhappiness can have a negative effect on student concentration. There are many reasons such as poor peer socialisation, bullying, issues with the teacher, exam and homework stress, problems with the membership of sports teams—and also parental discord in the home, including separation, divorce etc. Too often unhappiness—and the associated lack of concentration and effort—becomes so habitual that it becomes accepted as normal.

The solution is to these situations should not be surprising. Parents need to be aware of what is happening and to not take progress at school for granted. Support your children with their home work and other tasks, and provide any necessary resourcing. In particular look for any change in your child’s attitude. Build and maintain a positive culture of communication but don’t pound your child daily with the question: “And what happened at school today?” Scan the road ahead especially for Years 11 and 12. Career and university information days, dates for university, scholarship or trainee program applications all need to be anticipated and prepared for. Your child needs to know you are there ready to help as necessary.

If then your son or daughter seems to be disengaging don’t just accept it as a normal stage of growing. Address the situation with purpose and if positive change cannot be achieved then seek assistance from the school or other professionals. Sometimes situations need a team effort. Remember that problems rarely disappear by themselves and if you don’t take action you remove something precious from your child—hope.

All content copyright—Mark Thackray—Australian Educational Services