Distractions in the classroom...

How often have you been in charge of a primary classroom and workmen have arrived in the school - the end of learning as we know it? I was incredibly lucky today to have been in this position, yes, lucky. You see the workmen drilled, banged, raised a cherry picker in front of the windows (so close they were touching) and the students simply carried on with their activities. I was so surprised that I sat back and started to watch. One work man was even drilling through steel on the ground in front of the door and the students sitting on the floor inside the door barely even bothered to look up.

Earlier in the morning I had asked one of the students to take photos to document the process thinking this would lead to groups of students spending their morning watching and exclaiming over the processes happening outside. Instead I had to remind the photographer to keep in eye on the process and the construction was virtually ignored. How wrong was I about this all??

A day earlier I had introduced a typing program to the class and it provided huge interest as students wanted to learn the characters, hear the songs and funny voices used. They flocked around the computers. It didn't take long before a roster was drawn up but still the flocking continued! This morning the level of interest had not decreased any, I watched from a distance and thought that I would simply have to wait for the novelty value to wear off. How long this will take, I am not sure. Most students are now practising saying something like (please go away I can't concentrate - after lots of prompting and practising) and this is beginning to have more effect.