Comments on: Keeping Kids Focused

By: Rhalmi Mohammed

Rhalmi Mohammed — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 12:16:58 +0000

This is true as far as I’m concerned. There are many instances of what you have just mentioned in my classroom.I used to take it personally although I knew these students were gifted Now I know I have to be tolerant when they doodle …

By: Diane

Diane — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 02:13:16 +0000

I read this same report last week. I allow my students to doodle. Some students need to keep their hands busy while their brains work. More teachers and administrators should realize this. When our students are at home, they are always multi-tasking. They are accustomed to doing more than one thing at once and then we expect them to stay single focused at school? Doesn’t happen.

By: Gerald Aungst

Gerald Aungst — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 02:11:06 +0000

I was that kid, too, and still am. I can remember sitting in graduate classes and creating the most incredibly detailed doodles. One of my classmates once commented that I should frame them. I also know that I tend to rush to judgment about what my students are doing and what constitutes “paying attention”. This story really got me thinking about how I need to put myself in my kids’ shoes and try to see it from their point of view.

By: Donna Bills

Donna Bills — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:11:30 +0000

I love this post. I was that kid, too! I still doodle at meetings, during sermons, etc. Sometimes I do 3-d “doodles” by folding small pieces of paper. It keeps that part of my brain busy that would otherwise lead me totally off the subject. Thanks for drawing attention to this.

By: Kelly Hines

Kelly Hines — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:15:55 +0000

I am so glad that you posted on this research and your experiences with it. I was that kid! It’s all I can do not to hunt down my previous teachers and email them your post. I tried to explain that doodling HELPED me pay attention. I experience the same thing with something like a crossword puzzle. These things keep me grounded and often provide me with a visual and muscle pattern memory that allows me to make a better connection. Thanks for sharing!