Distractions in the Classroom

Distractions in the Classroom

How do I respond?

Getting Distracted...

• In class, my job is to learn new things.

• I learn new things by focusing on the teacher and my work.

• But sometimes, other students make it hard to focus and do my job.

• Their behavior is distracting.

Open Ended

Name something that makes you feel distracted in class.

(Do not say any person's name).

When someone's behavior is distracting me, I have three choices:

• Join them and be distracting too.

• Ask them to stop.

• Ignore them and focus on my work.

I should ignore and focus on my work if:

• The behavior is not a big deal. OR

• Someone has already asked the person to stop. OR

• It is break time.

I should ask the person to stop when:

• I am the first person to ask. AND

• I cannot possibly focus without them stopping. AND

• It is work time.

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  ​Asking after other people have asked is called a "pile-on".

• A pile-on is annoying and makes people feel embarrased.

I should never join in.

I will get a minus if I join the distracting behavior.

Multiple Choice

Someone is whispering quietly as they read their work to themselves.

I should...

• Ask them to stop.

• Ignore and focus on my work.

• Start whispering too.

Multiple Choice

Someone is humming loudly during class and no one has asked them to stop.

I should...

• Ask them to stop.

• Ignore and focus on my work.

• Start humming too.

Multiple Choice

Someone is laughing loudly during class and the teacher already told them to stop.

I should...

• Ask them to stop.

• Ignore and focus on my work.

• Start laughing too.

Multiple Choice

Someone is gently tapping their pencil on their desk during class.

I should...

• Ask them to stop.

• Ignore and focus on my work.

• Start laughing too.

Multiple Choice

Someone is listening to a loud video during work time.

I should...

• Ask them to stop.

• Ignore and focus on my work.

• Start laughing too.

Multiple Choice

Someone is saying "Yes!" or "Nooo!" when they get an answer right or wrong. The teacher has already asked them to stop.

I should...

• Ask them to stop.

• Ignore and focus on my work.

• Start saying "Yes!" too.

Multiple Choice

Someone is having a conversation with their friend on break, and using words I don't like. I should...

• Ask them to stop.

• Ignore and focus on my own friends.

• Start using that word too.

Multiple Choice

Someone is flipping their binder open and shut over and over during class.

I should...

• Ask them to stop.

• Ignore and focus on my work.

• Start playing with my binder too.

Multiple Choice

Someone is trying hard to open their binder rings to get to today's worksheet.

I should...

• Ask them to stop.

• Ignore and focus on my work.

• Start playing with my binder too.

Multiple Choice

Someone keeps looking at me during class. I should:

• Stand up and go tell them to cut it out

• Have a staring contest with them

• Ignore them and focus on my work

Sometimes I am the distracting one!

• I may also do things sometimes that other people find distracting.

• If someone asks me to stop, I should:

  • Say, "Okay."

  • Stop doing the distracting thing.

• I might feel a little embarrassed or annoyed when people ask me to stop.

• I can remind myself that it is not a big deal, and the person is annoyed by my behavior, not by me.

• As long as I stop the distracting behavior, we can all move on and forget about it.

Multiple Choice

If someone asks me to stop a distracting behavior, it is because ___.

• They think I am a bad kid.

• They do not want to be friends.

• They are trying to annoy me.

• My behavior is making it hard for them to focus.

Multiple Choice

I am swinging my legs into the bars of the chair.

It makes a great "ding" noise.

My classmate asks me to stop.

I should ___.

• Tell them to stop being a kid cop

• Ask them why they don't like the noise

• Say "okay" and stop swinging my legs

• Complain to the teacher that they're being mean

Multiple Choice

I have a lot of energy after PE class.

I am tapping my pencil against my desk, binder, and computer.

Someone asks me to stop.

I should ___.

• Tell them to stop being a kid cop

• Say, "I can't help it! I'm so excited."

• Say "okay" and stop tapping my pencil

• Complain to the teacher that they're being mean

Multiple Select

I have a lot of energy after PE class.

How else can I use up that energy?

(Pick 2!)

• Take a walk to get water

• Offer to hand out the notes or pencils

• Tap my feet on the floor

• Sing and dance to the music in my head

Multiple Choice

I am playing with my hair during the lesson and the student behind me asks me to stop.

I should...

• Say "Okay" and wait until break

• Say "I'm not even bothering you!

• Whine to the teacher that my hair is messy

• Ignore the person and keep playing with my hair

Open Ended

"One way I can use up energy without being distracting is ___."

When I ask someone to stop, I should...

• Ask quietly.

• Use nice words.

• Ask only one time.

• Let the teacher handle it afterward.

Multiple Choice

Someone is loudly humming while they work. Should I say...

• "You're so loud."

• "Please stop humming."

• "Aggggh! My ears!"

Multiple Choice

Someone is shouting "Yes!" each time they get the right answer.

Should I say...

• "That makes me feel bad!"

• "You are sooo distracting!"

• "Please stop saying that."

Open Ended

Why should we ask people to stop politely when we are distracted?

"We should ask people to stop politely because ___."

The same rules apply on the van!

• The first time someone says something annoying, I can ask them to stop or tell them I don't want to talk right now.

• If they don't stop, I should ignore them. I can put on headphones, imagine music in my head, or think about other things.

• Continuing to tell them to stop or yelling is unexpected behavior and makes my behavior just as annoying as theirs.

• I only need to tell an adult if the student is hurting people or threatening to hurt them.

Multiple Choice

I am on the van and someone is making an annoying sound with their mouth.

I should ___.

• Ask one time for them to stop and then ignore it.

• Ask them to stop every time they make the noise.

• Scream, "Stop that right now!"

• Tell my parents that someone is being annoying on the van

Multiple Choice

I am on the van and someone asks me a question I feel uncomfortable answering.

I should ___.

• Tell them one time I don't want to talk about it and then ignore it.

• Tell them I don't want to talk about it, and then tell the van driver the student is being annoying.

• Scream, "You're so mean" and burst into tears.

• Tell my parents that someone is being annoying on the van

Multiple Choice

I am on the van and someone says they are going to beat me up at school tomorrow.

I should ___.

• Tell them one time I don't want to talk about it and then ignore it.

• Tell them I will fight them back and raise my fists.

• Scream, "You're so mean" and burst into tears.

• Tell my parents that someone made a threat on the van.

Open Ended

If someone is having unexpected behavior on the van, I will ___.