Dear Loved Ones,
When it comes to struggling students, a focused workspace is less about sound and distractions, and much more about sensory soothers and activators. The best approach is to provide lots of opportunities to try different strategies, and then talk about whether the strategies were helpful or not.
Where do you start?
I have a short list of elements that are my first go to tricks when setting up a focusing workspace.
A word of caution...
These techniques are best approached as an offer to your student, not a requirement. If the environmental element is soothing, they will not fight you, but if it’s irritating you’ll know right away.
Let your struggling student be your guide.
Enjoy!
A struggling student’s workplace can make or break the ability to focus.
It wasn’t until my own diagnosis that I realized I required some strange elements to GET my brain to read, write, and remember. Even now, as I type this. To get my brain rolling…
I have a tasty coffee treat,
sitting at a loud-ish coffee shop,
at a table in the middle of the room,
legs crossed yoga style,
comfortable clothes,
headphones without music,
facing a window,
and typing into my iPad.
ALL of those elements are specific and on purpose to get my brain to dial into what I’m working on. Yep, all of them. Today, we take a look at our workplace setup. Some of the elements might surprise you.
Comfort
Comfort is often overlooked. Discomfort creates a repetitive and agitating internal distraction. Comfort items might surprise you, especially for our students with sensory sensitivities. Some of the most comforting positions are upside down and sideways.
Elements of Nature
Stimulating the brain is the goal, but some stimulus can be too distracting. Nature has this strategy in balance with "soft stimulus." Mother Nature provides light, air movement, and visual stimulus that is just strong enough without being too distracting. Consider facing a window, using sunlight, lighting as candle (safely), or best yet… go outside for homework time.
Steady Sound
A quiet environment is NOT optimal. Sound provides incredible focus when it is steady. On the other hand, it is incredibly distracting when it is sudden. "Quiet" environments are terribly distracting, because there are small sudden sounds everywhere. Headphones are our friends. Steady sound is key.
Body Movement
Struggling students think better when they move, stretch, or balance. Allow for as much standing, walking, and moving as possible for the task. Use whiteboards and clipboards, or a jaunt of movement between small tasks.
Refocus Distractions
When distraction sets in, the mind forgets what it was doing and looks for clues through the eyes. Place a small note, or even better, a person (like yourself) right in the line of sight as a reminder to get back to work.
