Introduction

For students in special education, staying focused during class can be challenging, especially when their classmates display distracting behavior. Learning to ignore others’ behavior is a crucial skill for these students, as it enables them to concentrate on their work and make good choices despite distractions. In this blog post, we will discuss a no-prep activity that educators can use to teach students the essential skill of ignoring distracting behavior.

No-Prep Activity

This simple, no-prep activity can help students practice ignoring distractions and staying focused on their work. Begin by explaining the concept of ignoring to the students: pretending not to see or hear someone else. Then, follow these steps:

1. Ask the students to work on a task individually, such as reading a passage or solving a math problem.
2. While the students are working, intentionally create a distraction, such as dropping a book or making a loud noise.
3. Observe the students’ reactions and remind them to stay calm and use a calming strategy, like taking three deep breaths.
4. Encourage the students not to look at, listen to, or talk to the source of the distraction.
5. After the activity, discuss with the students how they felt and what strategies they used to stay focused.

Discussion Questions

Use the following questions to stimulate further discussions among your students:

1. What did you do to stay calm and focused during the activity?
2. How did ignoring the distraction help you complete your work?
3. Can you think of a situation outside of the classroom where ignoring distractions would be useful?
4. What other strategies could you use to stay focused when someone is distracting you?
5. How can we support each other in staying focused and ignoring distractions in the classroom?

Related Skills

Ignoring distracting behavior is just one of the many skills that students in special education need to develop. Other related skills include:

• Self-control: Managing emotions and impulses in challenging situations.
• Active listening: Paying full attention to the speaker and understanding their message.
• Conflict resolution: Addressing disagreements in a constructive manner.
• Cooperation: Working effectively with others to achieve a common goal.
• Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.

Next Steps

Now that you’ve learned about teaching students to ignore distracting behavior, you can continue to explore more social-emotional learning materials for special education. Sign up for free samples of various skill-building resources and discover how they can benefit your students.