Managing Interruptions

Staff development network

Dr Mark Dowley July 30th, 2024 · 2min read

The reading this week is a summary of a research paper The Big Problem with Little Interruptions to Classroom Learning.  The data was collected from a school district in the USA, but I would argue the results would be similar across contexts.

Key points

  • Learning in a typical classroom is disrupted an estimated 2000 times per year (visitors, announcements, etc.)
  • These interruptions can cause the loss of between 10-20 days of instructional time per year
  • Administrators appear to systematically underestimate the frequency and negative consequences of interruptions
  • Most disruptions are caused by school staff or student tardiness
  • Schools can minimise disruptions to the learning environment by creating a culture that prioritises instructional time
  • Less interruptions correlated with better academic outcomes across schools
  • I had to include a couple of quotes as it’s very direct for a research paper:
    • Many interruptions were unnecessary, the result of poorly designed or altogether absent systems for streamlining school communication. Thus, there appears to be ample scope for substantially reducing external classroom interruptions
    • Distracting hundreds of students to call one student to the front office is educational malpractice

Read the full article (Thanks to Peps McCrea for the link)

What you can do

  • Establishing collective school norms that hold instructional time sacred
  • Conduct a mini review of classroom interruptions by asking staff and looking at the school calendars
  • Train colleagues in the science of learning and attention. An understanding of attention makes it easier for schools to reduce interruptions

Reducing unnecessary intrusions into classrooms is a simple and almost costless way to increase instructional time

Happy coaching,
Mark

 

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