Boredom is so common that almost half of all high school students are bored in school every day. Boredom is a negative academic emotion that can affect students in multiple ways. 

Anxiety is the most studied negative emotion while boredom is a newer academic emotion drawing the attention of researchers and educators. 

Boredom has a function. It signals individuals to establish new goals and to explore alternatives. At the same time, boredom is related to a variety of mental and physical health problems including impulsivity, risk-taking, drug and alcohol use, procrastination, aggression, and decreased academic achievement.

Following are some of the possible reasons which might be responsible for children’s boredom in the classroom

Children are not Adequately Challenged

It is possible that some students may predict teachers planned activities and completing the task way ahead of the other students, which makes them bored during the rest of the session. We heard the majority of teachers call these students ‘over smart’ or ‘overconfident’. However, it’s not the students’ fault that they are smart and sharp-minded. 

A teacher needs to understand what these students are trying to tell you with this attitude that they are not sufficiently challenged in the class activities. It does not mean that under-challenged students are less smart. It says that they are capable of competing with other kids, but these children don’t always present the way other kids perform in the class. Many under-challenged students are chaotic in their work, don’t study much, still get good grades because they focus on the completion of their paper instead of making things tidier.

Deficiency of Learning Skills

Sometimes, students get bored in the classroom because they lack skills that help them to comprehend the classroom tasks, such as managing or enquiry (research) skills. A child who could benefit from learning how to manage his time or create a plan for a long-term project might say ‘I’m bored’ when he means ‘I don’t know how to do this, so I don’t even want to try.’

Here are the most common things teachers do to cause boredom.

Talking too much

Students need room to breathe or they’ll form an unspoken mutiny and turn your classroom upside down. Talking too much is especially smothering. It communicates that you don’t trust them, teaches them to tune you out, and causes their eyes to glaze over. The more economical and concise you are with your words, however, the more attentive your students will be.

Making the simple, complex

Many teachers misunderstand the oft-heard mandate for more rigour. They take it to mean that they need to make their instruction more complex, more involved, more verbose—which is a major reason why students don’t progress. Our job, if we are to do it well, is to do the opposite. The most effective teachers simplify, break down, and cut away the non-essentials—making content easier for students to grasp.

Failing to adjust

Regardless of what you’re trying to squeeze in by the end of the day, or how important it seems, the moment you notice heads wilting, you must make an adjustment. It’s never worth it to plough through. Sometimes all your students need is a moment to stretch their legs or say hello to a friend. Other times, you’ll simply move on to something else.

ELT Experts – Sensations English