Educator Instruction

  We constantly hear that attention spans are shrinking and that information needs to be delivered in ever smaller chunks. Whether or not this is true, one thing is clear: in online spaces, you have only a few seconds to capture attention before people move on. The same principle applies to teaching—just across a longer time horizon. How learners experience the start of a session has a disproportionate impact on how engaged, focused, and motivated they are for what follows. Over time, I’ve found it helpful to adopt a consistent and intentional approach to starting sessions. What follows is a simple framework I now rely on. Pre-session: the session starts before anyone arrives For me, a teaching session begins before learners enter the room. The way the space is set up matters. A tidy, organised room; chairs positioned intentionally; appropriate lighting and temperature; and the removal of leftover materials from previous sessions all contribute to a professional learning ...