How to get kids to pay attention

Re:How to get kids to pay attention by sandworm101 on Sunday July 01, 2018 @12:26PM (#17436203)

Well, today is a national holiday for me but about a dozen of us have to be at work (long story). For the next three hours, short of an emergency situation, we have literally nothing to do. No cellphones, but half of us are playing X-box (not networked). The other half are surfing the web, two of those are trying to find a way to watch the world cup despite our security filters. I would much rather be walking a dog on a beach, or flying fighter jet. My point: what we want to do with our free time is constantly limited by current circumstance. Letting kids do whatever the want, within the limitation that it must happen inside the classroom, will inevitably result in X-box and we surfing.

How about this: Give the kids a fire pit. I'd bet that most of them would rather learn how to start and maintain a fire than play x-box. I know I'd rather be chopping wood than sitting in an office chair.

"Fire pits and power tools good for preschoolers" https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/parenting/little-kids/pre...

I've met US teenagers who don't know how to use matches.

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Re:How to get kids to pay attention by _Microft on Sunday July 01, 2018 @01:30PM (#17436526)

Have you tried reading or learning? I've always a book in my bag for unexpected breaks. Depending on the topic or book, you can easily go from something else to reading and back to work.

A month ago there was a thread about the "one book that changed your life": https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17168136

I read Mindset by Carol Dweck since then and found it very interesting (and applicable to some parts of my life and behaviour).

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Re:How to get kids to pay attention by sandworm101 on Sunday July 01, 2018 @02:29PM (#17436837)

>> Have you tried reading or learning?

Lol. When I was at basic training (Canadian military) we of course didn't have cellphones or computers, but were allowed books. The image burned into my mind is of my platoon on a rainy day in the woods. Everyone is in camo/weapons, huddled together to keep warm while waiting for a truck … reading game of thrones. Those novels were better protected from rain/mud than any weapon.

I have a dozen projects that I could be working on. But it is a Sunday. Canada day. Tomorrow is also a holiday. The bosses aren’t here. Other than us and the guards, the building is empty. Nobody is in the mood for the never-ending stream of online courses we are supposed to work on in our free time. It is Xbox and the web until quitting time.

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